2011‐12

BASKETBALL

PREVIEW

Breaking down

the Big 12 conference p. 4

Kim English

learns to

post up p. 7

Faith in Haith? The new coach

hopes so p. 5

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Student Assistant,

Elon College

1985-88

Assistant Coach, Elon

College

1988-89

Grad. As-sistant Coach, Wake Forest

1989-90

Assistant Coach, UNC-Wilmington

1990-92

Assistant Coach, Texas

A&M

1992-95

Assistant Coach, Penn

State

1995-96

Associate Head Coach, Texas A&M

1996-97

Assistant Coach, Wake

Forest

1997-01

Assistant Coach, Univer-

sity of Texas

2001-03

Associate Head Coach, University of

Texas

2003-04

Head Coach, University of

Miami

2004-2011

Head Coach, University of

Missouri

2011 -

MANEATER FILE PHOTOMen’s basketball coach Frank Haith speaks to the media and members of the MU administration April 5 at Mizzou Arena. Haith plans to change the Tigers’ famous up-tempo offense to a half-court style offense.

Haith embraces new homeMissouri’s new coach is out to turn skeptical fans into strong supporters.Ryan HoodStaff Writer

Days after an EF-5 tornado devastated the town of Joplin, killing 162 people and destroying roughly 30 percent of the town's infrastructure, first-year Missouri basket-ball coach Frank Haith assisted in the relief effort.

Haith, a native of Queens, N.Y., who had no prior ties to the Show-Me State, de-livered goods as part of the United Way's United for Joplin campaign for the tornado-ravaged town.

His personal contributions to the re-covery effort in Joplin did not stop there. Haith played an integral role in organizing last month's One State, One Spirit Classic exhibition game in Joplin against Missouri Southern, an event that raised more than $100,000 in tornado relief funds.

"(Haith) came here with no prior con-nections to the state," senior guard Kim English said after the exhibition. "To have the idea to bring his team to a nationally-ranked Division II team's floor and raise money is a testament to his character."

After seven years coaching at Miami, Haith came to Missouri amid controversy. Missouri had just been publicly rebuked by Purdue coach Matt Painter after reports sur-faced that Painter-to-MU was a done deal.

Fans were hoping for a big-name hire, and the appointment of Haith did not go over well.

In seven years at the helm for the Hurricanes, Haith's teams were 43-69 in ACC play and 129-101 overall. The 2007-08 season was the only one in which Haith led Miami to the NCAA Tourna-ment, where it lost in the second round. The Hurricanes participated in the NIT on four occasions under Haith.

After the knee-jerk backlash against the hire settled down, and just when it appeared the Tigers were ready to put the tumultuous off-season behind them and play basketball, scandal struck.

On Aug. 16, Haith was implicated in the massive Miami booster scandal unearthed by Yahoo! Sports.

The scandal mostly revolves around the football program and illegal benefits Miami booster Nevin Shapiro gave to recruits and

student-athletes.The Miami basketball program was

also accused of serious wrongdoing in the Yahoo! report.

Haith was accused of approving Shapiro sending current Miami senior DaQuan Jones a $10,000 check during his recruitment.

The NCAA is currently investigating and has yet to rule on Haith’s status, although they have ruled Jones must sit out the 2011-12 season while the investigation is on-go-ing.

Haith opted to avoid discussing the matter at this season’s MU basketball media day, stating “There’s nothing more about that I can talk about right now than I’ve already said, we’re focusing on playing basketball.”

Haith’s attempts to sway fans’ per-ception of him dates back to the sum-mer, shortly after his hiring.

"When I was hired I'm not sure peo-ple knew much about me," Haith said back in July. "A big part of my job was to reach out and get to know the peo-ple of this state and allow them to get to know me. I needed to show them what we are all about."

With two regular season and three exhibition games under their belt, the process of assimilating to Haith's style is well underway.

When asked to describe his coach's de-meanor on the sidelines, junior guard Mi-chael Dixon needed just one word to sum it up: enthusiastic.

Before becoming coach at Miami, Haith worked as an assistant under Rick Barnes at Texas from 2001 to 2003. It was during that time Haith received his first sense of the passion the community has for MU bas-ketball, something that has been confirmed since coming to MU.

"Being here in this community, it's been pretty ob-vious to me that this is important to the community and that's exciting for me, real excit-ing," Haith said. "I know that there's a tremendous at-tachment to the community and our basketball pro-gram."

In addition to his role in rebuilding Jo-plin, Haith has thrown out the first pitch at a Cardinals game, toured the state meet-ing with MU supporters and recently held a clinic for kids at Mizzou Arena.

The two-hour clinic, held Nov. 5, fea-tured 179 elementary-age participants and was conducted by Haith, members of his coaching staff and Tiger players.

"I can't tell you how many times the par-ents talked about our players and being con-nected with our players," Haith said. "That's tremendous, and being in a community like that, it's a blessing for me."

HAITH’S HISTORY A look at coach Frank Haith’s path to Missouri.

“Being here in this community, it’s been pretty obvious to me that this is important to the community and that’s exciting for me, real exciting.”

Men’s basketball coach Frank Haith

BEN WALTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERCoach Frank Haith calls a play from the sidelines Monday night at Mizzou Arena. Haith has led the Tigers to a 2-0 record after the 81-63 victory over Mercer.

BasketBall Preview 3

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Iowa State will rely on six players who did not play a second of collegiate basketball last year. White, Allen and Babb are expected to start for the Cyclones a!er sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. Missouri, on the other hand, has a senior-"lled squad. Hoiberg has a lot of con"dence in his batch of transfers. But can any coach, let alone one in his second year with a program, win under such extremely unique circumstances?

UNFAVORABLE: #e Cyclones are arguably the most intriguing team in the Big 12. White, a Minnesota transfer with a remarkable 6-foot-8-inch, 240-pound frame, has already received stellar re-views. He was selected as the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and didn’t even play regulation basketball last season. White is expected to play in di$erent positions. He could create matchup ter-ros for the Tigers. Michigan State transfer Chris Allen, who was last seen making 27 starts in MSU’s Final Four season in 2010, will play point guard. #e Cyclones enter the season with plenty of promise as well as numerous question marks. Flying under the radar could be their greatest advantage right now, and the Tigers would regret overlooking them.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Martin and crew will be in search of an iden-tity without guard Jacob Pullen. Rodriguez and Gipson will be looked on to make immediate contributions. No one on the roster but McGruder averaged double-digit points last year and much of the o$ensive burdens will fall on him. #e Tigers could prey on the Cats inconsistencies this season.

UNFAVORABLE: Martin’s defensive culture faded behind Pullen’s explosive performances last season. Martin has em-phasized defense over the o$season and if his team latches on to his style, the Tigers could "nd their rhythm disturbed by Martin’s patented scheme.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: #e Jayhawks are a roster in transition following the depar-tures of Brady Morningstar, the Morris twins and Tyrel Reed. Kansas’ top two freshmen, Ben McLemore and Jamari Traylor, have both been ruled ineligible for the season. MU has a very experienced roster, as the current senior class already has the most wins in program history. ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew will be in Columbia on Feb. 4. #e show will make KU’s "nal trip to Mizzou Arena for the foreseeable future an even sti$er road test.

UNFAVORABLE: Kansas lacks its usual dominant upperclassmen pres-ence, but there is no shortage of tal-ent in Lawrence, Kan. Junior forward #omas Robinson returns poised for a breakout season now that he is out form underneath the spotlight of the Morris twins. Robinson recorded a double-double last year at Mizzou Arena. #e Tigers haven’t won at KU since 1999, and the fervor in Law-rence will be kicked up a few notches thanks to MU’s impending departure for the SEC.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Texas A&M was forced to learn an entirely new system at the onset of practice a!er assistant coach Glynn Cyprien took over for "rst-year coach Kennedy, who was placed on medical leave of absence. #e adjustments will take time. #e Aggies lack good guard play, so MU’s four-guard lineup should have a big advantage.

UNFAVORABLE: Texas A&M’s top two returners, Loubeau and Middleton, are matchup dilemmas for the Tigers with-out forward Laurence Bowers. Ratli$e held his own against Loubeau in their regular season matchup, but Loubeau dominated in their Big 12 Tournament matchup. English will have his hands full with Middleton, who led TAMU in scoring 16 times last season. #e Tigers have dropped eight straight games to their future SEC foe.

The Maneater takes a look at the games that will decide Missouri’s Big 12 fate.

Kansas Oklahoma State

Iowa State

TexasA&M

Kansas State

AT A GLANCECOACH: Bill Self (ninth season)TOP RETURNERS: forward #omas Robinson; guards Elijah Johnson, #omas Robinson TOP NEWCOMERS: guard Naadir #arpeLAST YEAR: Kansas won 103-86 at KU. Kansas won 70-66 at MU.

MATCHUPPREDICTION: FEB. ! AT MU: Missouri winsFEB. "# AT KU: Missouri loses

KEY FACEOFF

Phil Pressey vs. Tyshawn Taylor

AT A GLANCECOACH: Travis Ford (fourth season)TOP RETURNERS: guards Keiton Page, Jean-Paul Olukemi, Markel Brown, Reger Dowell and Fred GulleyTOP NEWCOMERS: forward Michael Cobbins; guards LeBryan Nash; cen-ter Marek SoucekLAST YEAR: Oklahoma State won 76-70 at OSU.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Missouri could "nd dilemma this year when it faces teams with inside presence. #at is exactly what Okla-homa State must "nd this season. It’s not unlikely that the Cowboys put "ve guards on the %oor with Page, Brown, Gul-ley, Dowell, Olukemi and explosive top recruit Nash in the mix. #ere will be a complete change of scenery in the Cow-boys’ o$ense from last season.

UNFAVORABLE: For what Oklahoma State lacks in size it could make up for in athleticism. Olukemi and Nash are unique talents in forward bodies with guard mentalities. If those two can pose threats in the lane, Page, who ranks 10th on the Cowboys’ all-time three-point list, is a prime outlet.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. "# AT OSU: Missouri winsFEB. $# AT MU: Missouri wins

KEY FACEOFFKim English vs. Khris Middleton

MATCHUP PREDICTION:JAN. $% AT MU: Missouri losesFEB. $& AT TAMU: Missouri loses

AT A GLANCECOACH: Billy Kennedy ("rst season)TOP RETURNERS: forwards David Lou-beau and Khris Middleton; guards Dash Harris and Naji HibbertTOP NEWCOMERS: guards Jamal Branch and Jordan GreenLAST YEAR: Texas A&M won 91-89 at TAMU.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. ' AT KSU: Missouri winsFEB. "$ AT MU: Missouri wins

AT A GLANCECOACH: Frank Martin ("!h season)TOP RETURNERS: forward Jordan Henriquez; guards Rodney McGruder, Will Spradling and Martavious IrvingTOP NEWCOMERS: forwards #omas Gipson and Adrian Diaz; guard An-gel RodriguezLAST YEAR: Missouri won 75-59 at MU. Kansas State won 80-70 at KSU.

KEY FACEOFFMichael Dixon vs. Rodney McGruder

AT A GLANCECOACH: Fred Hoiberg (second sea-son)TOP RETURNERS: guard Scott Christopherson and forward Mel-vin EjimTOP NEWCOMERS: forwards Royce White and Anthony Booker; guards Chris Allen, Chris Babb, Tyrus Mcgee; center Percy Gibson LAST YEAR: Missouri won 76-70 at MU.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. $$ AT MU: Missouri winsFEB. "( AT ISU: Missouri loses

KEY FACEOFFMatt Pressey vs. Keiton Page

BREAKDOWNSeth Boster & Ryan Hoodof The Maneater sta)

4 BasketBall Preview

Seth Boster | Sta! Writer

Nov. 21: Notre DameMissouri will meet the Irish in Kan-sas City for the College Basketball Experience Classic opening round. Notre Dame is coming o! a historic season, finishing 27-7 and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament under the guidance of Mike Brey, the 2010 AP Coach of the Year. Much of last year’s magic came from forward Ben Hansbrough, who inked a contract with Bayern Munich in Germany over the summer.

Nov. 22: No. 24 Califor‐nia/GeorgiaBased on how the first round of the CBE Classic plays out, Missouri will face either Cal or Georgia. Expecta-tions are high at Cal, a program look-ing to make its third tournament ap-pearance in the past four seasons. The strength of the Golden Bears lies with the reliable guard Jorge Gutier-rez and last season’s PAC-12 Fresh-man of the Year, guard Allen Crabbe. The matchup should prove to be a ba"le of backcourts.

Dec. 6: VillanovaThe Wildcats will be without the ser-vices of three of last year’s starters, including guard combo Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes. The duo carried the team last year but at the same time showed flashes of inconsisten-cies. Guard Maalik Wayns will have to heavily contribute while responsibly operating the o!ense. The Wildcats will play a starting rotation with great size and matching up will be key for the Tigers.

Dec. 22: IllinoisThe Illini enter the season lacking firepower. The team is without five of last year’s top seven scorers. Fresh-men like point guard Tracy Abrams and forward Mike Shaw will have to find roles for the Illini. It will be a rota-tion that won’t be established early on in the season, forcing coach Bruce Weber to search for his team’s iden-tity. By late December, that identity should just about be discovered.

NONCONFERENCE

GAMESFOURTO WATCHAT A GLANCE

COACH: Billy Gillespie (!rst season)TOP RETURNERS: forwards Robert Lewan-dowski and Jaye CrockettTOP NEWCOMERS: guards Cameron Forte, DeShon Minnis and Ty NurseLAST YEAR: Missouri won 92-84 at MU.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Missouri could keep the Bears un-comfortable if it plays at a quick pace. Baylor’s ro-tation will feature big bodies that might struggle to keep up with a Tiger squad that prides itself on its quickness and is at its best when it’s on a full-court attack. It has yet to be seen how Drew can get a group loaded talented forwards to mesh.

UNFAVORABLE:Missouri will struggle to match up with Baylor’s roster. "e Bears boast !ve players that are 6 feet, 9 inches and taller and all of them — Jones III, Miller, Jones, Morgan and Je#erson — will see the $oor. If there’s one area in which MU is sorely lacking, it’s size. A%er 6-foot-9-inch senior for-ward Ricardo Ratli#e, senior guard Kim English is the next tallest in the starting !ve at 6 feet, 6 inches. Clearly, the Tigers’ biggest test will be in the paint, where Jones III and Miller, projected top 10 picks in next year’s NBA Dra%, could dominate the league.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Iowa State will rely on six players who did not play a second of collegiate basketball last year. White, Allen and Babb are expected to start for the Cyclones a%er sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. Missouri, on the other hand, has a senior-!lled squad. Hoiberg has a lot of con!dence in his batch of transfers. But can any coach, let alone one in his second year with a program, win under such extremely unique circumstances?

UNFAVORABLE: "e Cyclones are arguably the most intriguing team in the Big 12. White, a Minnesota transfer with a remarkable 6-foot-8-inch, 240-pound frame, has already received stellar re-views. He was selected as the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and didn’t even play regulation basketball last season. White is expected to play in di#erent positions. He could create matchup ter-ros for the Tigers. Michigan State transfer Chris Allen, who was last seen making 27 starts in MSU’s Final Four season in 2010, will play point guard. "e Cyclones enter the season with plenty of promise as well as numerous question marks. Flying under the radar could be their greatest advantage right now, and the Tigers would regret overlooking them.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: Martin and crew will be in search of an iden-tity without guard Jacob Pullen. Rodriguez and Gipson will be looked on to make immediate contributions. No one on the roster but McGruder averaged double-digit points last year and much of the o#ensive burdens will fall on him. "e Tigers could prey on the Cats inconsistencies this season.

UNFAVORABLE: Martin’s defensive culture faded behind Pullen’s explosive performances last season. Martin has em-phasized defense over the o#season and if his team latches on to his style, the Tigers could !nd their rhythm disturbed by Martin’s patented scheme.

THE LINEFAVORABLE: "e Big 12 Coaches Poll has Oklahoma !nishing last along-side Texas Tech. "e Sooners are a still-budding team under a new coach this season. Kruger is wanting to install an up-tempo brand of play, and the Sooners will have to adapt to it a%er boasting just a 27-36 record during the past two seasons. "e team will need production from former transfers Osby and Arent to support Fitzgerald in the front court.

UNFAVORABLE: Osby, Arent and Fitzgerald each bring better than 230 pounds to the paint. If the three can be productive in a rotation, it could prove problematic for the Tigers, who are limited with big bodies. "ere is a good lev-el of comfort in the Soon-ers’ locker room with four returning starters.

AT A GLANCECOACH: Rick Barnes (14th season)TOP RETURNERS: forward Alexis Wangmene; guard J’Covan BrownTOP NEWCOMERS: guards Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellanLAST YEAR: Texas won 71-58 at UT.

.

BaylorAT A GLANCECOACH: Scott Drew (ninth season)TOP RETURNERS: for-wards Perry Jones III, Antho-ny Jones, Quincy Acy, Cory Je#erson; guards A.J. Walton, J’Mison MorganTOP NEWCOMERS: for-wards Quincy Miller and guards Pierre Jackson, Brady HeslipLAST YEAR: Missouri won 77-59 at MU.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. #$ AT BU: Missouri losesFEB. $$ AT MU: Missouri loses

Kim English vs. Quincy Miller

KEY FACEOFF

Texas Tech.THE LINEFAVORABLE: "e Red Raiders are the young-est team in the Big 12. Gillespie welcomes 10 newcomers to the squad, none of which come in as being highly touted recruits. Lewandoski is the lone returning starter. "e Tigers’ four-guard lineup should have its way with Texas Tech. "e Red Raiders visit Columbia on Jan. 28, which will be an uphill battle for such an inexperienced team.

UNFAVORABLE: Lewandowski is what the Tigers lack: A dominant presence in the paint. Ratli#e is a good player, but all too o%en larger opponents pushed him around last season. Ratli#e won’t face any larger in the Big 12 than the 6-foot-10-inch, 256-pound Lewandowski. "e Tigers face the Red Raiders right before a two-game stretch against Texas and Kansas. MU can’t a#ord to overlook any conference opponents.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. #% AT MU: Missouri winsMAR.& AT TT: Missouri wins

OklahomaTexas

AT A GLANCECOACH: Lon Kruger (!rst season)TOP RETURNERS: forwards Andrew Fitzgerald and Ty-ler Neal; guards Carl Blair Jr., Cameron Clark and Steven PledgerTOP NEWCOMERS: forward Romero Osby; guard Sam Grooms; center Casey ArentLAST YEAR: Missouri won 84-61 at MU.

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. & AT MU: Missouri winsFEB. ' AT OU: Missouri wins

Kansas

Kansas State

KEY FACEOFFMarcus Denmon vs.

J’Covan Brown

THE LINEFAVORABLE: "e Longhorns lost all !ve starters from last year’s 28-8 team that lost to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tour-nament. J’Covan Brown is the only player on the current roster who has received meaningful playing time. "e Tigers draw the Longhorns ear-ly in Big 12 play, placing the young Longhorns at an even greater disad-vantage.

UNFAVORABLE: Brown scored 10.4 points a game o# the bench last year. He’s also averaged 21.3 points in three career NCAA Tournament games. Now that this is his team, look for the junior to emerge as one of the Big 12’s best guards. McClel-lan, a 6-foot-4-inch shooting guard was a top 50 recruit. Kabongo, a Mc-Donald’s All-American, will start at point guard. "e three give coach Rick Barnes a very formidable trio of guards

MATCHUPPREDICTION:JAN. $' AT MU: Missouri winsJAN. &( AT UT: Missouri loses

KEY FACEOFFRicardo Ratli#e vs. Andrew Fitzgerald

KEY FACEOFF:Ricardo Ratli#e vs.

Robert Lewandowski

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. ) AT KSU: Missouri winsFEB. #$ AT MU: Missouri wins

KEY FACEOFFMichael Dixon vs. Rodney McGruder

MATCHUP PREDICTION: JAN. $$ AT MU: Missouri winsFEB. #* AT ISU: Missouri loses

Ricardo Ratli#e vs. Royce White

KEY F

ACEO

FF

BasketBall Preview 5

Top five keys of the season

RYAN HOODOf The Maneater sta!

Missouri basketball enters the season receiving much less nation-al a"ention than last year, despite ranking No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The team’s current senior class has already se-cured its spot as the program’s all-time winningest class with 77 wins.

These five factors will play a key role in determining how many more they accumulate:

Which Kim English will show up?

Kim English is coming o! an underwhelming 2010-11 campaign, one that saw his points per game average drop from 14 PPG in 2009-10 to just 10 PPG last season. Now a senior, English (6

feet 6 inches, 200 pounds) is adjust-ing to playing power forward, where he’ll go one-on-one with the likes of Texas A&M’s David Loubeau (6 feet 8 inches, 235 pounds) and Kansas’s "omas Robinson (6 feet 9 inches, 237 pounds) in Big 12 Conference play.

"e Tigers are at a disadvantage defensively due to their lack of size. But if English regains his outside shooting touch, MU’s four-guard lineup will be tough to contain.

1

Are last year’s road woes a worry of the past?

Missouri was a mea-ger 6-10 in games out-side of Mizzou Arena and was just 2-7 in true road games last season. "e two road victories

were against Iowa State and Oregon, teams that #nished a combined 32-33 last season. "e Tigers won those two contests by a combined nine points.

Aside from facing each con-ference foe on the road once, key games away from Mizzou Arena this year include Notre Dame in Kansas City, Villanova in New York City and Illinois in St. Louis. Were the travel troubles related to former coach Mike Anderson, or is it an is-sue with the MU roster? Time will tell.

23

Can Phil Pressey take the next step?

Coach Frank Haith has raved about sophomore point guard Phil Pressey, comparing him to former Texas Longhorn and cur-rent NBA player T.J. Ford. Haith has also stressed the importance of the point guard position.

"e onus is on Pressey to build upon the progression he showed as last season wore on. Pressey made 12 starts in his rookie sea-son and averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His assists and steals totals both set records for an MU freshman.4

Can Kadeem Green make an impact?

Redshirt fresh-man power for-ward Kadeem Green is the de facto replacement for Laurence Bow-

ers, who is redshirting this sea-son as he recovers from a torn ACL. Green has yet to play in a regular season game for Missouri a$er redshirting last season to recover from a torn Achilles tendon. Missouri is relying on the Toronto native who didn’t show much during MU’s three exhibition games to play a key role o! the bench for the Tigers, who have just three players taller than 6 feet 6 inches.

5Will durability be a concern?

Under Anderson, Missouri played an 11-man rotation. "e Tigers have just eight scholar-ship players on the roster, so MU starters can count on playing six to eight

more minutes per game than they did last year. Coach Haith pointed to fatigue as a possible explanation for Missouri’s pedestrian second half of its exhibition against Central Missouri. If the extra minutes are al-ready taking a toll on the team, how will they hold up over the course of the next four months?

2011-2012 SCHEDULE11/11/11 vs. SEMO W, 83-68

11/17/11 vs. Niagara 7 p.m.

11/22/11 vs. California / Georgia TBA

11/14/11 vs. Mercer W, 81-63

11/21/11 vs. Notre Dame 6:30 p.m.

12/02/11 vs. Northwestern State 7 p.m.11/27/11 vs. Binghamton 2 p.m.

12/10/11 vs. Navy 4 p.m.12/06/11 vs. Villanova 6 p.m.

12/18/11 vs. William & Mary 2 p.m.12/15/11 vs. Kennesaw State 7 p.m.

12/30/11 at Old Dominion 6 p.m.12/22/11 vs. Illinois 8 p.m.

01/07/12 at Kansas State 12:30 p.m.01/03/12 vs. Oaklahoma 7 p.m.

01/11/12 at Iowa State 7 p.m.

01/16/12 vs. Texas A&M 4:30 p.m.

01/25/12 at Oklahoma State 6:30 p.m.

01/30/12 at Texas 8 p.m.

01/21/12 at Baylor 1 p.m.

01/28/12 vs. Texas Tech 12:30 p.m.

02/06/12 at Oklahoma 6 p.m.02/04/12 vs. Kansas 8 p.m.

02/15/12 vs. Oklahoma State 8 p.m.02/11/12 vs. Baylor 12:30 p.m.

02/21/12 vs. Kansas State 6 p.m.02/18/12 at Texas A&M 1 p.m.

02/29/12 vs. Iowa State 7 p.m.02/25/12 at Kansas 3 p.m.

03/03/12 vs. Texas Tech 3 p.m.

01/14/12 vs. Texas 12 p.m.

6 BasketBall Preview

BEN WALTON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

BEN WALTON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

BEN WALTON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERBEN WALTON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

MANEATER FILE PHOTO

SETH BOSTERStaff Writer

While he was haunted over the summer by the memories of his previous season, perhaps the best advice Missouri men’s basketball senior Kim English heard was a message relayed by senior teammate Marcus Denmon. It came from Denmon’s uncle, Martinez Denmon, a standout at Iowa State who was drafted by the Celtics in 1973.

“Confidence is restored,” he had said.On Friday night at Mizzou Arena, the

6-foot-6-inch English began the 2011 cam-paign with his team against Southeast Missouri State University starting at the power forward spot after three years of playing guard.

But his mission began in early October after 6-foot-8-inch senior Laurence Bowers’ season ended when he tore his ACL in his left leg dur-ing practice, and first-year coach Frank Haith was forced to adjust. Haith decided starting four guards was the best option for the team, and said the move would benefit English’s play-ing style.

“When you look at the position Kimmie’s playing, he’s going to have chances to get loose,” Haith said earlier in the season. “Most four guys won’t play guys out on the perimeter, which is a tremendous advantage on one end.”

On the other end, English would likely find himself attempting to neutralize bigger bodies than his own thin frame.

“I’m obviously smaller than any big in this league,” English said. “And that’s probably the best position in this league.”

English sounds aware of the challenges he faces at the new position. He talks about the importance of stopping offensive rebounds and defending the paint. He talks a lot about not

letting his team down.“We all depend on each other so heavily,”

he said. “In the past, we played in a (different) system. This time, there’s more accountability. You’re responsible to play your role to the best of your abilities. When you have that kind of load, you don’t want to let your teammates down.”

One thing he will not speak much of — his 2010-2011 season when he saw his production drop to a career low 10.0 points per game.

“It is over,” English said. “I’m focusing on now and trying to get better each day. Last year was last year. It’s out of my mind.”

English credits his teammates and Haith for helping restructure his confidence. Haith, who heavily recruited English during his time at Miami three years ago, has put an emphasis on building relationships with his team since taking over.

“Guys got to know you believe in them,” he said. “Trust is such an important word in build-ing a basketball team. I did have a little bit of that relationship with Kim prior to being here, so I think that helped. But encouraging him to just be himself is the biggest thing with Kim. Watching him last year, he tried to do too much at times. Just be Kim English. Just be yourself and you’ll be fine. Just be Kim English.”

English was occasionally out-muscled Friday. But he looked fearless by taking three charges. “Winning plays,” Haith calls them. He lifted his team with 19 points, going 5-9 behind the arc.

“It feels great to be back to my normal self,” he said after the game.

SETH BOSTERStaff Writer

To senior guard Marcus Denmon, three years doesn’t seem long ago at all.

“It’s our last season,” Denmon said of seniors in the team’s starting rotation. “I remember us coming in as freshmen and some of the older guys telling us it’s gonna go by fast. And they hit it right on the nail. It’s really flown by and now that it’s our last chance to go out and play at this level and lead our team, it’s really that much more important.”

Denmon is entering his final season at Missouri with high expectations after being named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. So far, he has made his final year of collegiate basketball worthwhile. He played as one of 12 members on the World University USA Team during the summer. He was the leading force behind his team’s 4-0 start through three exhibition games and the season opener against Southeast Missouri State University last Friday night, in which he scored 20 points.

Guard Kim English has raised the stakes in his final year with Denmon as well. The two have been together since they were recruited out of high school.

“I’ve been here with Marcus for four years,” English said. “We’re at the point where I can tell him he needs to step it up and he can tell me I need to step it up. That’s the kind of team you need when you want to win championships.”

English said the thought of a final champi-onship run has given the senior group a greater sense of urgency.

“It’s a sense that we’re all embracing,” he said. “We understand that teams are remembered by championships and that’s what we’ve worked for these past three seasons. This is our last chance to go get it.”

Since forward Laurence Bowers tore his ACL in the first week of practice, he has been wearing dress clothes on the sidelines while watching his fellow senior teammates embark on their final season together. Still, Bowers can

be found pacing with a limp through his team’s warm-ups before tip-off. He’ll exchange high-fives with them, give pats on the back and raise his fist with them before they all break a huddle.

Bowers will return under scholarship next season. Nonetheless, his teammates said they were sad to know he would not be playing with them.

“When I found out what happened to

Laurence, I literally started crying for him,” senior center Steve Moore said.

With Bowers sidelined, Moore will be expected to make a bigger impact on the team after averaging 11 minutes a game his junior season.

Having worked out with team trainers dur-ing the summer, Moore shed more than 20 pounds while preparing to produce more min-

utes on the floor.“I mean, why not?” he said. “I’m a senior. It’s

my last go around. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me after college. I don’t know if I’m gonna play basketball after college. So I figure you got to give it everything you’ve got now. You think about it a lot. It’s in your head every day, all day. About how you’re a senior and how you want to make the best out of everything.”

Changing of a guard: English adapts to move

Seniors look to carry Tigers

BasketBall Preview 7

BEN WALTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSenior guard Marcus Denmon jumps into the spotlight during pregame introductions Monday Night at Mizzou Arena. Denmon led the Tigers last season with almost 17 points per game and a .448 percentage on three-point shots.

BEN WALTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Senior guard Kim English supports his team from the sideline Monday night at Mizzou Arena. English was 5-for-8 from the field with four three-pointers, helping the Tigers to a 81-63 victory over Mercer.