Missouri State Bears (2-1) vs.
Utah (3-1)
Friday, November 28, 2008 - JQH Arena (11,000), Springfield, Mo., 7:05 p.m.
Television - BEARS LIVE!
Radio - KTXR (101.3 FM) and Missouri State Bears Basketball Radio Network (LISTEN LIVE)
Game Notes - MISSOURI STATE - UTAH - MISSOURI VALLEY
Live Stats - CLICK HERE
Tickets - CLICK HERE
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Bears Continue Four-Game Home Stand with Visit from Utes - After downing Arkansas, 62-57, last weekend before a standing-room only crowd in the inaugural game at JQH Arena, the Bears continue a four-game home stand this Friday night with a visit from the Utah Utes (3-1) out of the Mountain West Conference.
 In the Arkansas game, the Bears led by as 13 points early in the second half and overcame a one-point Razorback advantage with 1:41 to play to pull out the victory. The first basket in the new arena went to Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson with a layup 11 seconds into the game, while Wade Knapp had the first MSU basket. The win was the first by a Valley team against a BCS opponent this season.
 The Bears will play eight of their next nine contests at home, including games against schools from Arkansas in three of their next five outings.
Sizing Up the Opposition - After dropping their season opener, 80-79, to Missouri State’s neighbor, Southwest Baptist University, the Utah Utes have reeled off three straight wins by an average margin of nearly 20 points. The Utes will be playing their first road game of the season Friday night after a home win over Green Bay (79-60) in addition to neutral-site wins over Ole Miss (83-72) and Morgan State (66-37) in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 Coach Jim Boylen’s squad returns all five starters from last season’s 18-15 squad that finished 7-9 (sixth) in the Mountain West. Seven-foot-two senior center Luke Nevill (18.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg) leads Utah’s offense, while classmates Lawrence Borha (12.5, 3.3) and Shaun Green (10.8, 5.0) provide the scoring spark for the Utes who average 50.5 percent shooting and 78 percent from the line with a +8.8. rebound margin.
 Jim Boylen (Maine, 1987) is 21-16 in his second season at Utah and overall. He is 1-0 against Missouri State. Boylen was named the 14th men’s head basketball coach at the University of Utah on March 27, 2007. After working in the NBA for 13 years, Boylen served as the top assistant to Tom Izzo at Michigan State during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. He helped direct the Spartans to a 45-24 record and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Series - Utah defeated the Bears, 66-54, on December 15, 2007 in Salt Lake City in the only previous meeting between the two squads. Luke Nevill scored 18, while Tyler Kepkay added 16 for Utah which led by 17 points at the half and finished with a 49-percent shooting percentage. The Bears were led by former standouts Dale Lamberth (18 points) and Deven Mitchell (14). MSU was just 5-for-15 from three-point range and shot just 41 percent from the field in the first half.
 MSU is 9-8 all-time against Mountain West opponents, including a 3-1 record against Wyoming, 2-2 mark against San Diego State, 2-2 ledger against TCU, 1-1 against BYU, 1-0 against Colorado State and 0-1 against UNLV and Utah.
Head Coach Cuonzo Martin - Cuonzo (CON-zoe) Martin (Purdue, 2000) is in his first season as a collegiate head coach after eight seasons as an assistant coach and associate head coach at Purdue (2000-08) where he was a standout performer for Coach Gene Keady from 1991-95. He became Missouri State’s 16th head basketball coach on April 1, 2008.
 He is 2-1 in his brief coaching tenure, including a 1-0 mark at JQH Arena. He has never faced Utah as a player or coach.
 Martin (37) played professional basketball for four years, including two stops with the Milwaukee Bucks and one with the Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA. He spent most of his professional playing time in the Continental Basketball Association and in Europe, leading the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Hoops in scoring three seasons and leading the Felize Scandone team in Avellino, Italy in 1997.
 Originally from East St. Louis, Ill., he scored 20 points against the Bears as a Purdue player on 12/22/92 and helped Purdue to a 4-0 mark against MSU as a player and coach (1991, 92, 2001, 07).
Bears Basketball Radio Network - All Missouri State Bears games can be heard on KTXR, Springfield (101.3 FM), the flagship station of the Missouri State Bears Basketball Radio Network. Play-by-play man Art Hains will provide the game description, while former Bears players Mike Keltner (1972-74) and Jeff Ford (1989-90) will provide color commentary throughout the season. Hains first began calling Bears’ action in 1977 and is in his second stint and 28th season overall as the Voice of the Bears. He called Bears games from 1977-81 and returned to that post in 1985. He has now announced 824 Bears’ basketball games in his career.
MSU basketball can also be heard on the 10-station, two-state Missouri State Bears Football Radio Network on the following affiliates: Ava - KKOZ (92.1 FM/1430 AM); El Dorado Springs - KESM (105.5 FM); Jefferson City - KJMO (97.5); Kansas City - KCWJ (1030 AM); Monett - KKBL (95.9 FM); Poplar Bluff - KLID (1340 AM); St. Louis - KSLG (1380 AM); Sparta, Ill. - WHC) (1230 AM); Springfield - KTXR (101.3 FM) (flagship); Willow Springs - KUKU (100.3 FM).
Television - The Bears will appear live on Mediacom Connections (Channel 14 locally) eight times this season. The Missouri Cable Sports Network will also show the games throughout Missouri, with the schedule determined by each local Mediacom market.
 Remaining games on this year’s Mediacom Connections slate are: Dec. 10 (at Tulsa), Jan. 18 (at Illinois State), Jan. 28 (at Southern Illinois), Feb. 1 (at Creighton), Feb. 4 (Evansville), Feb. 10 (at Wichita State) and Feb. 17 (at Bradley). The Bears are 1-0 on Mediacom this season.
MSU will be featured on FOX Sports Midwest twice this season -- Jan. 10 (at Northern Iowa) and Feb. 14 (Indiana State), while the Bears will play on two national ESPN telecasts at home Jan. 25 on ESPNU (UNI) and Feb. 7 on ESPN2 (Southern Illinois).
Bears Live! - The Utah game will be shown on Missouri State’s on-line video channel -- Bears Live!
 Bears Live is a new, premium broadband video destination for exclusive live and on-demand Missouri State streaming video & audio content. This broadband video channel is the ultimate place for Bears fans on the web and can be accessed through www.MissouriStateBears.com, the official web site of Missouri State Athletics.
Links to live game stats and the Missouri State Bears Basketball Radio Network free live audio stream can be found on the game notes page for this week’s game on the MSU Athletics Web page -- www.MissouriStateBears.com.
Great Eight - With preseason injuries plaguing Missouri State through the early portion of the 2008-09 season, the Bears have played their first three contests with just eight players in uniform. Ironically, even with just a handful of reserves available, no player has played all 40 minutes in a game, and no Bear has fouled out of a game this year. The starting lineup of Spencer Laurie, Cardell McFarland, Chris Cooks, Kyle Weems and Wade Knapp is 2-0 this season.
Poll Position - For the first time in their 19-year tenure in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Missouri State men were picked last in the 10-team conference. The Bears return three starters and six lettermen from a 17-16 team a year ago. Since joining the league in 1990-91, the Bears have been picked in the league’s upper division 16 times in the previous 18 preseason polls, as determined by conference coaches, sports information directors, beat writers and broadcasters.
 The only previous lower division predictions for the Bears in the Valley preseason poll were in 1995-96 and 2002-03 when Missouri State was picked eighth. In 1995-96, MSU finished 16-12 overall and 11-7 in the league, tying for fourth place. In 2002-03, the Bears completed a 17-12 season and tied for third (12-6) in the MVC.
 Creighton claimed 36 of the 39 first-place votes in this year’s preseason poll and was tabbed first with 386 points, followed by SIU (322), Illinois State (309), Drake (274), Bradley (219), UNI (186), Indiana State (137), Evansville (122), Wichita State (105), Missouri State (85). Likewise, no Bears were named to the preseason all-conference team.
Mo. State Against Each State - The Bears are 4-2 all-time against Utah opponents, including an 0-1 mark against the Utes and 1-1 mark against Brigham Young. Missouri State is also 2-0 against Southern Utah and 1-0 against Weber State.
Court Captains - Seniors Spencer Laurie (G, Springfield, Mo.), Shane Laurie (G, Springfield, Mo.), Chris Cooks (F, Idabel, Okla.) and Wade Knapp (C, Wakeeney, Kan.) will share captain duties for the Bears this season. Spencer Laurie was a co-captain last season as well, making him one of 10 Bears to ever hold the honor of captain for more than one season. Previous multiple-year captains were: Finis Engleman (1914-15), Carl Fox (1927, 29), Gene Ruble (1949-50), Bill Thomas (1952-53), Max Oldham (1956-58), Danny Bolden (1966-67), Jimmy Dull (1977-78), Mark Lance (1981-82), and Danny Moore (1998-99).
Bears in the Final NCAA RPI - Since 1994-95, the Bears have finished in the NCAA Division I upper division in the Final RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) all 14 seasons, including four finishes in the top 40, five finishes in the top 50 and eight stops in the top 100. The Bears own three of the five best RPI’s not to have been selected for an at-large NCAA Tournament berth. MSU had the 21st-best RPI on Selection Sunday when it was snubbed for the Dance in 2005-06 as well as a Tourney exclusion after a No. 34 regular season placement in 1999-2000. The 2006-07 Bears were No. 36 in the NCAA’s power ratings on Selection Sunday. All three teams played in the NIT and were a collective 3-3 in the postseason those years. The 1996-97 Bears were 25-7 in the regular season, ranked No. 42 in the RPI and were also not awarded an NCAA at-large berth. The Bears have five 20-win seasons to their credit in the past 12 seasons and have recorded seven consecutive winning seasons.
Bears Basketball Centennial - The 2008-09 season marks the 100th anniversary of Missouri State’s first basketball team in 1908-09. The University did not field teams in 1911-12, 1912-13, 1943-44 or 1944-45 due to World War I and II, making this the 97th season the Bears have hit the hardwood. MSU is the 27th winningest NCAA Division I program, having compiled a 1,491-816 (.646) all-time basketball record. Cuonzo Martin is Missouri State’s 16th head basketball coach.
 Over the previous 10 years, the Bears are 191-128 (.599), which ranks 65th among all NCAA Division I schools during that span and third among Missouri Valley Conference schools behind No. 19 Creighton (.710) and No. 26 Southern Illinois (.691).
Debut of the "Q" - With a $30 million gift from Missouri State alumnus and Springfield-based hotel developer John Q. Hammons, the long-time dream of a new home for the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears and an iconic tribute to MSU intercollegiate athletics has become a reality. JQH Arena features a seating capacity of 11,000, including 50 courtside seats, 24 suites, PRIME Overtime Club, Hall of Fame and Legacy of Competition exhibits, 114 loge seats, 1,363 reserved student seats and 9,637 chairback seats. The Bears defeated Arkansaas, 62-57, on November 22 in the inaugural game at JQH Arena and are 1-0 in the facility.
For Openers - Including Saturday’s win over Arkansas, the Bears are 26-1 in their home openers during the Division I era (1982-present). An 81-78 loss to North Texas in 2002-03 is the only blemish on the team’s home ledger during that span.
500 for Spence - With six points against Arkansas, Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) eclipsed the 500-point plateau for his collegiate career. Including 11 points scored during his brief stint at the University of Missouri, Laurie now has 504 career points and needs 18 more assists to reach 300. With his six points against Arkansas on Saturday, he has now scored points in four different home arenas, including his time at Mizzou where he played in Hearnes Center and Mizzou Arena
Exhibition Excellence - Five Bears averaged double figures in scoring for Missouri State’s pair of preseason exhibition games this November. MSU defeated Quincy, 79-44, on November 3 before a 103-73 victory over East Central (Okla.) on November 10. Both games were played at Hammons Student Center.
 The Bears were led by Chris Cooks’ (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.) who averaged 24.5 points per game, including 28 against East Central (Okla.) on November 10, the Bears averaged 91 points as a team and shot 46.4 percent from the field with 8.5 three-pointers per contest. Cardell McFarland (Fr., G, Evansville, Ind.) scored 12 points in his only exhibition appearance, while redshirt freshman Kyle Weems (F, Topeka, Kan.) averaged 11.5 per game in the preseason. Fellow starters Wade Knapp (Sr., C, Wakeeney, Kan.) and Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) averaged 11 and 10.5 points, respectively. Also, in two exhibition starts, Ryan Jehle (So., F, Overland Park, Kan.) averaged 9 points per game for the Bears.
 MSU surrendered just 58.5 points per game, forced 56 turnovers (28.0), and had a +8.0 rebound margin. The Bears also held a 46-14 assist advantage over their opponents in the preseason and snagged 29 steals.
Mountain West / Missouri Valley Conference Challenge - In October, The Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference announced an agreement in principle to the formation of an annual Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge for men’s basketball, potentially beginning in 2009-10. All 19 members of both leagues will participate in the Challenge, which will feature head-to-head competition between nine Mountain West and nine Missouri Valley teams annually.
 The Mountain West has ranked among the Top 10 in the NCAA’s final RPI report in eight of the last nine years, while the Valley has been among the Top 8 in each of the last four. Teams from the two leagues have squared off 32 times since the inception of the Mountain West in 1999, with MWC teams holding a 17-15 edge in those contests. Specific details regarding the Challenge will be released at a later date. Officials from both leagues are working towards a four-year commitment that could begin as early as November 2009.
Ahearn Signs With San Antonio - Missouri State alum Blake Ahearn (2003-07), the most accurate free throw shooter in NCAA Division I history, was named Rookie of the Year in the NBA Development League for the 2007-08 season. In 41 games for the Dakota Wizards, Ahearn averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes per game. He shot 49 percent (239-492) from the field, including 108-for-246 from three-point range, and 96 percent (191-199) from the free throw line.
 He was called up to the NBA’s Miami Heat on March 21, 2008, appearing in 12 games and scoring in double figures three times with 70 total points and an amazing 30-for-31 free throw effort on the sport’s biggest stages.
 On November 16, Ahearn signed an NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Ahearn has appeared in three games with eight points and two assists in 19 minutes of playing time. The Spurs are 4-1 since Ahearn joined the squad.
Mitchell Signs Pro Contract for Austrian League - Deven Mitchell, who shared the Missouri State Coors Player of the Year Award last winter, began play in the Austrian Basketball League in October. Mitchell signed a contract to play for the Vienna Lions, a member of Austria’s top professional league. The Lions’ season runs from October to May in the 12-team Austrian League. A two-year starter, Mitchell became the 27th Bear to reach 1,000 career points when he hit that mark as a senior. In 2007-08, Mitchell was the only player to start all 33 Bear games and led the team in free throw accuracy (.893), rebounding (6.1) and steals (47).
Looking Back - The Bears finished the 2007-08 season with a 17-16 mark and 8-10 (tie for seventh) record in the Missouri valley Conference. The Bears went 1-1 in the State Farm MVC Tournament before bowling out to Illinois State in the quarterfinals and did not reach the postseason (NIT or NCAA) for just the 12th time in their 26-years at the NCAA Division I level.
 Four seniors and two additional squad members concluded their Missouri State careers in 2007-08. Starters Dale Lamberth (14.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Deven Mitchell (14.3, 6.1) and Drew Richards (7.2, 4.5) along with reserve Dex Manswell (2.3, 3.1) were seniors last season. Mitchell finished his career 19th on the Bears’ all-time scoring list with 1,131 points and became the 27th player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. Lamberth finished with 954 points in three seasons at MSU. Also not returning to the team this season are Tomas Brock (1.2, 0.6) and Lamont Austin (0.0, 1.0).
 Former MSU head coach Barry Hinson (1999-2008) finished his nine-year tenure with a 169-117 (.591) record overall and 95-67 (.586) mark in MVC play. Hinson is currently serving as administrative assistant for coach Bill Self at Kansas.
Looking Ahead - On November 12, Missouri State announced the receipt of National Letters of Intent from two men’s basketball prospects for the 2009-10 season. High school seniors Jerome Jones (6-5, 201, F, St. Louis, Mo., Miller Career Academy) and Keith Pickens (6-4, 190, SG, St. Louis, Mo., Oakville High) have both signed letters of intent and announced their intentions to play for coach Cuonzo Martin’s Bears next season.
 Jones averaged 17.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a junior in 2007-08 at Miller Career Academy in St. Louis. He was an all-conference and second team all-state performer as a junior, while earning Post-Dispatch honorable mention all-metro distinction. He is regarded as one of the top athletes in St. Louis this season. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and was invited to the Nike Top 100 Hoop Jamboree. He has also been a key player for the St. Louis Eagles AAU team.
 Pickens averaged 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Oakville High School Tigers last season, also accounting for 2.3 blocks and 1.7 assists per game and making 37 percent of his three-pointers. As a sophomore, he averaged 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest. He is regarded as a great leaper, scorer and rebounder and escalated his stock over the summer with his performance on the Rameybaasketball.com squad.
Back for More - Bears’ guard Spencer Laurie (Springfield, Mo.) returns for a fourth season with the Missouri State squad this season after being granted an additional year of eligibility under the NCAA waiver. The NCAA ruled this fall that due to the injury and personal circumstances during and following his second season at the University of Missouri (2004-05), he would be eligible for a fourth season of college basketball. After playing in 21 games as a true freshman at Missouri in 2003-04, he was injured after just 7 games in 2004-05. The injury coincided with a family emergency, which ultimately led to his transfer to Missouri State in his hometown of Springfield. He spent the 2005-06 season in residence at MSU after the transfer and became eligible for the Bears in 2006-07 -- his second full college season. He also played for MSU in 2007-08, originally believed to be his final season. He joins younger brother Shane as two of the team’s three returning starters this year.
Creekmore Countdown - Will Creekmore (6-9, 242, C, Tulsa, Okla.) will become eligible to compete for Missouri State at the conclusion of the first semester after transferring to Missouri State during the spring 2008 semester from Boston University. He will be eligible for the Norfolk State game on December 20.
 The sophomore saw action in four games as a freshman for the America East Conference school, collecting 11 points and 10 rebounds and making good on 83-percent of his free throws. He averaged 23.0 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks per game as a senior at Thomas Edison High in Tulsa in 2006-07 where he had a 4.0+ grade point average.
Waiting in the Wings - Missouri State will welcome two Division I transfers to the program this year with the addition of former Eastern Kentucky standout Adam Leonard (6-0, 188, G, Lee’s Summit, Mo.) and Colorado product Caleb Patterson (7-0, 230, C, Ringwood, Okla.). Both players will be ineligible during the 2008-09 season. Leonard will have two remaining years of eligibility, and Patterson will be able to play three years for the Bears.
 Patterson played 14 games for the Buffaloes last season, gaining one start and scoring 20 total points.
 Leonard was a two-year starter for the Colonels where he helped EKU to the 2007 NCAA Tournament after accounting for 104 three-pointers his freshman season. He averaged 12.5 and 11.9 points, respectively, in his two seasons at EKU.
Up Next - The Bears continue the home stand next Wednesday when they entertain Arkansas-Little Rock (3-0) at 7:05 p.m. Missouri State welcomes Arkansas State (2-1) to JQH Arena three days later on Saturday, December 6 (7:05 p.m.).
 Missouri State returns to the road against Tulsa (4-1) on December 10 (7:05 p.m.) in a game to be televised on Medicom Connections and the Missouri Sports Cable Network.
