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Category: Missouri

Missouri adds Florida prep standout to 2012 recruiting class

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The University of Missouri football program has added a talented athlete to its 2012 recruiting class, as Brandon Holifield of Tallahassee, Fla., has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Mizzou, as announced today by Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

Holifield is a 6-foot-5 inch, 215-pound tight end from Godby High School, where he has been a standout in both track and basketball.  He’s a relative newcomer to the football scene, as he played only during his senior year at Godby, and he was limited in his amount of playing time as a senior due to a groin injury.

A versatile athlete, Holifield also spent time handling kickoffs and punts for Godby, and he had a long punt of 60 yards, while he consistently put kickoffs in the endzone.  He is currently a starting power forward on Godby’s basketball team, which has been ranked #1 in the state for much of the season, and he previously has placed 3rd in the state in the high jump, where he has a personal best mark of 6-foot-11 inches.

Holifield chose Mizzou over Miami, Fla. and Rutgers, and also had interest from Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, among others.  He was coached at Godby by Ronnie Cottrell, and he is the son of Brianna Holifield.

— MU Sports Information —

No. 3 Mizzou gets upset again by Kansas State

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Forget any talk of Kansas State as a team teetering on the NCAA tournament bubble. After yet another convincing win over a top-20 team, the Wildcats’ bubble has burst — and coach Frank Martin couldn’t be happier.

Rodney McGruder scored 24 points as Kansas State upset No. 3 Missouri 78-68 on Tuesday night, the Wildcats’ second win this season over the Tigers and their first at Mizzou Arena since 2007. It’s also the second straight win over a Big 12 bruiser and national power, following a one-point weekend win over Baylor (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) in Waco, Texas.

“A week ago, I was trying to find a building that’s more than six stories height-wise so I could jump,” Martin joked after the game, although he wasn’t smiling. “And these guys, they gave me energy to come in and coach them in practice because they were so positive even though we had just lost two tough games at Texas and [against] Kansas. They’ve been awesome, and I couldn’t be happier that they’ve been rewarded these last two games.”

Kansas State (19-8, 8-7 Big 12) led 40-30 at halftime and by 16 points with 12:32 left in the second half after a twisting McGruder layup before a late run by Missouri (25-3, 12-3) got the Tigers within 63-60 with six minutes remaining.

Missouri trailed by four after two free throws by Michael Dixon with 2:21 left, but Jordan Henriquez answered with an alley-oop dunk following a Tigers timeout. The Wildcats extended the lead on two free throws by Henriquez.

Thomas Gipson added 13 points for Kansas State, which connected on 53.8 percent of its field goals.

The Wildcats were even better in the second half, converting 14 of 24 shots for 58.3 percent.

Dixon scored 21, and Marcus Denmon added 19 for Missouri. The Tigers made just 38.3 percent of their field goal attempts after entering the game hitting more than 50 percent, tops in the Big 12 and third best nationally. Missouri was 8-of-26 from 3-point range, while Kansas State made six treys but took 17 fewer attempts than its opponents.

The K-State loss was Missouri’s first home defeat of the season and just the fourth career loss at Mizzou Arena for the Tigers’ five-man senior class. It also kept Missouri from standing alone with the best start in school history. Missouri started 25-2 in 1990 and 1994.

“We had a lot of confidence,” McGruder said. “And we felt like, ‘Why not come in here and get a victory?'”

Kansas State had already throttled Missouri 75-59 in Manhattan in early January, one of the few blemishes on an otherwise-charmed season for Missouri and first-year coach Frank Haith. And while Tuesday night’s game remained in doubt until late, the Wildcats and Martin again relied on physical defense and a deeper roster to prevail.

Missouri led by six points early in the first half but soon struggled to both make shots and defend Kansas State. The 10-point halftime deficit was its second largest of the season. Their biggest? Falling behind 44-25 in the first meeting in Manhattan. Missouri made 10 of 29 shots in the first half Tuesday.

In one uncharacteristically out-of-sync sequence, Henriquez swatted Phil Pressey’s driving layup attempt out of bounds. Ricardo Ratliffe then missed an open 10-foot jumper off the in-bounds play, and after a K-State miss, Denmon bobbled the ball out of bounds on a fast break. Minutes later, the ball again glanced off his hands on a similar pass by Pressey for another Tigers turnover. In between, English missed two consecutive free throws.

English also was hit with a technical foul late in the first half for slamming the ball to the court in frustration, which sent him to the bench with his third personal foul. He later fouled out and was held to nine points. He averages 14.2 points, second on the team in scoring.

“We didn’t punch back early,” English said of the Tiger’s first-half struggles. “When you do that and play good teams, it’s an uphill battle all the way.”

“We didn’t defend the way we usually defend, the way we need to defend,” he added. “That will be fixed. That won’t happen again.”

Jamar Samuels added nine points and 11 rebounds for Kansas State. With his four blocks, all in the first half, Henriquez set a school record for career rejections with 125.

Ratliffe scored nine points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Missouri but made just three of seven field goals after entering the game making 72.6 percent of his shots, which leads the nation.

The Tigers travel to Kansas (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) on Saturday in what could be the final regular-season matchup in the historic rivalry. With the K-State loss, Missouri trails the Jayhawks by a half-game in the conference. A win over Kansas, which plays at Texas A&M on Wednesday, could elevate Missouri back in contention for the Big 12 regular-season title and a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

— Associated Press —

English helps No. 3 Missouri win at Texas A&M

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Missouri has so many options on offense that it isn’t surprising when different players step up to help the Tigers keep winning.

Kim English scored 21 points and Michael Dixon added 15 on a day where Ricardo Ratliffe was held to just four points, leading lead No. 3 Missouri to a 71-62 win over Texas A&M on Saturday.

“Our offense is equal opportunity,” English said. “That’s the way coach (Frank) Haith drew it up. The go-to guy is the open man and fortunately they just made shots.”

It was Missouri’s 12th Big 12 win, which ties a school record for most in a season.

Texas A&M cut the lead to five points on a 3-pointer by Elston Turner with 1:22 remaining. A turnover by Phil Pressey on the next play gave A&M the ball back.

David Loubeau had a chance to get A&M within three points, but he was called for an offensive foul when he knocked Steve Moore to the ground going up for the shot.

“Steve is really good at moving his feet and getting in position to make those plays,” Haith said.

Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy seemed to think that it should have been a block on Moore instead of an offensive foul.

“I didn’t know David could knock down a 6-9, 300-pound guy to be honest with you,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got to get those kind of breaks against a very good Missouri team.”

Denmon’s 3 on the other end pushed the lead to 68-60 with 35 seconds left and his two free throws seconds later sealed the win for Missouri (25-2, 12-2).

“We showed great poise there in the second half and made some big stops when A&M made their run,” Haith said.

Khris Middleton, in his third game back after missing five straight with a knee injury, had 15 points to lead A&M (13-13, 4-10).

Missouri’s victory breaks a five-game losing streak for the Tigers in College Station, a place where they hadn’t won since 2001. The Tigers had lost eight straight overall to A&M before sweeping the series this season.

Haith said the team isn’t worried about the milestones it has reached this season, but that he is proud of what the Tigers have done so far.

“The focus on this team is to stay on task and stay focused on the next play and the next game,” he said. “But these kids should be commended for their accomplishments.”

Michael Dixon added 15 points for Missouri and Denmon had 14. The Aggies slowed Ratliffe, who entered the game averaging 14 points.

The Aggies, who have lost five of their last six games, were playing without injured point guard Dash Harris for the seventh straight game.

“They’ve got to get all their parts back,” Haith said of the Aggies. “Right now they don’t have Dash back and I think that hurts this team a great deal.”

The Tigers led by 13 points with 7½ minutes left before a 12-7 run by A&M cut it to 63-55 with less than 4 minutes remaining. Missouri hit two free throws before A&M started its last run.

Texas A&M used a 6-0 spurt early in the second half to whittle Missouri’s lead to 34-32 with about 16 minutes remaining. Missouri’s offense went cold in that span and the Tigers went almost 3 minutes without scoring.

A 3-pointer by Denmon got them going again and extended the lead to 37-32. That was the start of a 12-4 run which made it 46-36 with 12½ minutes remaining. Denmon had a second 3 later in the run.

Kennedy liked that his team kept this one close throughout.

“Our guys have done a really good job of staying in games and not breaking,” he said. “I like our toughness.”

Missouri’s Matt Pressey tweaked his left ankle with about 12½ minutes remaining. He went to the bench and then hobbled to the locker room after talking with a trainer. He returned to the bench with about 9½ minutes left, but didn’t re-enter the game.

Haith said he was OK, but that he had struggled with that ankle throughout the year.

Jordan Green finished with a season-high 14 points for A&M.

— Associated Press —

No. 3 Mizzou gets revenge, rolls past Oklahoma State

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If seeking revenge for one of its only two losses this season was on No. 3 Missouri’s mind, the Tigers kept that goal in the locker room Wednesday night.

“Just business,” Missouri guard Kim English said after an 83-65 rout of Oklahoma State that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggested. “But we definitely remembered how we didn’t perform in Stillwater.”

Marcus Denmon scored 17 points, Ricardo Ratliffe and sixth-man Michael Dixon both had 15 points and English and Phil Pressey scored 13 apiece for Missouri (24-2, 11-2), which is tied with Kansas (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) for first place in the Big 12.

Keiton Page led Oklahoma State (12-14, 5-8) with 23 points, but 14 of those came in the game’s final 7 minutes once the outcome wasn’t in doubt. He hit 5 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc.

Missouri held Cowboys freshman Le’Bryan Nash to 11 points after he torched the Tigers for 27 in a seven-point win in Stillwater in January. Nash sat out 5 minutes early in the first half after picking up two quick fouls.

“It did frustrate me a lot,” Nash said. “As soon as I got that second foul, as soon as I went out, they went on their run. I fell like it was partly my fault because I got stupid fouls. If I would’ve stayed in the game, it would have probably been a different game.”

Missouri started slow, making just one of its first six shots as the Cowboys took an early 4-point lead. But the Tigers soon found their shooting touch and it fueled a 23-4 run over 9 minutes in first half that helped Missouri put the game away. They led 44-22 at halftime and by as many as 35 points with 7 minutes remaining before a late Oklahoma State run with several Missouri starters on the bench.

English, the primary Missouri defender on Nash, said he learned what not to do after the prolific scorer had a career night in their previous encounter.

“I really was focused on getting him off the blocks where he’s comfortable,” English said. “I sniffed out some of their plays early and didn’t let him get going early. With young, prolific scorers, if they make some baskets early, their jump shots get going, they get a little bit more moxie.”

Dixon scored all but two of his points in the first half, connecting on all six of his shots. Pressey continued his strong outside shooting, making both of his 3-point shots in the first half, one game after hitting four 3s in a win over Baylor. And Ratliffe, who leads the nation with a shooting percentage of 73.7 entering Wednesday’s game, had nine of his 12 rebounds in the first half while shooting 6 of 9 from the field for the game.

The Tigers, who start four guards along with the 6-foot-8 Ratliffe, had a 37-29 rebound advantage, their first after being outrebounded by an average of more than nine boards the previous five games. But for a change, the defensive matchup was favorable against a team that starts three guards and also has no starter taller than 6-8. That big man, redshirt freshman Michael Cobbins, had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Cowboys.

Missouri’s lead was so large that coach Frank Haith was able to put little-used reserves Jarrett Sutton and Andrew Jones, a tight end recruited from the football team early in the hoops season to shore up a thin front line, into the game with nearly 5 minutes remaining.

Ratliffe’s rebounds included a second-half offensive grab that he immediately flipped into the basket while falling down and getting fouled. That play gave Missouri its largest lead of the game.

Denmon had 13 points in second half — 10 in the first 10 minutes — while going 3 of 7 from 3-point range.

The victory extended the school record of 101 for Missouri’s senior class.

But like his stone-faced public persona when asked about revenge as a possible motivation, English said the record is the byproduct of a more significant plan — one the Tigers hope will culminate in the school’s first Final Four and a national championship.

“Those are product goals. We’re stuck in the process,” he said, repeating what has become a near-mantra for Haith and his team. “You’re going to get some accolades along the way if you really consume yourself with getting better every day. That’s a testament to us just getting lost in preparation every week, especially this season.”

— Associated Press —

Missouri makes 14 three-pointers in win over No. 6 Baylor

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Phil Pressey’s first 3-point attempt went in off the glass. The sophomore guard, known more for flashy, no-look passes than his outside touch, took that sketchy success and ran with it.

Pressey scored 19 points, making four of No. 4 Missouri’s season-best 14 3-pointers, and the Tigers beat No. 6 Baylor 72-57 on Saturday. He had no 3-pointers the previous five games, but stepped up against the slumping Bears.

“It just happens like that sometimes,” Pressey said of his bank shot. “I made it, so that’s all that counts.”

Sixth man Michael Dixon also had four 3-pointers and Marcus Denmon added three for Missouri (23-2, 10-2 Big 12), which shot 50 percent from long range.

“That’s what they was giving us and that’s what we was taking. And making,” Dixon said.

Missouri is 14-0 at home with an average margin of 24 points and got an easier test a week after needing an 11-0 run to beat Kansas by three. Both games were sellouts but the matchup against Baylor (21-4, 8-4), carrying a higher ranking, failed to match that atmosphere.

Still, the Tigers said they were energized by the response from the fans in the second half.

“Yeah, it got pretty loud,” Dixon said. “The crowd does ignite us.”

Quincy Miller had 20 points and Perry Jones III had just four on 2-for-12 shooting for Baylor, which flopped for the second straight game after a 14-point home loss against Kansas (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) on Wednesday night. The Bears shot just 36 percent, negating a whopping 40-27 rebounding advantage.

Baylor has lost twice to Missouri and Kansas and is unbeaten otherwise.

“When Missouri is on, there is nobody in the country as good as them offensively. Nobody. Period,” coach Scott Drew said. “And when I mean on, is when they’re making their 3s. So you have to hope they’re not on. They’ve been on a lot this year.”

Baylor stopped Ricardo Ratliffe, Missouri’s lone inside threat, but nobody else. Ratliffe was held to six points on 3-for-9 shooting after entering the game shooting 75.5 percent, threatening the NCAA single-season record.

“When you’re making shots, it’s really tough to go out there and try to chase around the guys that they have that can break you down off the bounce,” Drew said. “So usually you have to give up something, and tonight we gave up the 3.”

Pierre Jackson, who had 20 points and 15 assists in a one-point loss to Missouri at home on Jan. 21, had five points on 2-for-9 shooting with five assists in the rematch. Baylor entered the game leading the Big 12 in 3-point shooting but was just 4 for 17 from long range.

The 6-foot-11 Jones, a sophomore, is a top NBA prospect, but has struggled in both meetings against Missouri, totaling eight points and four rebounds at home. He also was off at Kansas, getting five points on 1-for-8 shooting.

“The problem is he’s judged on that potential sometimes,” Drew said, “and that’s hard on everybody.”

Denmon had 16 points, passing Jon Sundvold for 10th on Missouri’s career scoring list. Dixon finished with 16 points and six assists, and Kim English had 12 points, all in the second half.

Missouri shot 48 percent from the field overall. It had 12 3-pointers twice earlier in the season, against Oklahoma and Niagara.

Pressey totaled 16 3-pointers in the first 24 games. Three of his 3-pointers on Saturday came in the first half, including two in the final 1:42 to help Missouri take a 33-29 lead.

Missouri hit six 3-pointers and Steve Moore had a dunk during a 20-6 run that broke open a one-point game midway through the second half. Dixon had the last two from well beyond the line for a 58-43 cushion with just over eight minutes left, and his 3-pointer started the run.

Baylor had a 13-1 rebounding advantage early, taking full advantage of its height advantage against Missouri’s four-guard attack.

Baylor has lost 11 in a row at Missouri and hasn’t won in Columbia since 1948. The Bears have lost nine in a row to top-10 opponents.

— Associated Press —

Missouri hangs on for road win at Oklahoma

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Sandwiched between an emotionally charged victory against archrival Kansas and a top 10 showdown with first place on the line, Missouri faced a test of its collective focus.

The Tigers got a passing grade — barely.

Marcus Denmon scored 25 points, Ricardo Ratliffe added 15 points and 10 rebounds and No. 4 Mizzou claimed first place in the Big 12 by edging Oklahoma 71-68 on Monday night.

“We understand that this game was just as important as the last one,” Denmon said. “Pretty much, we have a veteran group and we just wanted to make sure everybody came out and understood how important this game would be for us to play after a big win like the one at home against Kansas.”

Coach Frank Haith required his players to report to a hotel by 2 a.m. after their late-night victory against the then-No. 8 Jayhawks, trying to temper the celebration and get a head start on a road game less than 48 hours later against an opponent they had beaten by 38 points earlier this season.

Asked whether it was the right move, Denmon and Ratliffe looked at each other and didn’t say a word.

Finally, Denmon answered and got a pat on the back from his first-year coach.

“Whether I wanted to go to the hotel or not, I understood,” Denmon said. “I understood that it was a good decision by Coach and it seems like it helped us.”

The Tigers host Baylor on Saturday.

Oklahoma (13-10, 3-8) still had the ball with a chance to tie with 5 seconds left. Romero Osby was fouled with 2.5 seconds left and missed both free throws, and Steven Pledger missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer when the offensive rebound was tapped back to him.

Pledger slumped to the ground and put his hands over his face after his potential tying shot clanged off the rim to end the game. He stayed on the floor until two Missouri players and teammate Barry Honore came over to lift him up.

“It was perfect. The play was designed to miss the free throw and get the tip-out and we actually got the tip-out,” said Pledger, who led Oklahoma with 22 points.

“It was on line. It felt good when it left my hand. It didn’t go in.”

Sam Grooms had a career-high 17 points and matched his career-best with 10 assists, and Andrew Fitzgerald scored 12 points for the Sooners.

Michael Dixon chipped in 13 points for Missouri.

The Tigers (22-2, 9-2) moved a half-game ahead of No. 6 Baylor and Kansas (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP) in the standings. Those teams meet Wednesday night for a chance to pull even with Missouri, and the Tigers host the Bears on Saturday.

This one was nothing like Oklahoma’s previous meeting with Missouri, won 87-49 by the Tigers on their home court. Missouri held a 15-rebound advantage in that one but Oklahoma came out ahead 36-22 on the boards on Monday.

The Tigers made up for it by holding a 28-12 scoring edge the paint and getting the only 10 fast-break points of the game.

“There’s no question you had to fight against all of that — the emotional win and then you have a game at your place where you just played incredible and they didn’t play their best game,” Haith said.

“So, you get a false sense. You worry about that false sense of what it’s going to be like when they get here.”

In Norman, they found a half-full Lloyd Noble Center and a student section with dozens of empty seats that had newspapers draped over the backs that the occupants would usually hold up during pregame introductions.

It still got loud when the Sooners pulled within 66-64 after Pledger’s 3-pointer from the left side with 3:33 to play.

Denmon followed with a jumper from the right side with 2 seconds left on the shot clock before Grooms and Pledger both went 1 for 2 at the free throw line to get Oklahoma back within two.

Kim English then hit a 3-pointer from the right side off Phil Pressey’s seventh assist to provide what proved to be the game-winner with 53.6 seconds left.

Fitzgerald hit two free throws for Oklahoma with 41.6 seconds remaining and Dixon missed on a drive to the basket to give the Sooners their last chance with 5 seconds left.

“We never let them take the lead, and that was a sign of a good team,” Haith said. “I think once they made runs, we executed when we needed to make a shot.”

Oklahoma connected on its first six shots, and eight of 10 to get out to a 17-12 lead before Missouri surged back with seven straight points to take its first lead. The Sooners had an answer a few minutes later, getting two jumpers from Fitzgerald and a 3 by Pledger to go back up 29-23 with 5:27 left before halftime.

At that point, it didn’t seem like the hotel strategy was working.

“I felt like we came with energy,” Denmon said, “but it has to be on both ends.”

As hot as Oklahoma started from the field, it was equally cold at the foul line — missing all seven of its free throws in the first half.

The Tigers finally took charge, scoring the final six points of the first half and the first six of the second to build a 42-33 lead after Denmon’s three free throws.

Dixon’s jumper from the right side of the key gave Missouri a momentary 10-point lead before Pledger hit consecutive 3-pointers to get the crowd involved. Oklahoma got within 55-52 after Grooms’ jumper from the right wing with 12 minutes left before coming up empty on three possessions with the chance to tie it.

“You want to win at this point in time,” Grooms said. “We just have certain plays and certain mishaps on the court that don’t allow us to do that right now. … When we’re ready to do it, we’ll do it. It’s up to us at the end of the day.”

— Associated Press —

No. 4 Mizzou scores last 11 points to rally past No. 8 KU

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After a bunch of off-target games, Marcus Denmon couldn’t miss. Especially at the finish.

The senior guard converted a 3-point play and hit two 3-pointers in the final 2:05, the last for the go-ahead points, and No. 4 Missouri scored the game’s final 11 points to rally past No. 8 Kansas 74-71 in Game 1 of what could be the schools’ final Border Showdown on Saturday night.

“Marcus made three huge shots,” said teammate Kim English, who added 18 points. “They were huge plays. Kansas didn’t let up at all.”

Denmon scored 29 points, two off his career best, and ended a long-range shooting slump with a career-best six 3-pointers in nine attempts.

“Marcus worked his tail off all week,” coach Frank Haith said.

The go-ahead 3-pointer came with 56 seconds to go for a one-point lead. Michael Dixon added a pair of free throws with 9.8 seconds left after an offensive foul on Tyshawn Taylor and Kansas’ Elijah Johnson missed badly on a shot to tie it at the buzzer.

“The most important thing I remember hearing was Kimmie saying, ‘We’re going to win this game,’ ” Denmon said. “I understood how much it meant to him to say that. We’re the senior leaders and I felt we had to come out and execute.”

Missouri (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) beat Kansas for only the second time in the last 12 meetings, and the Tigers’ impending departure for the SEC added spice to the final conference meeting in Columbia, Mo.

Thomas Robinson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas (18-5, 8-2), but the closing minutes were anguish for coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks were scoreless the final 3:20 after Taylor dunked for a 71-63 lead.

“We let up on the gas and they hit shots. Big shots,” said Robinson, his voice choked with emotion. “We blew that game. I still give them credit for making shots.”

Other miscues: Robinson was called for an offensive foul with 1:42 to go and with Missouri up by one, Taylor missed two free throws with 41 seconds to go.

“We obviously made some really bad plays late, really bad plays,” Self said. “They’ve still got to make shots, but they had a guy that was unbelievable.”

Missouri is 13-0 at home, and this was the closest call by far for a team that has usually dominated. The previous smallest margin was 11 points over Texas last month.

Haith beat Kansas in his first try, although it was Missouri’s first in the series since 2009 and only the second in the last 12 overall. Self fell to 17-4 against Missouri.

“It was just a great atmosphere,” Haith said. “It was a memorable game. A classic.”

The rematch is Feb. 25 in Lawrence, Kan. It could also be the final meeting between the schools for a while with bad feelings from Missouri’s decision to leave for the SEC.

“I will say this: So much has been made about the hatred and that stuff,” Self said. “Hey, this is hard for me to say to Missouri people, but I thought tonight that was about as classy an atmosphere as there is. I hope it’ll be the same way when they come over to our place. I’m sure it will be.”

Haith had the team stay at a hotel Saturday night, saying, “I can imagine what Columbia is going to be like tonight.”

Denmon had been just 5 for 31 from 3-point range the previous five games, and was held to six points on 3 for 12 overall shooting in a one-point victory at Texas on Monday, and had been spending extra time in the gym working on the shot. He hit all three 3-point attempts in a 16-point first half, helping Missouri take a 39-34 lead.

The border matchup prompted plenty of extra adrenaline, some of it provided by a pumped-up sound system. Missouri mascot Truman the Tiger descended from the ceiling via cable, a nod to the every-night tradition at the old Hearnes Center, and prep-game festivities featured fireworks that left an acrid stench hovering over the court much of the first half.

Fans began camping out Wednesday night to get a spot for ESPN’s GameDay, and at least 1,000 students were poised to charge for favorable seating when the gates opened 1½ hours before tipoff. Fans on one half of the arena stayed on their feet throughout the game, as opposed to taking their seat after Missouri’s first basket.

“That was the loudest I’d ever heard them,” English said. “I was just so proud and excited.”

There was little out-of-line behavior, other than a fan heaving what appeared to be a rolled-up T-shirt onto the court after Ricardo Ratliffe was whistled for his fourth foul with 6:22 to go.

— Associated Press —

Missouri signs 19 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent

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Nineteen standout student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to attend the University of Missouri and play football for Head Coach Gary Pinkel, as announced today.

As of early afternoon, the class of newest Tigers has been rated as the 20th-best in the country, according to ESPN, and as the nation’s No. 32 class by Rivals.

The consistent success of the Tiger program under Head Coach Gary Pinkel undoubtedly helped attract such a talented group of student-athletes.  Mizzou is one of only six schools in the nation among BCS automatic-qualifying conferences to post a minimum of eight wins in each of the last six seasons (LSU, Oklahoma, USC, Virginia Tech and West Virginia are the others).  Mizzou’s 48 wins over the past five seasons (2007-11) also ranks 9th-best in the nation among BCS-AQ schools.  In addition, Mizzou continues to excel in the classroom, as it has graduated 96 percent of its seniors since 2007.

Mizzou’s coaching staff was successful in attracting not only some of the top in-state talent, but some of the top players in the nation, headlined by wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who Rivals rates as the No. 1-ranked player in the entire country.  He was joined by fellow in-state standout OL Evan Boehm, who is the No. 2-rated guard in the country according to Rivals.

Included with this recruiting class is junior WR Darius White, who transferred to Mizzou in January from the University of Texas, where he played for the previous two seasons.  White will redshirt in 2012 due to NCAA transfer rules, and have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2013.

In all, six of the state of Missouri’s top football talents signed to play for their home state school.  At the same time, the coaching staff also continued its outstanding work mining the pipelines of Texas, as seven Lone Star State standouts became Tigers today.

Mizzou’s previous eight classes rated, according to Rivals:  29th in 2002, 28th in 2003, 29th in 2004, 39th in 2005, 47th in 2006, 33rd in 2007, 24th in 2008, 35th in 2009, 21st in 2010 and 48th in 2011.

“I’d like to congratulate all of these outstanding young men and to thank them and their families for putting their trust and belief in our program, and the University of Missouri,” said Head Coach Gary Pinkel.  “We do have a lot to offer here, and the first thing is that they will get their degree.  Our success on the field also speaks for itself, and is always an important selling point.  We feel like this is a really well-rounded class that meets our needs everywhere, and they’re also a bunch of high-character guys who will represent Mizzou the right way,” he said.

Following is a roster and biographical sketches for each of MU’s 19 signees…

– M . I . Z . Z . O. U. –

2012 MIZZOU FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS

Name                            Pos.       Ht.     Wt.       Hometown (High School/Jr. College)

Evan Boehm                   OL           6-3     290        Lee’s Summit, Mo. (West HS)

Torey Boozer                  LB           6-3     210        Everman, Texas (Everman HS)

Harold Brantley             DL           6-2     280        Hershey, Pa. (Hershey HS)

Levi Copelin                   ATH        6-2     180        Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow HS)

Chaston Cuffee              DB          6-1     185        Cleburne, Texas (Cleburne HS)

Sean Culkin                    TE           6-5     225        Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. (Indian Rocks Christian HS)

John Gibson                    DB          5-10   175        Missouri City, Texas (Marshall HS)

Markus Golden              LB           6-3     230        St. Louis, Mo. (Affton HS)/Hutchinson C.C.)

Dorial Green-Beckham  WR         6-6     220        Springfield, Mo. (Hillcrest HS)

Russell Hansbrough       TB           5-9     180        Arlington, Texas (Bowie HS)

Rickey Hatley                 DL           6-4     245        Atlanta, Texas (Atlanta HS)

Maty Mauk                    QB          6-2     200        Kenton, Ohio (Kenton HS)

Donavin Newsom           LB           6-2     220        St. Louis, Mo. (Parkway North HS)

Michael Scherer            LB           6-2     230        St. Louis, Mo. (Country Day HS)

Morgan Steward            TB           5-11   185        Kansas City, Mo. (Staley HS)

Ka’Ra Stewart                DB          5-10   190        O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon HS)

*Darius White                WR         6-3     200        Fort Worth, Texas (Dunbar HS/Univ. of Texas)

Jordan Williams             OL           6-4     270        Denton, Texas (Ryan HS)

Evan Winston                 DL           6-3     270        Muskegon Heights, Mich. (Muskegon Heights HS)

*-Denotes already enrolled in classes at Mizzou

BREAKDOWN BY STATE

Texas (7) – Boozer (Everman), Cuffee (Cleburne), Gibson (Missouri City), Hansbrough (Arlington), Hatley (Atlanta), White (Fort Worth), Williams (Denton)

Missouri (6) – Boehm (Lee’s Summit), Golden (St. Louis), Green-Beckham (Springfield), Newsom (St. Louis), Scherer (St. Louis), Steward (Kansas City)

Florida (1) – Culkin (Indian Rocks Beach)

Illinois (1) – Stewart (O’Fallon)

Michigan (1) – Winston (Muskegon Heights)

Ohio (1) – Mauk (Kenton)

Oklahoma (1) – Copelin (Broken Arrow)

Pennsylvania (1) – Brantley (Hershey)

– M . I . Z . Z . O. U. –

EVAN BOEHM
Fr., OL, 6-3, 290, Lee’s Summit, Mo. (West HS)

(Last name is pronounced BAY-m) … One of the top offensive line prospects in the nation who has a great mix of strength and agility … ESPN rates him as the #2 guard in the country, as well as the No. 42 overall prospect among all players and as the No. 2 prospect in the state of Missouri … ESPN also rated him as a 1st-Team All-American … Rivals ranks him as the No. 4 overall prospect at any position in the state of Missouri for 2012 … Won the Simone Award as a senior, which goes annually to the top prep player in the Kansas City metro area … Became the first lineman to ever win the prestigious award … Also took home the Buck Buchanan Award for Outstanding Lineman in the Kansas City area as a junior … Has been a 1st-Team All-State and All-Conference selection for the past three seasons … Helped lead his team to the 2010 Missouri State Class 5 championship … Also an accomplished all-around athlete who has won state championships in both wrestling (Heavyweight division) and track and field (discus) … Is believed to be the first athlete in Missouri history to win state titles in football, wrestling and track in the same school year … Parents – Royce & Teresa Boehm … Father was his high school coach … Lists hobbies as all sports … Plans to major in business at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over virtually every major program in the nation, as he had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Stanford and Wisconsin, among many others … Said he chose Mizzou because of the family feel to the program with the coaches and team, and that visits to Columbia felt like home.

TOREY BOOZER
Fr., LB, 6-3, 210, Everman, Texas (Everman HS)

Fluid athlete who projects to be a linebacker at the collegiate level … Plays well in space and has displayed great open field tackling skills consistently … ESPN lists him as the nation’s No. 42 prospect at outside linebacker, and as the No. 70 overall player at any position in the state of Texas for 2012 … Ranked by Rivals as the No. 46 prospect nationally at safety … Was a two-time All-District First-Team selection, and as a senior also added First-Team DFW-All Area, in addition to serving as a team captain … Notched 146 tackles as a senior, including 6 sacks, while grabbing a pair of interceptions … That followed a productive junior season which included 120 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 interception … Three-sport standout for Everman High School, lettering for four years in basketball and three years in track & field in addition to his football achievements … Earned 2nd-Team All-District honors in basketball as a junior … High school coach – Dale Keeling … Mother – Tangereki Hicks … Enjoys swimming, movies and video games in his off time … Plans to major in Business Management in MU’s esteemed business school … Chose Mizzou over Baylor, Arizona and Houston, among others … Listed the family atmosphere at Mizzou as one of the major reasons for picking MU, and has said that he’s been a Mizzou Football fan ever since going to a Tiger game when he was only six years old.

HAROLD BRANTLEY
Fr., DL, 6-2, 280, Hershey, Pa. (Hershey HS)

Late addition to the class who is a high-motor talent with a powerful burst off the ball and who is known as a solid tackler … Rated by ESPN as the No. 68 overall prospect at any position out of the state of Pennsylvania in 2012 … Had 48 tackles and a pair of sacks as a senior in 2011 and also rushed for 835 yards and 19 touchdowns from the fullback position … Earned 1st-Team All-Conference honors as a senior, and was named to the Patriot News All-Star Team … Was his team’s Offensive and Defensive MVP as a senior, while also winning team Defensive MVP honors as a junior … Has served as a team captain in both basketball and football each of his last two seasons … A solid all-around athlete who plays basketball for his school’s basketball team, which has been in the state rankings this season … High school coach – Mark Painter … Has also excelled in track and field, where he’s won multiple competitions throwing the shot put and the discus … Parents – Brian & Shantih Dean … Chose Mizzou over Syracuse, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Rutgers, among others.

LEVI COPELIN
Fr., ATH, 6-2, 180, Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow HS)

Two-way star who was a 1st-Team All-State defensive back and wide receiver as well as a special teams ace for the top team in Oklahoma’s top division of Class 6A football … Was named the Oklahoma 6A-3 Offensive Player of the Year while helping his team to a state championship runner-up finish … Caught a touchdown in the 4th-quarter of the championship game which put his team in the lead, before they eventually dropped the game … Led the state of Oklahoma with 8 interceptions as a senior (returning 3 for touchdowns), and he also blocked 4 kicks on special teams, while also returning two kickoffs and two punts for scores Caught 31 passes as a wideout for 647 yards and 7 touchdowns … Rivals rates him as the No. 8 overall prospect at any position out of the state of Oklahoma in 2012, and also as the nation’s No. 52 prospect at safety … Also starred for Broken Arrow in track, where he took 2nd-place in the state in the 110-meter hurdles, and was also a district champion … High school coach – Steve Spavital … Parents – Rod & Lisa Copelin … Lists weight lifting, Xbox Live and sleeping as his primary hobbies outside of football … Plans to major in either Kinesiology or Sports Psychology at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Houston and Iowa State, among others … Lists the family atmosphere around the Tiger program, as well as Mizzou’s move to the Southeastern Conference as major attractions to MU.

CHASTON CUFFEE
Fr., DB, 6-1, 185, Cleburne, Texas (Cleburne HS)

(First name is pronounced CHASS-tun / Last name is pronounced CUFF-ee) … High-level athlete who will bring his considerable skills to the secondary at Mizzou … Rivals ranks him as the No. 54 safety prospect in all of the nation, while ESPN rates him as the nation’s No. 91 prospect at the athlete position … Was a dual-threat quarterback at Cleburne where he made plays with his arm and feet … Served as his team’s captain as a senior, and earned the team’s MVP award both as a junior and a senior … Also lettered in basketball and track, in addition to playing baseball as a freshman, when he led the team with the highest batting average … High school coach – Phil Young … Parents – Rodney & Eva Johnson … Lists hobbies outside of football as watching movies and hanging out with friends … Chose Mizzou over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and North Texas, among others … Was attracted to Mizzou because of the trust he developed with the Tiger coaching staff.

SEAN CULKIN
Fr., TE, 6-5, 225, Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. (Indian Rocks Christian HS)

Athletic pass-catcher who should fit nicely in Mizzou’s spread offensive attack … Is known for good hands and being an excellent target in the red zone … Rivals ranks him as the nation’s No. 24 tight end prospect, as well as the No. 62 overall prospect at any position out of the state of Florida for 2012 … Caught 55 passes for 981 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior in a breakout season that saw him earn 1st-Team All-State honors as well as team MVP honors … Was also named a U.S. Air Force 1st-Team All-American after his productive senior season … Earned All-County recognition as a junior, when he caught 28 passes for 547 yards and 8 touchdowns … Also had 29 receptions as a sophomore for 522 yards and 6 scores … Outstanding all-around athlete who starred in basketball and track in addition to his football exploits … Was his basketball team’s MVP each of the last two seasons, and has scored over 1,000 career points, while he holds his school’s record in the long jump, 400-meter dash and in the 4×400-meter relay … High school coach – Mark Buchanan … Parents – Chuck & Sherry Culkin … Lists hobbies outside of football as boating, fishing, playing guitar, playing piano and basketball … Has played several years of AAU basketball, and played on Amare Stoudemire’s team which which placed 2nd in nationals one summer … Has been active in youth groups and has taken mission trips to Alabama, Nicaragua and El Salvador … Chose Mizzou over Miami, Fla., Central Florida, Kansas, Iowa State, South Florida, Rutgers, Ohio and Cincinnati, among others … Mentioned the family-like atmosphere around the football program as a major selling point, as well as the program’s sustained success.

JOHN GIBSON
Fr., DB, 5-10, 175, Missouri City, Texas (Marshall HS)

A well-rounded, aggressive defender who excelled at cornerback at the prep level … Rated by ESPN in the Athlete class, where they put him as the No. 105-rated prospect in the nation … Was a 1st-Team All-District selection as a senior, as well as being named his team’s Co-MVP, and the team’s Offensive MVP … Grabbed a pair of interceptions on defense for Marshall in 2011 and also caught 28 passes for 420 yards and 9 touchdowns, while he also threw for one score and ran a punt and a kickoff back for touchdowns … Made 20 tackles as a junior and broke up 7 passes … Numbers were limited during his junior year, as he missed five games after transferring from Sharpstown High School, where he made 90 tackles, 9 interceptions and 7 pass deflections over two seasons … A speedster who also excels in track, was part of 4×100-meter relay teams which placed 1st (2011) and 2nd (2009) in Junior Olympic competitions, and he also placed 5th individually in the 400-meter run in the 2009 Junior Olympics … High school coach – James Williams … Parents – Kendrick Williams & Don Pickens … Lists hobbies as playing basketball and hanging out with family and friends … Plans to study business at Mizzou… Chose Mizzou over Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, San Diego State and Indiana, among others … Cited the personal touch of Mizzou’s coaches, as well as the football program’s impressive graduation rate as major reasons for coming to MU.

MARKUS GOLDEN
So., LB, 6-3, 230, St. Louis, Mo. (Affton HS/Hutchinson CC)

Talented defender who is excited to work his way to Mizzou, after originally committing to play at MU as part of the class of 2010 … Has spent the last two years at Hutchinson, where he redshirted last season after posting an impressive freshman campaign … Will have three years to play three at Mizzou … As a freshman at Hutchinson, made 90 tackles, including 26 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, to go with 5 forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions … Was a record-setting running back and linebacker at Affton High School before that … As a senior, ran for a record 2,264 yards and 30 touchdowns while also making 108 tackles and 10 sacks … His junior season saw him record a school-record 168 tackles and 16 sacks, while he also ran for 1,139 yards and 16 scores … Was his team’s captain each of his last two years at Affton … A skilled hoopster as well, who was named his basketball team’s MVP in 2010 … Junior college coach – Rion Rhoades … High school coach – Dan Oliver … Parents – Markus Eberhart & Rhonda Golden … Enjoys working out, playing NCAA Football on PS3 and hanging out with family and friends … Committed to Mizzou early in his high school career and never really considered other schools, and stayed true to that commitment over the last two years in junior college … Says that he came to Mizzou because he’s been waiting to play here his whole life.

DORIAL GREEN-BECKHAM
Fr., WR, 6-6, 220, Springfield, Mo. (Hillcrest HS)

The No. 1 overall recruit in the nation (Rivals) who will bring his well-documented talents to his home state program … Ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation at any position, as well as the nation’s top wide receiver … Revealed his selection live on ESPNU on National Signing Day in a nationally-televised ceremony … ESPN ranks him as the No. 3 overall prospect in the country at any position, as well as the No. 1 receiver in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri … Named the national player of the year in 2011 by Sports Illustrated, Parade Magazine, and USA Today … Is also a two-time 1st-Team USA Today All-American selection … Amassed a national prep record of 6,353 receiving yards and 75 receiving touchdowns … Closed his prep career with eye-popping numbers which included 119 receptions for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior … Named to every national All-American team, including the prestigious Parade All-American squad … Made 78 catches as a junior for 1,703 yards and 15 scores … His sophomore stats included 66 catches for 1,616 yards and 23 touchdowns, after he posted 37 catches for 801 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman … Parents – John & Tracy Beckham … Was coached at Hillcrest by his father John … Chose Mizzou over virtually every major college football power, just a few of which included Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, among a slew of others.

RUSSELL HANSBROUGH
Fr., TB, 5-9, 180, Arlington, Texas (Bowie HS)

A smooth, explosive runner who has good vision and is tough to corral due to his quickness and elusive nature … Was a 1st-Team 4-5A All-District selection in 2011 while serving as a team captain … Ran for over 3,000 yards in a stellar prep career, including 1,238 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 9.5 yards per carry … Gained 950 yards and had 4 touchdowns as a junior, after netting 909 yards and 13 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009 … Also earned 1st-Team All-District status as a junior … Was named the district 4-5A Newcomer of the Year during his sophomore season … High school coach – Kenny Perry … Parents – Doug & Janice Hansbrough … Lists hobbies outside of football as watching ESPN, watching movies and playing video games … Plans to major in business management at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Auburn, Arizona State, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, BYU, Iowa State, Minnesota, Kansas and Houston, among others … Listed his comfort level with the coaching staff as a big draw to Mizzou, as well as the curriculum having everything he’s looking for.

RICKEY HATLEY
Fr., DL, 6-4, 245, Atlanta, Texas (Atlanta HS)

Defensive line prospect who has the size and frame to fit nicely with the Tiger program … Won 1st-Team All-District and 1st-Team All-Area honors as a senior for Atlanta High School, as well as taking home 2nd-Team All-State honors according to the Associated Press … The Texas Sports Writers Association rated him as a 1st-Team All-State pick, as well … Three-sport standout who was also a three-year letterman in basketball and track, winning a district championship in the shot put and discus … High school coach – Matt McClure … Parents – Rickey & Latisha Hatley … Lists hobbies as fishing and riding horses … Plans to major in physical therapy at Mizzou … Mizzou’s campus and the support services for the football student-athletes stood out to him during the recruiting process, as well as the family feel to the program.

MATY MAUK
Fr., QB, 6-2, 200, Kenton, Ohio (Kenton HS)

(First name is pronounced MAT-ee / Last name is pronounced MOCK) … A Parade All-American and two-time Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year who comes to Mizzou after a record-setting prep career which saw him break national records for passing yards (18,932), touchdown passes (219), pass completions (1,353) and total offense (22,681) … ESPN ranks him as the nation’s No. 16 quarterback prospect, as well as the No. 8 overall prospect at any position coming out of the state of Ohio for 2012 … Was also named an All-American in 2011 by Sports Illustrated, in addition to winning the title of Mr. Football in the state of Ohio in the same year … Is a fearless competitor who has great arm strength and the ability to make plays outside of the pocket, thanks to his athleticism and quickness … Led his team to a 42-8 record over four seasons, and Kenton finished as runners up for the D4 state championship in 2011, falling by a 48-42 score in the title game, despite Mauk’s 421 yards passing and six total touchdowns … An outstanding all-around athlete who was an All-District performer in basketball and was a state track qualifier in the long jump, 200-meters and 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relays … Accounted for 278 total touchdowns in his four years as a starter for Kenton … Senior season stats include: 382-of-566 passing for 5,413 yards and 68 touchdowns, to go with 1,768 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns … As a junior, produced 5,670 passing yards and 69 touchdowns, to go with 974 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns … As a sophomore, threw for 4,550 yards and 46 touchdowns, while adding 660 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns … Freshman season stats include: 3,309 passing yards and 36 touchdowns, with 347 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns … Parents – Mike & Gwyn Mauk … Father was his high school coach … Older brother Ben was a standout quarterback at Cincinnati … Lists hobbies as hunting, fishing and video games … Plans to major in social studies at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois, Vanderbilt and Cincinnati, among many others.

DONAVIN NEWSOM
Fr., LB, 6-2, 220, St. Louis, Mo. (Parkway North HS)

One of the top linebacking prospects in the country who is very active and who has the strength and speed to make plays all over the field … ESPN rates him as the No. 6 overall prospect at any position in the state of Missouri, while also touting him as the No. 12 inside linebacker prospect in the nation … Rivals lists him as the No. 7 overall prospect at any position in the state of Missouri for 2012 … Served as team captain during his senior season as a standout on both sides of the ball for Parkway North … Ran for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns as a senior, and on defense ran one interception back 102 yards for a touchdown to set a school record for longest interception return … Was his team’s MVP as a junior when he made 62 tackles and had 5 sacks and 2 interceptions on defense, while he rushed for 396 yards and 10 touchdowns, and added 153 yards receiving … Was selected to play in the Offense-Defense All-America Game in December at Cowboys Stadium … Also is a three-year letterman in basketball, winning All-Conference recognition as a junior … High school coach – Bob Bunton … Parents – Robert & Judy Newsom … Lists hobbies as drawing and playing basketball … Chose Mizzou over Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Tennessee, Iowa, Wake Forest, Indiana, Minnesota, and Illinois, among others.

MICHAEL SCHERER
Fr., LB, 6-2, 230, St. Louis, Mo. (Country Day HS)

(Last name is pronounced SHEER) … A hard-nosed and athletic linebacker who plays with good instincts and is capable of having success stopping the run or dropping in coverage … Ranked by both ESPN and Rivals as the No. 8 overall talent in the state of Missouri for 2012 at any position … ESPN ranks him as the nation’s No. 20 prospect at inside linebacker, while Rivals slots him as the country’s No. 56-ranked outside linebacker … Won 1st-Team All-State honors each of his last two seasons, and was named his conference’s Player of the Year in 2011 … Was an Under Armour All-American as a junior when he made 83 tackles and had 4 sacks and 1 interception … Also stood out as a powerful running back, running for 1,120 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior … Three-sport standout for Country Day, as he also lettered in basketball and track for four years apiece … High school coach – Josh Smith … Parents – Joseph & Dori Scherer … Plans to major in business at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Stanford, Nebraska, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Illinois and Iowa, among many others … Says that the team and coaches at Mizzou are like one big family, and that comfort level was a major reason for choosing MU.

MORGAN STEWARD
Fr., TB, 5-11, 185, Kansas City, Mo. (Staley HS)

Well-rounded back with great burst and vision who possesses an effective blend of both speed and power … Is a very versatile athlete who is a receiving threat out of the backfield as well … Comes to Mizzou as the career rushing leader at Staley (4,184 career yards, 46 rushing touchdowns), where he started all 52 games of his prep career … Led his team to a 13-0 record and a Missouri State Championship in Class 5 as a senior, rushing for 205 yards and 1 touchdown in the 35-21 win over Kirkwood in the 2011 Show-Me Bowl … Finished the year with 2,221 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, while adding 24 receptions for 376 yards and 2 touchdowns … Was named the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year in the state of Missouri, and was a unanimous 1st-Team All-State selection … Was a 2nd-Team All-State selection as a junior after running for 1,555 yards and 14 touchdowns … High school coach – Fred Bouchard … Parents – Robert & LeSa Steward … Lists hobbies as playing the piano, eating lots of good food, running, music, video games, reading the Bible, going to church and spending time with family and friends … Plans to major in business communication … Received interest from Nebraska, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Vanderbilt and Northern Illinois, among other … The family atmosphere between coaches and players was a major reason why he chose Mizzou.

KA’RA STEWART
Fr., DB, 5-10, 190, O’Fallon, Ill. (O’Fallon HS)

(First name is pronounced KAY-rah) … Explosive athlete who made an impact on both sides of the ball, as well as in the return game at the prep level … Ranked by ESPN as the No. 13 overall prospect at any position in the state of Illinois, and also as the nation’s No. 26 safety … Played only one year at O’Fallon after transferring from Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, as his parents are in the Air Force  … Starred on both sides of the ball, as a defensive back and a running back … Won 1st-Team All-Conference honors at outside linebacker as a senior when he recorded 35 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries (one that he returned for a touchdown) and 2 interceptions … Also ran two kickoffs back for scores, while also rushing for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior (averaged a solid 10.44 yards per carry) … Was a 1st-Team All-League selection and a 2nd-Team All-State selection as a junior, with 62 tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions (both returned for touchdowns) … Has also excelled in track & field, where he has a career best triple jump of 43-feet, 11-inches … High school coach – Brandon Joggerst … Parents – Ka’Ra Stewart & Janice Davis … At Fork Union Military Academy, where he was for three years, he became an officer and was in charge of a hallway of 30 cadets … Lists cruising, video games and naptime as some hobbies outside of football … Plans to study pre-pharmacy at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern and Air Force, among others … Cites the family atmosphere in the football program and the campus lifestyle as major drawing points which attracted him to Mizzou.

DARIUS WHITE
Jr., WR, 6-3, 200, Fort Worth, Texas (Dunbar HS/Univ. of Texas)

Highly-touted receiver who transferred to Mizzou in the off-season, after spending his first two years at Texas … Will have to sit out the 2012 season, per NCAA transfer rules, and will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2013 … Played in 21 games over two years at Texas … Caught 5 passes for 66 yards for the Longhorns in 11 games as a sophomore in 2011, after making 1 catch for 5 yards in 10 outings as a true freshman in 2010  … Saw the field against Mizzou in 2011 in the Tigers’ 17-5 win over Texas in Columbia, but did not record any statistics … Got his first collegiate score on a 31-yard touchdown reception in a 52-20 win over Texas Tech in Austin in 2011 … Was a Parade All-American and a 1st-Team All-USA pick by USA Today who was ranked as the No. 3 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 20 overall prospect at any position in the country by ESPN … Made 93 catches for 2,293 yards and 35 touchdowns in his final three seasons at Dunbar … Played in the 2010 Under Armour All-America Game, catching an 11-yard touchdown pass and returning a punt 35 yards for a touchdown … Was also a three-year letterman in basketball, winning All-District honors as a senior, as well as being selected as the district MVP as a junior, in addition to being a three-year letterman in track and field … High school coach – Todd Lawson … Mother – Demetric White … Grandmother – Billie Dobbins.

JORDAN WILLIAMS
Fr., OL, 6-4, 270, Denton, Texas (Ryan HS)

Highly-regarded offensive line prospect who continues Mizzou’s pipeline at Ryan High School … Is known as a tough-minded run blocker who has the physical frame and flexibility to excel in pass protection as well … ESPN rates him as the No. 62 offensive tackle prospect in the nation, while also ranking him the No. 84 overall prospect at any position coming out of the state of Texas for the class of 2012 … Was an honorable mention All-State selection as a senior offensive lineman … Ryan went 12-0 in 2011 before getting knocked out in the Class 4A regional semifinals of the state playoffs … High school coach – Joey Florence … Mother – Hester Frank … Lists interests outside of football as playing basketball and hanging out with family and friends … Plans to study pre-pharmacy at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Stanford, UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona, Boise State, Colorado, Oregon State and Virginia, among others … Lists his relationship built with the coaching staff that sold him on attending Mizzou.

EVAN WINSTON
Fr., DL, 6-3, 270, Muskegon Heights, Mich. (Muskegon Heights HS)

A versatile talent who projects at multiple defensive line spots at the collegiate level … Plays with power and has shown a good knack for shedding blocks to be effective against both the run and pass … Rivals ranks him as the No. 18 overall prospect at any position in the state of Michigan for 2012 … ESPN has him as the nation’s No. 73 defensive tackle prospect … Named to the Detroit News Dream Team as a senior, and also took home 1st-Team All-State and 1st-Team All-Area honors in 2011 … Made 88 tackles as a senior, including 22 tackles for loss and 10 sacks while forcing 5 fumbles along the way … Had 93 tackles during his junior season, with 11 of them going for sacks … Three-sport letterwinner, who also excelled in basketball and track for his school … High school coach – Tony Blankenship … Parents – Steven & Kathy Winston … Enjoys working out, fishing and playing basketball in his spare time away from football … Plans to major in nursing at Mizzou … Chose Mizzou over Arkansas, Michigan State, Kansas State, Iowa, Illinois, Cincinnati, Louisville and Houston, among others … Lists the stability of Mizzou’s coaching staff, as well as the overall family atmosphere around the program as major factors that drew him to MU.

— MU Sports Information —

Top Prep Prospect Stays Close To Home; Dorial Green-Beckham To Play For Mizzou

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Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the nation’s No. 1 football recruit according to Rivals, has signed a national letter of intent to play at Missouri.


The Springfield (Hillcrest), Mo., player says he wanted to remain close to home and that the Tigers — who are entering the Southeastern Conference next season — are the perfect fit. Green-Beckham says he built a close relationship with the Missouri coaches during the recruiting process and that influenced his decision.

Green-Beckham, a 6-6, 220-pound wide receiver from Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.), picked Missouri over Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas.

In his career at Hillcrest, Green-Beckham set a national record with 6,447 receiving yards. He also broke his state season record with 2,233 yards on 119 catches with 24 touchdowns, set state records in single-game receiving yards (354) and career TD catches (72).

Recruiting Scout dot com posted this scouting report on Green Beckham

Dixon hits game-winner as Mizzou beats Texas 67-66

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Michael Dixon scored 21 points, including the game-winning layup with 31 seconds left, as No. 4 Missouri beat Texas 67-66 on Monday night.

Ricardo Ratliffe and Phil Pressey added 13 points each for Missouri (20-2, 7-2 Big 12).

J’Covan Brown scored 20 for Texas (13-9, 3-6), which lost for the fifth time in six games, all to ranked teams. Two of those defeats were to the Tigers.

Dixon’s winning shot came seconds after Brown had given Texas its first lead since the opening minutes.

Freshman Myck Kabongo had a chance to win it in the final seconds for the Longhorns, but he short-armed a baseline jumper and Missouri’s Marcus Denmon grabbed the rebound.

Dixon’s heroics came after he nearly cost his team the game.

Texas had rallied from 13 down early in the second half to pull to 65-62. Dribbling the ball at midcourt, Dixon was whistled for a flagrant foul when he swung an elbow and hit Julien Lewis in the face. Lewis made both free throws to cut the lead to one and Brown’s leaning bank shot put Texas up 66-65.

Dixon then did what Missouri had done all game: He drove at the basket and his high, banking layup over Jaylen Bond dropped in to put Missouri on top.

After working the ball upcourt, Texas tossed the ball around the perimeter but chose to go to Kabongo instead of Brown — their leading scorer who scored 34 points the last time these teams met Jan. 14 — for the final shot.

Kabongo finished with 10 points and Lewis had 12 for the Longhorns. Texas outrebounded Missouri 38-26, but a ragged offense didn’t have an assist on offense in the first half and the Longhorns were just 2 of 12 on 3-pointers.

Missouri seemed to have the game in control when it opened the second half with a flurry. Dixon was the catalyst, making three straight baskets over Brown and Kim English made a 3-pointer to push the Tigers’ lead to 36-29.

Brown, who has struggled badly shooting at home, started finding his touch and kept Mizzou from pulling away. Brown and Pressey matched each other’s 3s and Brown added a driving layup and a free throw cut the Tigers’ lead to 46-43 with just under 11 minutes to play.

The Longhorns trailed 50-48 with a chance tie or take the lead when Pressey picked the ball from Kabongo, who had opted not to shoot an open 3-pointer and then was whistled for a flagrant foul. Pressey made both free throws.

Missouri had another chance to slam the door on Texas but couldn’t. Ratliffe made a tough layup, then finished a three-point play after a steal by English. A 3-pointer by English with 4:43 to play put the Tigers ahead 63-53 before Texas rallied again behind Brown and Kabongo.

The Tigers gave first-year coach Frank Haith a win in his first trip to Austin since his days as Texas assistant from 2002-2004. The Longhorns twice advanced to the NCAA tournament round of 16 and made the Final Four in 2003 in that span and the home crowd gave Haith an enthusiastic round of applause when he was introduced before the game.

— Associated Press —

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