COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Johnathan Williams III grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and Earnest Ross scored 17 points to lead Missouri past Gardner-Webb 72-63 on Saturday.

Missouri (4-0) only led by two points at halftime and foul troubles hampered its effort to pull away from the Runnin’ Bulldogs, who were picked to finish second in the South Division of the Big South.

The Tigers won their 76th consecutive game at home against a nonconference opponent and their 21st in a row overall at Mizzou Arena.

Naji Hibbert and Jerome Hill both scored 17 points for Gardner-Webb (2-3).

Missouri led 31-29 at the break but amassed 10 fouls in the first 7:47 of the second half. Officials whistled Jabari Brown for a technical with 14:53 remaining after he missed a fastbreak layup and got tangled with a handful of Gardner-Webb players underneath the basket.

The Tigers’ bench then received a technical after complaining that no infraction was called against Jordan Clarkson on a missed layup with 11:14 on the clock. Hibbert converted one of the two ensuing free throws to narrow the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ deficit to 48-45.

Missouri answered with a 14-0 run capped by a 3-point play by Williams with 7:24 remaining to give the team some breathing room the rest of the game. Playing in only his fourth career game, Williams’ putback dunk created the loudest applause of the night from the 6,738 in attendance.

A 6-foot-9-inch freshman from Memphis, Tenn., Williams became the first freshman to start a season opener for the Tigers since 2004. He scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting Saturday, but his rebounding helped Missouri take a 46-29 advantage on the boards and a 46-18 lead in scoring from the paint.

Hibbert, a transfer from Texas A&M, has scored 52 points for Gardner-Webb in his last three games after averaging 3.7 points per game in three seasons with the Aggies. He faced the Tigers five times when the schools met as members of the Big 12.

Missouri scored its first 26 points from the paint before Ross converted the first of two free throws with 2:34 remaining in the opening half. Tony Criswell and Torren Jones added another three combined points from the charity stripe to complete the Tigers’ scoring for the opening 20 minutes.

Gardner-Webb scored its first six points from inside the lane but only two of its next 23 came from the paint. The Runnin’ Bulldogs used an early 10-0 run to lead 14-10 just 7:20 into the game, but that would be their biggest lead of the afternoon.

The game marked the opening of the Las Vegas Invitational for both teams, who had never faced each other prior to Saturday. Although the matchup had no impact on the outcome of the tournament, both schools will travel to Nevada for games on Thanksgiving.

— Associated Press —

University of Missouri sophomore forward Stefan Jankovic announced on Friday that he will transfer out of the program.

Jankovic (6-foot-11, 242 pounds) expressed an interest in more playing time as his reason for the transfer.

“First and foremost, Stefan was a great representative of our program during his time at Mizzou and we wish him and his family all the best as his collegiate career moves forward,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “Stef wants a larger role in his next opportunity and I will do everything I can to help him land in a great situation.”

A 6-foot-11 forward, Jankovic played in 28 games during his Tiger career, averaging 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds. He played in all three Tiger games this year, averaging 3.3 points in 8.7 minutes a contest.

“I want to thank everyone at Missouri, my teammates, the coaching staff, the administration and the fans,” Jankovic said. “This was a tough decision for me, and Missouri will always hold a special place in my heart, but this was about having the opportunity to find a better fit where I could play a larger role on the court. I am looking forward to my next opportunity and want to wish everyone at Mizzou all the best this year.”

Missouri returns to action on Saturday vs. Gardner-Webb at 2:30 p.m.

— MU Sports Information —

University of Missouri senior defensive end Michael Sam (Hitchcock, Texas) has been selected as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as announced early this morning by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.  Sam is one of five standout student-athletes who will vie for the prestigious award, which goes annually to the nation’s best defensive player as voted upon by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Sam has been a key reason for Mizzou’s surge into the top-10 in 2013, as the Tigers have been one of the top turnaround stories this season.  He currently leads the SEC in both tackles for loss (with 16.0 entering Saturday’s game at #24 Ole Miss), and quarterback sacks (10.0), and he ranks sixth and seventh nationally, respectively, in those categories.

Three times this season, Sam has amassed three sacks in a game, and his 21-yard fumble return for a touchdown at Georgia was a key play which helped spark the Tigers to a huge road between the hedges on Oct. 12th.  His 10 sacks on the season is just 1.5 shy of the Mizzou single season record of 11.5 set in 2009.

Sam is just the second Tiger to be named a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, which was first handed out in 1993.  He joins former Mizzou All-American DE Justin Smith, who was previously a finalist as a junior in 2000.

As a finalist, Sam will attend the awards banquet on Dec. 9th in Charlotte, N.C., where the 2013 recipient will be announced.  Other finalists include Darqueze Denard (LB – Michigan State), Aaron Donald (DT – Pittsburgh), Lamarcus Joyner (DB – Florida State) and C.J. Mosley (LB – Alabama).  For more information on the Nagurski Award and the Charlotte Touchdown Club, please visit www.touchdownclub.com.

— MU Sports Information —

University of Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the 2013 Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of the Year, as announced today by MFC President Ron Jaworski.

Pinkel has led Mizzou to one of the top turn around stories in college football this season, as his Tigers currently stand 9-1 overall, and atop the Southeastern Conference East Division standings at 5-1.  Mizzou enters this weekend’s game at #24 Ole Miss carrying a ranking of #8 in the latest Bowl Championship Series ranking, as well as standing #8 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls.

Pinkel is also closing in on becoming the winningest coach in Mizzou history.  In his 13th season manning the Tiger sideline, Pinkel’s MU record is 99-62 (.615), with the win total trailing only the legendary Don Faurot, who went 101-79-10 (.558) from 1935-42, 1946-56.  The Tigers have already qualified for what will be the program’s 9th bowl game under Pinkel, and MU is in the hunt for their 4th conference division title in the last seven years, after winning Big 12 North Division titles in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Semifinalist voting for the Maxwell Football Club Collegiate Coach of the Year award will begin on Thursday, November 21st and close on Monday December 2nd. Finalist voting will take place from December 3rd to December 15th and the winner will be announced on December 17th.  Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA Head Football Coaches, Sports Information Directors and selected national media.  For more information on the MFC Coach of the Year Award, please visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.

— MU Sports Information —

Mizzou Football senior QB James Franklin (Corinth, Texas) has been recognized as a semifinalist for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football with ties to the state of Texas. Franklin is one of 16 semifinalists from around the country and just one of three from the Southeastern Conference.

Franklin was playing as well as any quarterback in the country when he was forced to the sideline during Mizzou’s 41-26 win at then-No. 7 Georgia (Oct. 12). Through the six games of 2013 Franklin played in prior to his injury, he had Mizzou’s offense ranked 12th in the NCAA in total offense (515.7 ypg), eighth nationally in scoring offense (45.7 ppg) and 10th nationally in 3rd-down conversion rate (51.0 percent).

The award’s criteria are also based on a player who exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals.

For more information about The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, go to www.earlcampbellaward.com.

No. 8 Mizzou (9-1, 5-1) continues its push towards the postseason with a road trip to No. 24 Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. on ESPN.

— MU Sports Information —

Mizzou’s Jordan Clarkson was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week in men’s basketball on Monday. The junior guard from San Antonio averaged 22 points and 3.5 assists for the Tigers in wins against Southern Illinois (72-59) and Hawaii (92-80).

It’s Clarkson’s first Player of the Week honor at Missouri and he becomes the second Tiger honored by the conference office in as many weeks. Freshman Wes Clark was named the SEC Freshman of the Week last Monday.

Clarkson was fantastic in wins against the Salukis and Rainbow Warriors. He opened the week with a career high 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting vs. Southern Illinois, while also dishing a team-leading five assists.

He then scored 13 points and dished two assists in 23 minutes against Hawaii. Clarkson played just three first-half minutes on Saturday at Kansas City’s Sprint Center due to foul trouble, but responded well in the second half, scoring nine of his 13 points in the final period.

While Monday’s honor was Clarkson’s first at Missouri he was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on Jan. 30, 2012, while at Tulsa.

Missouri Basketball returns to action on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

— MU Sports Information —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jabari Brown scored 23 points and Jordan Clarkson added 13 as Missouri defeated Hawaii 92-80 Saturday night in its first game at Kansas City’s Sprint Center as members of the Southeastern Conference.

The Tigers’ lead remained in single digits for most of the game until Wes Clark fed Ryan Rosburg with a nifty pass for a two-handed dunk and a 10-point lead with just less than 8 minutes remaining. It gave the crowd a dose of energy on a night when both teams struggled to put together any sort of momentum or extended run.

Moments later, Clark drilled a 3-pointer to extend the Tigers’ lead to 13 points. Still, Hawaii’s Garrett Nevels responded with a 3-pointer of his own. But the Rainbow Warriors couldn’t get closer than 7 after that.

Rosburg emphatically ended Hawaii’s upset bid with another dunk with 2 minutes remaining.

Christian Standhardinger led Hawaii with 22 points before fouling out. The Rainbow Warriors lost their fifth-straight game on the mainland.

The Tigers were playing in the Sprint Center for the first time since winning the 2012 Big 12 Tournament final against Baylor. That was Missouri’s final game before bolting to the SEC. It was their sixth-straight victory in the venue.

Videos welcoming Missouri back to Kansas City from local business leaders and politicians were played on the video board during timeouts, but a chunk of empty seats littered the arena.

Hawaii made sure Missouri didn’t have an easy return to its Big 12 roots. After trailing by one at the half, the Tigers used a quick 12-6 spurt to grab the lead early in the second half.

Just like in the first half, the Rainbow Warriors responded to both runs.

Hawaii wasn’t as flashy as the Tigers, but they used timely 3-pointers and free throw shooting to take its halftime lead. The Rainbow Warriors outscored Missouri 16-6 from the free throw line in the first half before the Tigers scored a multitude of free throws to ice the game.

For most of second half, Hawaii stayed hot from the free-throw line, but it shot only 1 of 8 from 3-point range.

Missouri weathered Hawaii’s attack by using penetration to drive the ball and then either kick out to an open guard for a 3-point attempt or to an open big man down low when help defense arrived on the ball. Missouri dominated the points in the paint 56-36.

The Tigers stayed undefeated in their third game without coach Frank Haith, who was suspended by the NCAA for five games for his role in the Nevin Shapiro scandal while Haith was the head coach at Miami. He is eligible to coach his first game of the season Nov. 28 against Northwestern.

Missouri held Isaac Fotu, who leads Hawaii in scoring with 16.7 points per game, to only 7 points, helping offset the other four Rainbow Warriors who scored in double figures.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou Basketball added its second four-star recruit of the early signing period on Friday as shooting guard Namon Wright (Los Angeles / Pacific Hills), ranked No. 60 nationally by Scout.com, signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Missouri and play basketball for the Tigers.

Wright joins four star forward Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga. / Effingham County), a consensus Top 50 recruit nationally, who signed with Mizzou on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard signed with Missouri after a host of West Coast offers, including hometown teams UCLA and USC. One of California’s top players entering the 2013-14 season, Wright helped lead a veteran Pacific Hills High School squad to the Division IV state crown and a 29-4 overall mark a year ago, averaging 15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Wright enters his senior season ranked the No. 11 shooting guard in the class of 2014.

A big-game performer for Pacific Hills Head Coach Ivan Barahona (who is also the head coach of the El Salvador National Team), Wright scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the state championship win over Cardinal Newman and dropped in 20 points in the semifinal victory against Bishop Montgomery. He also competed at the Pangos All-America camp the last two seasons, including in 2012, where he played alongside current Tiger, Johnathan Williams, III.

“Namon just has a great feel for the game and similar to Wes Clark, he is always on the attack, looking for a way to beat you,” Haith said. “He is a bigger guard, which we like, and has great length that allows him to excel defensively. He has very good instincts and is very good at slashing and attacking the rim. His jump shot is still developing, but he can really get on a roll and will become much more consistent on the perimeter with repetition. He is still a good jump shooter and I think you will see that consistency settle in as the year continues.”

The senior-to-be was named a California Division IV second team all-state selection as a junior, as well as a first team all-Alpha League and second team all-Southern Section pick. One of the winningest programs in California, Wright helped Pacific Hills to the 2012 and 2013 CIF Southern Section titles and that 2013 state title.

“This was a very good class for us and fits two needs in our program,” Haith said when summing up the early signing period. “We needed some additional size and athleticism in the paint and Jakeenan is one of the country’s more athletic hybrid forwards. He can run the court, finish in transition and he has the chance to be a big time presence on the defensive end. Namon gives us very good size on the perimeter and he has an attacking mentality on the offensive end. He will keep developing as a shooter, but right now he puts a lot of pressure on his opponents because of his ability to score off the bounce.”

Wright becomes the third California native to play for Haith and the Tigers the last two years. He joins current junior Jabari Brown as well as former Tiger and Los Angeles native Keion Bell.

“Namon has nice upside,” Scout.com National Recruiting Analyst Evan Daniels said. “He is a very good athlete and can be a good defender at the collegiate level. He also has a decent skill set on the wing. He is a capable scorer and that is an area where he is going to get better at with time. He plays really well in transition and uses his athleticism to attack the rim.”

The Mizzou Basketball staff will remain active for the 2014 spring signing period.

— MU Sports Information —

Mizzou Basketball announced the addition of one of the top players in the Class of 2014 on Wednesday as Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga. / Effingham County), the top player in Georgia, signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball and attend the University of Missouri.

Gant (6-foot-8, 215 pounds) joins current Tiger freshman Johnathan Williams, III as consecutive Top 50 recruits to enter the Missouri program out of high school the last two seasons. He is ranked No. 47 nationally by Rivals.com, No. 48 by 247 Sports and No. 50 by ESPN.

“Jakeenan really fits our program in all aspects of his game and his approach,” Haith said. “He’s an outstanding young man from a great family and just has that competitive drive in everything he does. He was the top player in Georgia as a junior and will keep getting better and better as he matures and adds strength. He has the ability to step out and shoot the basketball on the perimeter, defend on all levels of the court and, as he adds that strength, his offensive post game will take that next step. Jakeenan can be a difference-making scorer and defender both on the wing and in the paint.”

The Georgia AAAAA Player of the Year as a junior, Gant averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and nearly four blocked shots per game for Effingham Country last season. He led the Rebels to the AAAAA state semifinals and scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a semifinal loss to Gainesville (63-62). Effingham finished the year 27-5 and Gant was named the top player in the state for his efforts.

Effingham enters the 2013-14 season ranked No. 2 in Georgia Class AAAAA and Gant is ranked as the top player in Georgia.

“We are really excited to be adding a player of Jakeenan’s caliber to our program and we have started making a recruiting name in the Southeastern Conference footprint in a short period of time,” Haith said. “The fan support we have, the facilities and the academic track record at Missouri makes this a great place to continue your education. I am very excited about the future of our program, especially now that we have balanced out our recruiting classes.”

— MU Sports Information —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jordan Clarkson scored a career-high 31 points and Jabari Brown added 17 to lift Missouri past Southern Illinois 72-59 Tuesday night.

Clarkson, Brown and Earnest Ross combined for 59 points as the rest of the Tigers only shot 5-of-11 from the field. After trading baskets through the first half, the Tigers (2-0) used a 10-4 run in the opening 3:32 after the break for a 45-38 lead and some breathing room.

Missouri won its 20th consecutive game at home, this time in front of a half-filled Mizzou Arena after a late tip time. The Tigers haven’t lost to a non-conference opponent on their own floor since the 2005-06 opener, a span of 75 games.

Desmar Jackson led Southern Illinois (0-1) with 17 points in the team’s season opener. The senior guard scored the Salukis’ first eight points, but battled foul trouble the rest of the game.

Missouri appeared sluggish in the early going after an 89-53 victory against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday. Clarkson led all scorers with 12 points at halftime, but reached another gear midway through the second half, at one point scoring six in a row for the Tigers to give them a 56-45 lead with 9:12 remaining.

Clarkson sat out last season after transferring from Tulsa, where he averaged 14.2 points and 2.3 assists over two years. An all-Conference USA selection in 2011-12, the junior guard will run the point this year for Missouri after the departure of Phil Pressey to the NBA.

After shooting 55.6 percent from the free throw line in its opener, Missouri made 17 of its 27 attempts Tuesday from the charity stripe, but Southern Illinois only managed to shoot 3-of-9 from the line.

Bronson Verhines added eight points for the Salukis, who were picked to finish eighth out of 10 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference under second-year coach Barry Hinson. Anthony Beane scored six points on 3-of-12 shooting after missing the team’s second exhibition game Friday against William Jewell. Both Beane and Jackson arrived late to the game, prompting Hinson to bench them.

A 3-pointer by Mike Balogun with 31 seconds left in the first half gave Southern Illinois a 34-33 lead, prompting the team’s bench to jump repeatedly in excitement. But Clarkson drove through the lane for a dunk with four seconds remaining to give Missouri the lead at the break.

— Associated Press —