Missouri State Bears (9-10, 2-6 MVC) vs.

Northern Iowa Panthers (13-6, 7-1 MVC)

January 25, 2009 -  JQH Arena (11,000), Springfield, Mo., 6:05 p.m. (ESPNU)

Television -  ESPNU (Dan McLaughlin and Mac McCausland)

Radio - KTXR (101.3 FM) and Missouri State Bears Basketball Radio Network (LISTEN LIVE)

Game Notes - MISSOURI STATE  -   UNI  -   MISSOURI VALLEY

Live Stats - CLICK HERE

Tickets - CLICK HERE or Call (417) 836-7678 / (888) 476-7849

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Bears Host UNI in Nationally-Televised Rematch - Missouri State closes out a two-game conference home stand tonight when it welcomes Northern Iowa to JQH Arena for the first time. The nationally-televised game on ESPNU is the second of three consecutive Sunday games for the Bears who have claimed wins in two of their last three games.

 Missouri State and UNI met two weeks ago in Cedar Falls, and despite a remarkable 70.5 percent shooting effort by the Panthers, Missouri State made things interesting down the stretch. The Bears cut UNI’s lead to eight points on a three-pointer by Chris Cooks (Sr., G, Idabel, Okla.) with 9:22 left in the second half, only to fall short, 78-64.

 With Wednesday’s 65-44 win over Drake, the Bears enter Sunday’s game riding a two-game home winning streak. MSU shot a season-best 47.4 percent in the Drake game behind 27 field goals, also a season high. Cooks scored 18 to lead the Missouri State effort, while Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.) collected a career-high 11 rebounds, and Wade Knapp (Sr., F/C, Wakeeney, Kan.) added 13 points.

 UNI leads the MVC by two games and is riding a seven-game win streak, including a 66-61 home win over Bradley on Wednesday.

Sizing up the Opposition - The Panthers return two starters and eight lettermen from last year’s 18-14 (9-9 MVC) team. UNI is 5-4 away from the McLeod Center, but is 4-0 on the road in MVC play. The Panthers enter Sunday’s game riding a league-best seven-game winning streak and haven’t lost a game in regulation since December 13.

 UNI has four players averaging double figures in scoring, including sophomore Kwadzo Ahelegbe (6-2, 195, G, Oakdale, Minn.) who has a team-best 11.5 scoring average and 63 assists. The Panthers are getting 10.9 points per game from freshman Adam Koch (6-8, 230, F, Ashwaubenon, Wis.), while Ali Farokhmanesh (6-0, 190, Jr, G, Iowa City, Iowa) has scored 10.8 points and hit 46 threes. UNI shoots 73.9 percent from the line and has made just under 7 threes per game.

 Coach Ben Jacobson (North Dakota, 1994) is 3-2 against the Bears.

The Series - Missouri State leads the all-time series (which dates to the 1982-83 season), 38-18, including the 78-64 loss in Cedar Falls on January 10. The Bears are 20-6 in Springfield, 1-2 at neutral sites, 17-9 in Cedar Falls, and 2-1 in overtime against the Panthers. UNI has won nine of the last 13 meetings, including three of the last four in Springfield.

 Last season, the teams split the two meetings with the Panthers winning the first game, 70-55, on 1/20/08 in Cedar Falls before the Bears scored a 71-54 win in Springfield on 2/9/08.

 The six returning Bears combined to score 57 points against UNI last season, including (pts./ppg) Spencer Laurie (21/10.5), Shane Laurie (17/8.5), Justin Fuehrmeyer (14/7.0), and Chris Cooks (5/5.0). Shane Laurie also had 7 rebounds (3.5), while Justin Fuehrmeyer dished out 8 assists (4.0).

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 MSU’s 16th head basketball coach on 4/1/08.

 He is 9-10 in his coaching tenure, including a 2-6 mark in MVC play, 8-4 record at home, and 0-1 ledger against the Panthers (1/10/09).

 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 Grand Rapids 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.

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 840 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 or 1490 AM); Sparta, Ill. - WHC) (1230 AM); Springfield - KTXR (101.3 FM) (flagship); Willow Springs - KUKU (100.3 FM).

Podcasts - Missouri State now produces a weekly Podcast, available on the Missouri State Athletics web site -- www.MissouriStateBears.com -- by clicking on the Fan Central icon or the Podcast banner ad. The podcasts will be updated every Tuesday. The Podcasts are also available at iTunesU.

Television - Today’s game will air live nationally on ESPNU with Dan McLaughlin and Mac McCausland calling the action. Ironically, the "Mac Attack" also were the announcers in the teams’ previous meeting at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls on FSN.

 Missouri State will also appear on Mediacom Connections (Channel 14 locally) eight times this season. Don West provides the play-by-play and Dan Lucy is the color commentator for the Mediacom games. 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: 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 1-1 on Mediacom this season. MSU will be featured on FOX Sports Midwest twice -- Jan. 10 (loss 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! - Due to television restrictions, today’s game will not be shown on MSU’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.

Reset the Clock - All you need to know about the Bears for tonight’s game in 35 seconds or less . . . Chris Cooks (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.) is this week’s MVC Player of the Week after posting back-to-back 20 points games last week . . . Due to a variety of injuries, the Bears practiced Friday (1/23/09) with all 14 players for the first time this season . . In eight Valley games, the Bears have used six different starting lineups and have used nine lineups overall this season . . . Wade Knapp is the only Bear to start all 19 games this season and has controlled the opening tip in five of eight league games . . . MSU has outrebounded nine of its last 11 opponents, upping its season rebounding average from 28.9 to 35.3 during that span . . . Justin Fuehrmeyer (Jr., G, St. Charles, Mo.) has a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which would rank second in the MVC (he will become eligible for the league stats after today’s game once he plays in 75 percent of the team’s games).

Cooks Named MVC Player of the Week - Senior Chris Cooks (Idabel, Okla.) was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on January 19 after back-to-back 20-point games.

 In the team’s win over Wichita State (1/14/09), Cooks had career highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds to go with an 8-for-15 shooting performance that included a pair of assists and four steals. He followed that outing with 20 points at Illinois State (1/18/09) with five rebounds and a game-high five assists. His 43 points for the week secured his top two scoring efforts of his career and gave the Bears their first 20-point performances of the 2008-09 season.

 Cooks is the first Bear to receive the conference award this season and just the second since 2005-06. Dale Lamberth (March 1, 2008) was the most-recent MSU player to earn Player of the Week honors, while Blake Ahearn received the award on December 5, 2005.

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 preseason predictions for the Bears in the Valley poll were in 1995-96 and 2002-03 when Missouri State was picked eighth both times. 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). No Bears were named to the preseason all-conference team.

Hobbs Leaves Team - On December 11, freshman guard Derron Hobbs made the decision to end his playing career with the Bears and return to his home in St. Louis at the end of the first semester.

 Hobbs was hampered by an ankle sprain that forced him to miss the team’s first three regular season games before his return to action on November 28 against Utah. He scored three points in the Utah game with a pair of rebounds and an assist and followed that performance with a five-point outing against Arkansas-Little Rock on December 3. He played, but did not score in his only other game with the team on December 6 against Arkansas State.

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 1,498-825 (.645) all-time basketball record. Cuonzo Martin is Missouri State’s 16th head basketball coach.

 Over the previous 10 seasons, 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).

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).

Hall of Fame Happenings - Missouri State will induct seven individuals into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturay, Feb. 7. The 2009 class that includes Jackie Stiles (women’s basketball, 1997-2001), Johnny Murdock (men’s basketball, 1991-95), Bill O’Neill (coach/administrator, 1970-2008), Mark Stillwell (SID/administrator, 1972-2008), Keith Champion (baseball 1978-81), Kate Madden (softball 1993-96) and Brianne McGuirk Calvert (swimming, 1999-2003), will also be recognized at halftime of the Bears’ game against Southern Illinois that afternoon (3:05 p.m.).

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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.

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 bleacher seats and 9,637 chairback seats.

 The Bears defeated Arkansas, 62-57, before a sellout crowd of 10,881 on November 22, 2008 in the inaugural game at JQH Arena. The first opponent to beat MSU in the facility was Utah, 71-58, on November 26, 2008. MSU’s five-game home winning streak was snapped on December 22 by Middle Tennessee, 63-51, in the finals of the Basketball Travelers Tip-Off Tourney.

 Missouri State is 8-4 at JQH Arena this season with an average home attendance of 7,120.

Injuries in Abundance - Missouri State players have missed 47 games this season due to a variety of injuries. Most recently, the Bears have been without the services of Spencer Laurie (fracture, non-shooting hand in the first half of the Evansville game) and Dominick Brumfield (stress fracture, foot in preseason).

 By player, the following are the number of games missed with injuries this season: Dominick Brumfield (stress fracture, 19 games), Shane Laurie (concussion, 11), Justin Fuehrmeyer (ankle, 5), Chris Cooks (concussion, 3), Spencer Laurie (hand, 4), Cardell McFarland (ankle, 2), Derron Hobbs (ankle, 3).

 In addition, Will Creekmore missed the team’s first eight games this season while waiting to become eligible after transferring from Boston University.

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., 12.0), Kyle Weems (F, Topeka, Kan., 11.5), Wade Knapp (Sr., C, Wakeeney, Kan., 11.0) and Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo., 10.5) also averaged double figures in scoring, while Ryan Jehle (So., F, Overland Park, Kan.) averaged 9.0 points per game for the Bears in the exhibition season.

 MSU surrendered just 58.5 points per game, forced 56 turnovers (28.0), and had a +8.0 rebound margin. The Bears also had 46 assists in the preseason and snagged 29 steals.

Getting Over the Overtime - The Bears are 0-2 this season in overtime, both in Missouri Valley Conference games, and both were tied 55-55 at the end of regulation.

 The Bears’ first OT loss came at home against Illinois State on December 28 in the league opener for both schools. The Bears scored 14 points in extra time, but fell short in a 72-69 loss to the Redbirds who extended an unbeaten streak to 12 games in the contest.

 The team’s second overtime defeat came at Evansville on January 7. The Purple Aces made 7 free throws in overtime, while the Bears were 1-for-7 from the field, giving Evansville a 66-61 win.

Bears Will Host Air Force in Mountain West/MVC Challenge - In October, The Missouri Valley Conference and the Mountain West Conference announced an agreement 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.

 MSU will host Air Force on December 5, 2009 in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Alumni Update - Missouri State alum Blake Ahearn (2003-07), the most accurate free throw shooter in NCAA Division I history, is back with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League. In his first 14 games with the club, he is averaging 23.1 points and 5.3 assists, and has made 90-of-93 free throws. He scored 33 points against Reno (12/21/08) in his first game with the Wizards on 10-of-16 shooting with six three-pointers and eight assists and collected 40 points against Sioux Falls (1/9/09) with a 9-for-12 effort from three-point range.

 He was reacquired by the Wizards on Dec. 19 after being assigned Nov. 30 to the Austin Toros -- the San Antonio Spurs’ D-League affiliate -- where he averaged 19 points and 6 assists in 6 games.

 Ahearn signed with the NBA Spurs on November 16, and appeared in three games, averaging 2.7 points in 6.3 minutes in his second stint in the NBA. The Spurs were 6-2 with Ahearn.

 This fall, he was in Minnesota’s training camp where he averaged 7.8 points and 1.2 assists in five preseason games. After being waived by the Timberwolves he joined the D-League’s Dakota Wizards where he was in camp prior to signing with the San Antonio Spurs.

 Last season, Ahearn was named Rookie of the Year in the NBA Development League. In 41 games for the Dakota Wizards, he averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes. He shot 49 percent (239-492) from the field, including 108-for-246 from three-point range, and 96 percent (191-199) from the line. At the end of the season, 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.

 Last season’s Co-Player of the Year, Deven Mitchell is playing for the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions in the Austrian league and is averaging a team-best 25.2 points and 4.4 rebounds through 12 (of 22) games, including a 39-point output on 12/5/08, and an amazing 43-point effort on 12/28/08.

 Drew Richards, also a 2007-08 standout, completed his degree at Missouri State in December and signed a contract on January 19 to play the next three months for the Erdgas squad in the German B League.

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 bowing 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.

 Former head coach Barry Hinson (1999-08) finished his nine-year tenure with a 169-117 (.591) record overall and 95-67 (.586) mark in MVC play. He is currently serving on Bill Self’s staff 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 announced their intentions to play for the Bears next season.

 Jones had a 65-point outing in a five-overtime game against Gateway on 1/9/09 and is averaging 24.2 points through 13 games this season at Miller Career Academy (9-4) in St. Louis with 26 three-pointers and .805 FT%. As a junior, he scored 17.9 points and had 5.3 rebounds per game and was an all-conference and second team all-state performer, earning Post-Dispatch honorable mention all-metro distinction. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds and was invited to the Nike Top 100 Hoop Jamboree. He was also a key player for the St. Louis Eagles AAU team.

 Pickens scored a season-high 29 points on 1/19/09 against University City (13-for-18 shooting) and is averaging team-bests 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds through 17 games at Oakville High School (12-5) in St. Louis with a .531 shooting percentage. In 2007-08, he averaged 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds, accounting for 2.3 blocks and 1.7 assists per game. As a sophomore, he scored 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.

Stopping the Skid - To end their six-game losing streak and five-game conference slump (12/22/08 to 1/10/09), the Bears shot a season-best 45.1 percent (23-for-51) against Wichita State on January 14. The Bears had their most field goals in eight games and outrebounded their opponents (31-24) for the sixth time in seven ball games.

100 Grand and Counting - On January 14, MSU became the sixth team in the Missouri Valley to eclipse 100,000 in total attendance for the 2008-09 season. The Bears have now attracted 121,566 fans (6,398 average) in 19 games, including 85,435 (7,120) at JQH Arena. The Bears are fourth in the MVC in home attendance average.

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 joins younger brother Shane Laurie and junior Justin Fuehrmeyer (G, St. Charles, Mo.) as the team’s three returning starters.

Dunk-O-Meter - Through 19 games, the Bears have 13 dunks to their credit as follows:

Wade Knapp 9

Isaiah Rhine 2

Kyle Weems 2

 MSU opponents have 22 dunks. Auburn had 5 dunks in the season opener, while Arkansas State had four slams against the Bears at JQH. Likewise, MSU opponents have outscored the Bears, 438-410, in the paint and have a 59-39 advantage in fast-break points this season.

Coors Players of the Week - The Missouri State Coors Player of the Week for the week of January 11-17 is Chris Cooks (6-4, 220, Sr., Idabel, Okla.).

 In the team’s win over Wichita State (1/14/09), Cooks had career highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds to go with an 8-for-15 shooting performance that included a pair of assists and four steals. He followed that outing with 20 points at Illinois State (1/18/09) with five rebounds and a game-high five assists. His 43 points for the week secured his top two scoring efforts of his career and gave the Bears their first 20-point performances of the 2008-09 season.

 Previous MSU Coors Players of the Week this season are:

 November 10-16 - Chris Cooks (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.)

 November 17-23 - Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.)

 November 24-30 - Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.)

 December 1-6 - Ryan Jehle (So., F, Overland Park, Kan.)

 December 7-13 - Wade Knapp (Sr., C, Wakeeney, Kan.)

 December 14-20 - Chris Cooks (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.)

 December 21-27 - Will Creekmore (So., C, Tulsa, Okla.)

 December 28-January 3 - Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.)

 January 4-10 - Shane Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.)

 January 11-17 - Chris Cooks (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.)

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.

 Patterson,who will be eligible for three seasons with the Bears, 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 and 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 years at EKU, and will have 2 years at MSU.

Up Next . . . The Bears hit the road for MVC games at Southern Illinois on Wednesday (7:05 p.m.) and Sunday at Creighton (2:05 p.m.) before returning home February 4 to play Evansville. The SIU and Creighton games will air live on Mediacom Connections (Channel 14 locally) and the Missouri Sports Cable Network throughout Missouri.