Missouri junior guard Jabari Brown, a First Team All-Southeastern Conference selection and 1,000-point scorer, has announced he will enter his name into the 2014 NBA Draft.

The decision by Brown makes the Oakland, Calif., native eligible for feedback from the Association office and gives him the opportunity to sign with an agent or return to Missouri for his senior season. Underclassmen have until April 15 to withdraw their name from consideration and retain collegiate eligibility.

“This was a step I needed to take in order to make the most educated decision possible with regards to my NBA opportunities,” Jabari Brown said. “My time here at Mizzou has been incredible. This is a special place and a second home for me. However, I must approach this looking at the bigger picture. This is a decision that impacts my family as well and that is most important to me.”

“Jabari’s approach to life and basketball is so impressive,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “So many things right now point for him to enter the draft, hire an agent and move forward, but he will do his due diligence in this process and then make the decision best for him and his family. I am really proud of Jabari and know Tiger fans are too with how he has conducted himself in the face of such great adversity this year.”

Brown was the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer this season, averaging 19.9 points in 35 total games. He also paced the league with 20.7 points in 18 league contests. He topped 20 points in scoring 19 times overall, the most by a Tiger since Anthony Peeler in 1992 and failed to reach double figures in scoring just once. Brown scored 20-plus points in 12-of-18 league contests, the most since Derrick Chievous in 1987 and 1988 and topped 30 points twice, scoring 33 points against Kentucky and 30 points vs. Davidson.

While he was one of the SEC’s leading three-point shooters, the 6-foot-5 guard expanded his game greatly in his second season in Columbia. Brown shot 51.3 percent inside the three-point line and finished the year hitting 212-of-266 total free throws, ranking No. 3 all-time for single-season free throw makes and No. 3 for single-season free throw attempts.

Brown also ranked among the SEC’s leaders in several statistical categories during the 18-game league season. He finished among the Top 10 in scoring (first, 20.7), field goal percentage (fourth, .468), free throw percentage (fifth, .846), free throw makes (second, 115), three-point percentage (fourth, .414), three-point makes (eighth, 2.1) and minutes played (third, 36.6).

Brown was also the fifth fastest player to reach 1,000 points in Missouri history, needing just 59 games to reach the milestone. Through two seasons (60 total games at Missouri), Brown averaged 17.3 points, which ranks No. 10 all-time. The 19.9 points he averaged this season were the most since Kareem Rush in 2001.

Brown capped the year being named Missouri’s second consecutive All-SEC First Team selection. He joins Phil Pressey who earned the nod in 2013.

— MU Sports Information —

Mizzou Basketball’s Jordan Clarkson announced on Monday that he will forgo his final collegiate season and make himself eligible for the 2014 NBA Draft.

A junior from San Antonio, Texas, Clarkson ranked second on the club, scoring 17.5 points per game, while also leading the team with 3.4 assists per night. A Second Team All-SEC selection by the league coaches, Clarkson reached double figures in 34-of-35 games, including a career high 31 points in a home victory against Southern Illinois. He was second on the team with 14 20-point scoring efforts, including a stretch of five consecutive 20-point games in non-conference play, which was highlighted by 25 points vs. West Virginia and 21 in the home win over UCLA.

“It’s hard to find the right words to say because this coaching staff, my teammates, this school and these fans have been so incredible to me during my two years here at Mizzou,” Jordan Clarkson said. “Obviously this was not an easy decision for me and my family, but it felt like the right time to take this step in my career, especially with graduation this spring. I will always cherish the memories from my time here at Mizzou and will continue to work hard to spread the Mizzou Brand as Coach Haith takes this program to the next level.”

Clarkson was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 list in January and won three Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors. He finished among the SEC’s Top 10 in several statistical categories, including scoring (seventh, 17.5), assists (seventh, 3.4), field goal percentage (ninth, .447), assist/turnover ratio (ninth, 1.3) and minutes played (third, 35.1).

“It’s been a challenging few months for Jordan and his family, but I am so proud of the way he has handled adversity and has really grown, not just as a basketball player, but as a young man,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “Jordan is a young man we can all be proud of. He is set to graduate from Mizzou this spring and has embraced this university and this community. While I hate to see him go, I hope he knows he will always have a home here at Mizzou.”

Prior to his time at Missouri, Clarkson played two seasons at the University of Tulsa. He was a First Team All-Conference USA guard, averaging 16.5 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore.

The departure of Clarkson opens up a scholarship for Haith and his staff. The Tigers currently have two players signed for next season, Georgia Mr. Basketball, Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga. / Effingham County) and athletic wing, Namon Wright (Los Angeles/Pacific Hills), from Los Angeles.

Mizzou has had at least one player drafted into the NBA each of the last two seasons. Kim English (Detroit Pistons) and Marcus Denmon (San Antonio Spurs) were drafted in 2012 and Alex Oriakhi was drafted by the Phoenix Suns last season. Phil Pressey signed a free agent deal with the Boston Celtics last year and is averaging 13.6 minutes per game, which includes seven starts.

— MU Sports Information —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Winning in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament means a lot to Southern Mississippi guard Neil Watson.

Winning in front of family made it much more memorable.

“Being so far away from Kansas down in Mississippi, my family doesn’t get to see me play a lot,” said Watson, a native Kansas City, Kan. “So them being here, being able to share in the win with my second family as far as my teammates, is very motivational for the rest of the NIT.”

Watson scored 18 points to lead Southern Mississippi past Missouri 71-63 on Sunday and said there were 14 family members at Mizzou Arena to support him.

“Sounded like a 114,” coach Donnie Tyndall said.

“My mom (Crystal), she’s a 100 people by herself,” Watson responded.

Aaron Brown added 16 points for the third-seeded Golden Eagles (29-6), who have won eight of their past nine games and advance to play at No. 1 seed Minnesota for the right to go to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Jeremiah Eason’s layup broke a 14-14 tie with 9:34 remaining in the first half and the Golden Eagles led the rest of the way. Missouri cut its deficit to three points on a 3-pointer by Earnest Ross with 14:41 left, but the Tigers could get no closer.

Ross scored 22 points while Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson both added 13 for second-seeded Missouri (23-12), which fell to 2-8 all-time in NIT games.

The Tigers head into the offseason wondering whether their top two scorers — juniors Brown and Clarkson — will return or turn professional. Ross, a senior, exhausted his eligibility. The trio combined for 70 percent of the team’s scoring this season.

“I had a great time here,” Ross said about playing two years at Missouri after two seasons at Auburn. “The fans did a great job of bringing me in. Coach (Frank) Haith and the rest of the coaching staff did a great job of coaching me. I had a great time here and wouldn’t want to have spent it anywhere else.”

Missouri scored the first five points of the game before the Golden Eagles answered with a 10-0 run. They used an 8-2 run to start the second half to build a 42-31 lead with 17:44 remaining before Missouri scored 10 of the next 12 points.

But Southern Mississippi rallied for the next six points for a 50-41 lead, and Missouri could never narrow its deficit to one possession.

Southern Mississippi finished in a four-way tie atop the regular-season standings in Conference USA with a 13-3 league record, and its RPI of 33 was the highest of any team not to make the NCAA tournament.

The Golden Eagles aren’t thinking about what they’ve missed out on, though, but rather where they have a chance to go — New York City, a metropolitan area where four players grew up.

“Anytime we can get a win and get to a place where our teammates can see their family, then that makes us fight that much harder in games and at practice,” Watson said.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jabari Brown scored 30 points and Earnest Ross added 16 to help Missouri hold off Davidson 85-77 in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night.

After trailing most of the game, Brown converted a free throw with 1:17 remaining to cap a 10-2 Missouri (23-11) run and give the Tigers an 81-74 lead. Davidson’s Tyler Kalinoski hit a 3-pointer to end the streak, but the Wildcats could get no closer than four points the rest of the way.

With the win, Missouri advances to face the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between Southern Mississippi and Toledo.

De’Mon Brooks led Davidson (20-13) with a career-high 29 points. The Wildcats ended their season with two consecutive losses after winning 13 in a row to win the Southern Conference regular-season title.

— Associated Press —

ATLANTA (AP) — With just more than 10 minutes remaining, top-ranked Florida found itself in a dogfight, looking very much like it could be headed for its first loss against a Southeastern Conference team.

Not to worry.

Scottie Wilbekin and the Gators suddenly turned this one into a laugher with one of their customary spurts.

Wilbekin and Michael Frazier II scored 15 points apiece, and Florida dominated down the stretch for a 72-49 rout of Missouri in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament Friday, giving the Gators their 24th consecutive victory and likely erasing any question about whether they’ll be a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.

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Florida, as always, found a way to seize control.

As usual, it came down to defense and 3-point shooting.

“We’ve got a group that’s pretty cerebral and they’re pretty good at making adjustments,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

The Gators (30-2) went 12-of-21 from 3-point range, making their final five attempts. And the swarming defense forced 14 turnovers, leading to 19 points.

The final score was hardly indicative of how it went most of the game. Missouri sprinted to the locker room on a high — tied at 29 after Ryan Rosburg’s buzzer-beating dunk — and the Tigers were still in it approaching the midway point of the second half.

“I was disappointed in our first half,” Donovan said. “I thought we looked a little it out of it and didn’t play as well as we’d hoped to.”

But any thoughts of a major upset against the first team to go 18-0 in the SEC during the regular season quickly faded away.

Wilbekin made sure of that.

After Will Yeguete laid one in off a nifty pass from Kasey Hill, Florida pressed the inbounds pass, Wilbekin came up with a steal, then got free in the corner for a 3-pointer. Missouri missed at the other end, Patric Young connected on a short hook and just like that, the Gators had stretched a two-point lead to 45-36.

It only got worse from there for the Tigers (22-11).

During a wild scramble on the floor after Keanau Post lost control, Wilbekin yanked the ball away from a Missouri player and smartly called a timeout to ensure the Gators kept possession. Then, coming out of the break, he knocked down another trey to put the Gators ahead 50-36, capping a 12-0 run.

Wilbekin finished 5 of 6 beyond the arc and Frazier was 5 of 7. Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in with 10 points, but this was the usual team effort by the Gators.

Eight Florida players scored at least four points. Hill had five assists. Finney-Smith grabbed nine rebounds.

As the closing seconds ticked off the clock, Donovan was able to clear his bench- even sending in his son.

“It’s hard to get 30 wins,” the coach said.

The Gators outscored Missouri 34-13 over the final 10:06, advancing to face fourth-seeded Tennessee in Saturday’s semifinals. The Volunteers defeated South Carolina 59-44.

“They play in tandem with each other well,” Missouri’s Jabari Brown said. “They always know where their teammates are going to be at. They’re a disciplined team.”

In some ways, this game mirrored Florida’s 68-58 victory over the Tigers in early February. The teams went back-and-forth in that contest, but Frazier knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in a two-minute span, giving the Gators some breathing room.

More of the same in the rematch.

“They made a couple in transition,” Missouri coach Frank Haith said. “They move the ball so well. They really share the ball.”

Brown scored 18 points to lead Missouri, but Jordan Clarkson with 11 was the only other player in double figures. The Tigers shot just 36 percent (16 of 44) from the field, including a dismal 1-of-13 performance from outside the stripe — which looked even worse next to Florida’s dead-eye shooting from the outside.

Also, Missouri managed just six points off Florida’s nine turnovers.

“They were getting second shots,” Haith said. “I thought that was the difference in the game.”

With Florida, everything plays off their effort at the defensive end.

“It starts with getting stops,” Wilbekin said. “Because if we score and they score, it won’t be a run.”

Now, Missouri will have to hope it’s done enough to land a spot in the NCAA tournament, but its performance in the league may keep the Tigers out. After starting 12-1 and claiming a spot in the Top 25, they went 9-9 in the SEC and split their two games at the Georgia Dome.

“We’ll see,” Brown said.

— Associated Press —

ATLANTA (AP) — Missouri had to advance in the Southeastern Conference tournament to have any hope of landing an NCAA bid.

Now, the Tigers will get a chance to really pad their resume.

Jabari Brown scored 26 points, Earnest Ross added 24 and Missouri held off Texas A&M 91-83 in double overtime Thursday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

Next up: top-ranked Florida in the quarterfinals Friday.

“This is a good chance to showcase what we do,” Ross said. “We want to leave it all on the court.”

The Tigers (22-10) had quite a tussle against Texas A&M. The Aggies (17-15) rallied from nine points down in the second half and forced another extra period when little-used senior Blake McDonald made a steal under the basket and flipped to Alex Caruso for the tying layup with 8 seconds remaining in the first OT.

“We knew they weren’t going to roll over,” Brown said. “We knew we had to play hard for 40 minutes, and actually it took 50.”

Missouri twice failed to get off a shot with chances to win the game in the closing seconds. It didn’t matter. The Tigers finally wore down the Aggies, who had lost at Missouri 57-56 just eight days earlier.

Brown and fellow guard Jordan Clarkson both fouled out, but Johnathan Williams had four points and two of his game-high 15 rebounds in the second OT. Shane Rector, who didn’t play at all through the first 45 minutes, contributed three points and two rebounds.

Caruso led Texas A&M with 28 points, hitting 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Jamal Jones chipped in with 20 points.

Missouri dominated on the inside, outrebounding the Aggies 48-28 and going a staggering 40 of 53 at the foul line. That’s where Brown did much of his damage, drawing fouls and knocking down 14 of 18. Ross connected on 9 of 10 free throws.

Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy was disturbed by the disparity in free throws, noting that his team went 20 of 28.

“They shot 53 free throws,” he said. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s too many free throws.”

After being down much of the game, Texas A&M surged ahead 68-64 with 1:52 remaining in regulation on yet another 3-pointer from Caruso.

But Missouri tied it up with four straight free throws, sandwiched around a missed 3 by Antwan Space.

Both teams squandered chances to win it in regulation. The Aggies’ Kourtney Roberson missed a turnaround jumper with 15 seconds remaining. Missouri grabbed the rebound and called a timeout to set up a potential final play.

Clarkson dribbled up court slowly, then spun into the lane and tried to dump off a pass. Texas A&M broke it up, and the horn sounded as the teams scrambled for the loose ball, leaving the score tied at 68.

As was the case most of the day, Missouri appeared to have things under control in the first overtime, leading 77-73 after Clarkson sank a pair of free throws with 21.5 seconds remaining.

Caruso missed for the Aggies, but Roberson snatched the rebound, was fouled and made both free throws with 11.7 seconds left. McDonald, who had played only 2 minutes in the game to that point, came off the bench and made an immediate impact.

After Missouri inbounded and tried an ill-advised pass under its own basket, McDonald swooped in to make the steal, flipped it to Caruso while falling out of bounds, and watched his teammate drop in the tying shot.

Again, Missouri had a chance to win it. Again, the Tigers failed to get up a shot. Clarkson lost control under the basket and the horn sounded during another scramble.

Missouri started the season 12-1 in non-conference play but struggled once it got into the SEC part of its schedule. The Tigers went 9-9 in the league, a team once ranked in the Top 25 squarely on the NCAA bubble heading into the Georgia Dome. They are still alive, moving on to face the mighty Gators, who beat Missouri 68-58 on Feb. 4.

“We’re the only team in the country that has this opportunity,” Missouri coach Frank Haith said. “We’ve got to look forward to it.”

Texas A&M’s only hope of making the NCAAs was an improbable run to the championship in Atlanta.

It ended after one game and two overtimes.

“We should have closed the game out,” Jones said. “We had the guys. We had the energy. We just fell a little short.”

— Associated Press —

For the second consecutive season Mizzou Basketball had a pair of players named to the All-Southeastern Conference Team by the league coaches as Jabari Brown earned First Team accolades and Jordan Clarkson was named to the Second Team.

Brown’s selection to the First Team marks the fourth consecutive year a Tiger has won first team all-conference honors. Phil Pressey was named First Team All-SEC last season after leading the league in assists, while Marcus Denmon was a First Team All-Big 12 pick in 2011 and 2012.

Brown was one of the nation’s most efficient players this season, leading the league in scoring, both in 31-regular-season games (19.7) and during the 18-game conference schedule (20.7). Brown ranked among the Top 10 in several league categories during league action, including field goal percentage (4th – .468), free throw percentage (5th – .846), three-point percentage (4th – .414) and three-point makes per game (8th – 2.3), as well as minutes played (3rd – 36.6) and total free throw makes (1st – 115).

The Oakland, Calif., native reached 20 points in 12-of-18 league contests and reached double figures in 17-of-18 league games making him one of the country’s most consistent scorers in conference action. He scored a career high 33 points at home against Kentucky, hitting 10-of-17 shots from the floor and 10-of-12 shots from the free throw line. He also scored 25 points in the home win over Arkansas, hitting the game-winning floater in the final seconds of that 86-85 win at Mizzou Arena. Not to be forgotten was his late-game steal to clinch the home win over Tennessee.

The junior had a stretch of five consecutive games scoring 24+ points in league play this year, the longest run since Derrick Chievous (1987-88). His 17 20-point games this year are the most since Kareem Rush in 2001 and he was the first Tiger to average better than 20 points per game in league play since Rush (20.2) during that 2000-01 campaign.

Brown’s backcourt running mate, Clarkson, earned Second Team honors after leading the SEC in total field goals made (191) in 31 games. Overall, Clarkson ranked seventh in the SEC in scoring (18.1) and together he and Brown formed the top high-major scoring tandem in college hoops this year.

A junior, Clarkson also ranked No. 10 in the SEC in field goal percentage (.453), No. 7 in assists (3.5), No. 4 in free throw percentage (.833), No. 9 in assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and No. 4 in minutes per game (34.7).

Clarkson’s top scoring game came in the home win over Southern Illinois when he poured in 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting. He also dropped in 28 points against Kentucky and 27 in a home win over Arkansas. He finished the regular season with 14 20-point games, second on the club, and reached double figures in scoring in 30-of-31 contests.

“I am so proud of Jabari and Jordan and applaud the way they have represented Mizzou as student-athletes,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “Their on-court numbers are outstanding and this honor is well-deserved, but I really commend their efforts as leaders and citizens within the Columbia community.”

Mizzou Basketball opens play at the 2014 Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday at Noon CT. The Tiger face the Texas A&M Aggies. The winner will go on to face No. 1 Florida on Friday. All games are played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and the games will be televised on SEC TV.

— MU Sports Information —

In a continuing effort to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition, the SEC once again highlighted a Community Service Team for men’s basketball for the 2013-14 season.

Missouri’s representative on the squad was freshman forward Johnathan Williams, III. A newcomer from Memphis, Tenn., Williams is currently a member of the Mizzou Student-Athlete Advisory Council and spent time volunteering with various charities around Columbia, including the MU Children’s Hospital, Mizzou’s Starlight reading program and reading to elementary children via Skype.

Williams was also active in the Mizzou Make A Wish program.

“This is a great recognition for Johnathan and illustrates how we want our student-athletes to represent our program when in then community,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “Our team enjoys having an opportunity to give back to the Columbia community because our fans give so much support to us. Congratulations to Johnathan.”

This marks the 16th year for the SEC Community Service Team for men’s basketball as well as for women’s basketball. All 21 league-sponsored sports have had a Community Service Team since 2004, with at-large teams for men’s and women’s sports being chosen from 1999-2003. The SEC began this concept with a football Community Service Team in 1994.

— MU Sports Information —