The Missouri State Bears open their 2007-08 season Saturday (Nov. 10) with a non-conference game at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Tipoff is 6:00 p.m. (CST).
  Missouri State is starting its 96th season of intercollegiate basketball and the Bears are coming off a 22-11 season which saw them finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference regular season race with a 12-6 Valley mark, reach the semifinals of the State Farm MVC Tournament and play in the National Invitation Tournament. It was the Bears’ third straight NIT appearance. This season will be the Bears’ third year as Missouri State (previously Southwest Missouri State).
  Toledo is also in its opener and is coming off a 19-13 season in which the Rockets won the Mid-American Conference West Division title at 14-2 and also played in the NIT.
 Missouri State has a busy non-league slate that will see the Bears visit five states before Christmas. The Bears have their home opener at Hammons Student Center next weekend (Nov. 16-17) when they host Texas-Pan American, Harding and UNC-Greensboro in the 21st annual Price Cutter Classic. Missouri State plays at Winthrop, Arkansas and Utah between Thanksgiving and Christmas and has home dates with Saint Louis and UNC-Wilmington. The Bears then play four games in the exempt Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic, hosting UTPA Dec. 17 and Bethune-Cookman Dec. 19 in Hammons. The team heads west for the semifinals and finals of the event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 22-23. MSU plays Alabama in the semifinals and the other semifinal event pits Purdue and Iowa State. The Bears open Missouri Valley Conference play Dec. 30 at defending league champ Southern Illinois and the team’s only remaining non-conference game is a home test in an O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters test in Hammons either Feb. 22 or 23, with the opponent to be announced in early February.
 Hammons Student Center Farewell, JQH opens next year: The 2007-08 season will be the Bears’ 32nd and final season of basketball in Hammons Student Center. The new $67 million, 11,000-seat JQH Arena is being constructed just east of HSC and is expected to be ready for the opening of the 2008-09 Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball season.
 The Coaches: Barry Hinson (Oklahoma State, ’83) is 152-101 in his ninth year at Missouri State and 188-124 in his 11th year as a college head coach. He’s 2-0 vs. Toledo. Hinson is fifth on the all-time Missouri State coaching win list and is the sixth MSU coach to record 100 wins with the Bears. (Hinson bio attached).
 Stan Joplin (Toledo, ’79) is 192-136 in his 12th year at Toledo and overall as a college head coach. He is 0-2 vs. Missouri State.
 Series Record: Missouri State leads, 2-0; MSU beat Toledo 79-66 on 11/11/06 at Hammons Student Center and beat the Rockets 68-59 in Honolulu in 1999 in the quarterfinals of the Hawaii Pacific Classic in previous meetings between the two schools. Missouri State is 7-4 overall against current MAC members, including 2-0 vs. Northern Illinois, 0-2 vs. Kent, 1-2 vs. Miami and 2-0 vs. Bowling Green State.
 Affiliation: Missouri State is in its 26th year in Division I and 18th in the MVC. The Bears are 487-281 in Div. I and 183-121 in regular season Valley play since 1990. MSU has been second five times and third five times in its best MVC finishes. MSU had eight straight 20-win, postseason tourney teams (1986-93), with three NIT clubs and five NCAA teams in that span. The Bears returned to postseason play in the 1997 NIT, and in 1999 had their first NCAA trip since 1992, advancing to the Sweet 16. The Bears upset Wisconsin and Tennessee and fell to top-ranked Duke in the East regional semifinals. MSU got to the second round of the NIT in both 2000 and 2005 and Missouri State reached the NIT quarterfinals in 1986, 1993 and 2006.
 All-Time: The UNI game 1/11/04 was the 1,400th win in Bears’ basketball history. The 1,300th was 11/18/98 at Missouri and the Bears’ 2,000th game was 1/13/99 vs. Bradley. This is the 96th season of Bear basketball. MSU is 1,472-789 (.651) all-time; 27th among Division I schools in all-time wins and 13th in all-time winning percentage. The Bears have had 76 winning seasons, 15 losing years, four seasons at .500, 26 years with 20 or more wins, and 29 postseason teams. Missouri State first played intercollegiate basketball in 1908-09. This is the 100th year since the Bears first played but there were not teams in the 1911-12, 1912-13, 1943-44 or 1944-45 seasons.
Last year: Missouri State posted its sixth straight winning season in 2006-07 and the Bears’ 22-11 record gave them an average of 20.5 wins a season over the past four years. Missouri State started 4-0, including a 66-64 win over #7 Wisconsin, then lost by three in overtime to unbeaten Oklahoma State in the finals of the South Padre Island Invitational. The Bears raced through their early non-league slate at 8-2, including wins over UW-Milwaukee, UNC-Wilmington, Santa Clara and South Florida. The Bears stumbled at the start of their league slate but righted the ship to finish 12-6, alone in third place. The Bears, after not having beaten Wichita State in four years, completed a three-game sweep over the Shockers by downing WSU in the quarterfinals of the MVC tourney. Missouri State lost to Creighton in the semifinals and then dropped a four-point decision to San Diego State on a late three in the first round of the NIT.
n A-B-C Seniors Shine: The Bears’ three senior co-captains last year were all four-year lettermen and started either three or four years and all played in well over 100 Missouri State games. Guard Blake Ahearn averaged 15.4 points a game to lead the team in scoring and collect his second straight all-MVC first team nod and selection as the MSU Coors Player of the Year. His 1,677 points ranks him seventh all-time at MSU. He also finished third in the nation in free throw accuracy but his four-year .946 figure set a new NCAA career mark. Low post Nathan Bilyeu led the way in rebounding at 5.4 a game and wound up 15th in MSU career rebounding with 628 while finishing 29th in career points with 939. Swingman Tyler Chaney earned the Guy Thompson Award for the program and averaged 10.3 points, reached fifth in career three-pointers, and got to 28th in all-time scoring with 957 points.
n League honors for ex-Chiefs: In addition to Ahearn’s all-MVC first team selection last season, Bears’ junior forward Deven Mitchell was named the Valley’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2006-07 and MSU junior guard Spencer Laurie was selected as the Newcomer of the Year. Tyler Chaney drew all-MVC honorable mention and Dale Lamberth joined Mitchell on the all-bench team.
nAhearn to NBA Development League:
Blake Ahearn, the seventh leading scorer in Bears’ basketball history and the all-time leading free throw shooter in NCAA Division I history, has signed a contract with the National Basketball Association Development League and will play this season for the Dakota Wizards, based in Bismarck, N.D.
 Ahearn was selected in the fourth round of the 10-round D League draft and joins a Dakota team which is the reigning D League champion. Dakota finished 33-17 last year and won the league playoffs in its first season in the D League. The Wizards are coached by Duane Ticknor and play in the 8,000-seat Bismarck Civic Center. Dakota opens play for 2007-08 when the Wizards host the Iowa Stampede in Bismarck, Nov. 23 and 24.
 Ahearn collected 1,677 points in four seasons for the Bears. He led Missouri State in scoring and was an MVC all-league first team selection as a junior and senior. He was selected to all-district teams twice and set school and Valley records for consecutive free throws made with 60 in a row once each in his freshman and sophomore seasons. His .975 free throw percentage (117/120) as a freshman set a new Division I single season percentage mark, and his final figure of .946 (435/460) established a new NCAA career record. Ahearn graduated from MSU in August with a degree in marketing.
 22 straight years: The Missouri State men’s and women’s basketball teams have had notable Division I success, with one or both having advanced to postseason play 22 years in a row. The men’s team played in the NIT in 1986, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2006 and 2007 and in the NCAA in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1999. The women’s team was in the NCAA from 1991 through 1996, 1998 through 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006; in the WNIT 2002 and 2005, winning the 2005 WNIT title.
Personnel:MSU has a 14-player roster this season, with seven lettermen and two starters back from last year. Squadman Ryan Jehle is a redshirt freshman. Chris Cooks is a junior transfer from Redlands (Okla.) JC, Wade Knapp is a junior transfer from Dodge City (Kan.) CC, and, of the four true freshmen, Kyle Weems, Tomas Brock and David Cline are redshirting this season.
Show-Me Bears: With six members of the Bears’ 14-man roster from the state of Missouri, 2007-08 marks the first time in five seasons there haven’t been at least 10 Missourians on the team. The most in-state players ever on a Bear team? The ’72-73 roster had 25 players, 20 from Missouri, including one from each of the seven Springfield high schools, the only time on record a Bears’ team has had players from all seven local high schools.
n It’s all relative: Last year and this year are the first time two brothers have been on the same Bear roster in more than half a century. Brothers Chris (1986-90) and Randy (1983-85) Stange didn’t play together; brothers Jerry (1959-61) and Larry (1961-63) McCarter didn’t play together and brothers Randy (70-74) and Lyndall (1974-76) Magers didn’t play together. The last Missouri State teams on record before Spencer and Shane Laurie this year with brothers playing together were Jack and Jerry Anderson in 1954-55 and Gene and Clyde Ruble in 1946-47.
 Ironically, Bill Anderson, a Bear letterman (1956-58) and a cousin of Jack and Jerry Anderson, is the father of Gayle Anderson Laurie, Shane and Spencer’s mom. And, Larry McCarter’s son Landon was a member of the 2002-03 state title team at Springfield Kickapoo on which Shane and Spencer Laurie and Deven Mitchell played.
 The Lauries started together in the backcourt one time last season, Jan. 21 at Evansville.
n Three Kickapoo Chief starters: The 2002-03 team from Springfield Kickapoo High is regarded as one of the top prep teams in Springfield and state prep history. KHS, coach by 1967 Missouri State grad Roy Green, was 30-1, won a state title and was ranked 14th in the nation by USA TODAY. Current Bear seniors Deven Mitchell and Spencer Laurie were senior starters on the team, and Bear junior Shane Laurie was a key reserve as a sophomore at KHS. Creighton ’07 grad Anthony Tolliver was a KHS senior starter, and UNI all-Gateway defensive back Dre Dokes was a senior reserve. With both Lauries and Mitchell slated to start the opener, it would be the first time on record an MSU starting lineup has had three players from the same high school. Multiple high school teammates on the same roster at Missouri State has been fairly common over the years, but three starters from the same prep team is a first.
n Hinson era has high graduation rates: A notable aspect of Barry Hinson’s coaching tenure at Missouri State is a high player graduation rate. With the five 2007-08 seniors slated to graduate in 2008, it’ll bring Hinson's total to 29 degrees among 32 people playing for him as MSU seniors. Matt Engstrom actually graduated from MSU after using his final season of eligibility at Drury and Sky Frazier is playing now at UMSL after graduating from MSU last spring. Former Bear William Fontleroy in the summer of 2005 got the distinction of being the last person to receive a degree from Southwest Missouri State before the school’s name changed, and 14 of the group have played professional basketball. Hinson seniors (* players who have not graduated from MSU):
Name Major Post-MSU Position
Ron Bruton, ’00 Sociology Pro Basketball
Eric Judd, ’00 Business Loan officer
Kevin Ault, ’00 Business Sports floor sales
William Fontleroy, ’00 Business Pro Basketball (Germany)
Allen Phillips, ’00 Recreation Boys Town
Matt Rueter, ’01 Finance Pro Basketball (Australia)
Scott Brakebill, ’02 Recreation Pro Basketball (Germany)
Daniel Novak, ’02 Psychology Pro Basketball (Austria)
*Mike Wallace HRA Pro Basketball (Austria)
Rob Yanders, ’02 Recreation Pro Basketball (England)
Terrance McGee, ’03 HRA Pro Basketball (Scotland)
Travis Walk, ’03 Interior Design Car sales management
Jason Gilbert, ’03 Pre-Law Law school
Merrill Andrews, ’04 Recreation Pro Basketball (USA)
Monwell Randle, ’04 HRA Restaurant industry
*Shelton Colwell HRA Pro Basketball (Holland)
Tamar Maclin, ’05 Recreation MSU graduate school
Trevyor Fisher, ’05 Physical Education Bears’ admin. assistant
Anthony Shavies, ’05 Recreation Pro Basketball (Austria)
Tommy Johnson, ’05 Business Works in business
Matt Engstrom, ’05 Recreation Works in recreation
Deke Thompson, ’06 Computer Science Pro Basketball (USA)
Kellen Easley, ’06 HRA Pro Basketball (USA)
Blake Ahearn, ’07 Business Pro Basketball (USA)
*Nate Bilyeu Recreation Works in business
Tyler Chaney, ’07 HRA Seeking spot in pro ball
Sky Frazier, ’07 Human Resources Playing basketball at UMSL
*Dale Lamberth Rec/Leisure Studies To graduate in 2008
*Spencer Laurie HRA To graduate in 2008
*Dex Manswell HRA To graduate in 2008
*Deven Mitchell HRA To graduate in 2008
*Drew Richards Public Relations To graduate in 2008
BruiNotes:
n Bears top 3,000,000: The Bears’ average home attendance of 7,176 in 2006-07 pushed the MSU all-time total for 478 games in Hammons Student Center to 3,032,501. Missouri State broke the three million mark for HSC with the crowd for the Illinois State game Feb. 6.
n Price Cutter History: The Bears’ win in the ’06 Price Cutter Classic was MSU’s fourth in a row and 14th in the 20-year history of the event. MSU is 34-6 all-time in Price Cutter play, with 14 titles and six runner-up finishes (1987-90-93-99-01-02). The Bears won the meet five years in a row (94-98) in their longest stretch of titles, with the current run the second longest. Blake Ahearn, Tyler Chaney and Nathan Bilyeu join Ben Kandlbinder (94-98) and Ryan Bettenhausen (95-99) as the only Bears to play on four Price Cutter title teams. Kandlbinder is the only player to be on the all-tourney team four times and Scott Brakebill (99-00-01) was the only other three-time pick until Ahearn (04-05-06) and Bilyeu (04-05-06) this year. Ahearn (04-05), Kandlbinder (94-95) and Danny Moore (96-98) are the only players to win tourney MVP honors twice.
n Hammons streak ends: The loss to UNI 1/18/07 ended the Bears’ 15-game in Hammons Student Center win streak (six in ’05-06, nine in ’06-07). That streak was the longest home streak the Bears had had in the eight-year tenure of head coach Barry Hinson, and was the second longest home streak by MSU in the 31-year history of HSC. The HSC record is 17 in a row (1987-89). Last year was the eighth streak of 10 or more in HSC. The last time the Bears won 10 or more in a row in HSC was 1991-93. The Bears’ longest home win streaks, including McDonald Arena:
41 games: 1956-57 (5), 1957-58 (13), 1958-59 (14), 1959-60 (9) (McD)
27 games: 1947-48 (1), 48-49 (14), 49-50 (12) (McDonald)
21 games: 1968-69 (14), 1969-70 (7) (McDonald)
18 games: 1950-51 (4), 51-52 (13), 52-53 (1) (McDonald)
17 games: 1987-88 (13), 1988-89 (4) (Hammons)
16 games: 1966-67 (7), 1967-68 (9) (McDonald)
15 games: 1952-53 (8), 1953-54 (7) (McDonald)
15 games: 2005-06 (6), 2006-07 (9) (Hammons)
14 games: 1946-47 (4), 1947-48 (10) (McDonald)
14 games: 1965-66 (9), 1966-67 (5) (McDonald)
14 games: 1984-85 (7), 1985-86 (7) (Hammons)
14 games: 1986-87 (13), 1987-88 (1) (Hammons)
13 games: 1991-92 (9), 1992-93 (4) (Hammons)
12 games: 1973-74 (12) (McDonald)
12 games: 1974-75 (7), 1975-76 (5) (McDonald)
12 games: 1983-84 (12) (Hammons)
11 games: 1990-91 (11) (Hammons)
10 games: 1977-78 (10) (Hammons)
n 100,000 again: The Southern Illinois crowd of 2/13/07 pushed Missouri State 2006-07 season attendance past 100,000. The Bears’ average last year of 7,176 was the highest for MSU since 1999-00, Barry Hinson’s first year, when the home average was 7,828. Last year’s total attendance is the third time MSU has gone over 100,000 in home attendance since 1999-00 and the 15th time in 21 seasons.
 The Bears had their largest home crowd in 14 years and 10th biggest ever 2/25/06 vs. Creighton at 9,119. The Bears topped 200,000 for total home/away attendance for the 14th time with the 2/24/07 sellout vs. Drake.
n Bears picked 3rd: The Bears were picked third in the 2007-08 MVC preseason poll. With their third-place finish last year, the Bears have come in better that their preseason prediction four years in a row. Deven Mitchell, last year’s MVC Sixth Man of the Year, was on the preseason all-Valley team.
n For Openers: Last year’s win over Toledo made MSU 18-7 in Div. I openers (12-1 home, 5-4 away, 1-2 neutral). MSU won 25 straight home openers before losing in 2002-03 to North Texas. The only previous MSU HSC opener loss was a 72-71 setback to Arkansas 12/1/76 in the first game ever played in Hammons. The Bears are 29-2 in Hammons home openers.
n Bears sweep exhibitions: Missouri State scored two comfortable wins in preseason home exhibition games to tune up for the 2007-08 campaign. The Bears downed Arkansas Tech 91-67 Nov. 1 and beat St. Gregory’s 92-46 Nov. 5. Dale Lamberth was 7-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line for 22 first-half points to key the win over Arkansas Tech, and all five starters scored in double figures in the second game as the Bears breezed past St. Gregory’s.
