Missouri State Bears (10-16, 3-12 MVC) at

Bradley Braves (14-12, 8-7 MVC)

February 17, 2009 -  Carver Arena, Peoria, Ill., 7:05 p.m. (Mediacom/MCSN)

Television -  Mediacom Connections (Dan Lucy and Don West) & BEARS LIVE!

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

Game Notes - MISSOURI STATE  -   BRADLEY  -   MISSOURI VALLEY

Live Stats - CLICK HERE

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Bears Kick Off Busy Week with Tuesday’s Game at Bradley - Missouri State takes to the road Tuesday for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Bradley Braves in Peoria, Ill., as it begins a buys road week that also includes Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. game at UT-Martin in the ESPNU BracketBusters.

 The Bears are coming off a 76-71 home loss to Indiana State on Valentine’s Day, a game in which the Bears held a one-point lead with inside a minute to play. Despite 17 points from Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.) and 14 from Wade Knapp (Sr., F/C, Wakeeney, Kan.), the Bears managed just 57.9 percent at the foul line (11-for-19), while the visiting Sycamores were 21-for-22 (.955) at the charity stripe. The Bears matched a season high with 27 field goals, but missed their final seven shots and faltered down the stretch to drop their third consecutive ball game.

 Missouri State, celebrating its men’s basketball centennial this year, is gunning for its 1,500th all-time victory as well, and hopes to become the 27th NCAA Division I program to reach that milestone.

 The Bears were picked last in the Missouri Valley Conference for the first time in school history and currently sit two games out of ninth place at 3-11 in the league. MSU has lost four conference games by six points or less and have squandered a halftime lead or tie in four MVC ball games, including three in a row.

Sizing up the Opposition - Since scoring a 63-57 win over the Bears on 1/3/09, the Bradley Braves are 6-7 overall and 4-2 at Carver Arena. Coach Jim Les’ team is led by a trio of players averaging double figures in scoring, including Theron Wilson (6-5, 200, Sr., F) who scores 13.7 points per game and grabs 7.3 boards. The backcourt duo of Sam Maniscalco (6-0, 176, So., G) and Dodie Dunson (6-3, 204, Jr., G) average 11.3 and 11.5 points per game, respectively and have combined for 87 three-pointers and 104 assists.

 Bradley snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday with an 86-79 home win over Evansville, as Wilson went 14-for-18 at the free throw line and finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

 Coach Jim Les (Bradley, 1986) is 5-8 all-time against the Bears.

The Series - Missouri State leads the all-time series (which dates to Jan. 28, 1991), 25-15, including an 8-10 record in Peoria. MSU is 14-4 at home against the Braves and 3-1 in neutral-site games. MSU has won four of the last six games, but dropped the two most-recent meetings (2/6/08 at Peoria, 83-71 and 1/3/09 at JQH Arena, 63-57).

 Last season at Bradley (2/6/08), Justin Fuehrmeyer (Jr, G, St. Charles, Mo.) hit for 14 points with four threes. Also last season, Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) had a career-high 20 points against Bradley at Hammons Student Center, including six three-pointers, and scored 27 points against BU for the season.

 Earlier this year at JQH Arena (1/3/09), the Bears took the lead on a three-pointer by Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.) with two minutes to go, but did not score again, as the Braves scored the game’s last seven points at the foul line to win 63-57. Will Creekmore (So., C, Tulsa, Okla.) and Spencer Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) each scored 17. 

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 April 1, 2008.

 He is 10-16 this season, including a 3-12 mark in MVC play, and 1-9 road record. He is 0-1 against Bradley (1/3/09).

 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 847 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, also available at iTunesU, are typically released every Tuesday.

 Due to this month’s basketball schedule which features three straight Tuesday games, the podcasts will be updated on Wednesdays through February.

Television - The Bradley game will air live on Mediacom Connections (Channel 14 locally) and the Missouri Sports Cable Network with Don West (play-by-play) and Dan Lucy (color) calling the action. It will be the last of eight Missouri State appearances on Mediacom Connections (2-5) this season. The Missouri Cable Sports Network schedule is determined by each local Mediacom market.

 MSU has played on two national ESPN telecasts at home -- Jan. 25 vs. UNI (ESPNU) and Feb. 7 vs. Southern Illinois (ESPN2). The Bears were also 0-2 on FOX Sports Net this year -- Jan. 10 at UNI and Feb. 14 vs. Indiana State.

Bears Live! - Today’s game can be seen on Bears Live, 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 . . . MSU is one win away from 1,500 all-time, which would make the Bears the 27th Division I school to reach that milestone . . . The Bears will be without the services of Shane Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) the remainder of the 2008-09 season after he suffered his second concussion this season against Southern Illinois (2/7/09) . . . Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.) and Chris Cooks (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.) have recorded five straight double-figure scoring games, one shy of Cooks’ team-best streak of six (11/14/08 to 12/6/08) . . . Weems ranks third in scoring (10.0) and second in rebounding (5.1) among MVC freshman players . . . MSU has lost five times this season when tied or leading at the half, including the last three ball games . . . Weems’ 259 points this season puts him just 28 points behind Kevin Ault (1996-2000) for sixth place on MSU’s freshman scoring list.

Shane Laurie Out for Remainder of Season - After suffering his second concussion of the season in Saturday’s game against Southern Illinois (2/7/09), the Missouri State medical staff has announced Shane Laurie (Sr., G, Springfield, Mo.) will be restricted from further participation at MSU due to general health concerns. He will conclude his four-year career with 447 points, 175 assists, 91 steals and 75 three-pointers in 105 games. The Bears were 62-43 in games Laurie played. His final basket as a Bear came in the SIU game on an assist from brother Spencer in the first half.

Bracket Busing - The Bears’ opponent for the 2009 ESPNU BracketBusters game was announced on February 2. The Bears will bus 315 miles to Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee-Martin for a 6 p.m. game on Feb. 21 with a return game from the Skyhawks next season. The Bears are 2-3 all-time in the ESPNU BracketBusters event, 5-0 in return games, and 1-0 against UT-Martin.

Home Attendance Update - The Bears have eclipsed 100,000 fans (114,606) for the 17th time in 24 seasons. The team’s home avearge of 7,163 through 16 games in JQH Arena this season is the second-best home average for Missouri State this decade. The school record for net home attendance is 148,484 in 1988-89 (18 games).

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 of 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 1,499-831 (.643) 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).

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 years and have recorded seven consecutive winning seasons.

 MSU has finished in the Missouri Valley’s lower division just three times in its 18-year affiliation with the league.

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.

 MSU is 9-6 at JQH Arena this season with an average home attendance of 7,155, the team’s second-best average this decade. MSU has drawn more than 100,000 fans for the 17th time in 24 years.

Injuries in Abundance - Missouri State players have collectively missed 54 games this season due to a variety of injuries. Most recently, the Bears have been without the services of Shane Laurie (concussion vs. SIU), who will miss the remainder of the season.

 By player, the following are the number of games missed with injuries this season: Dominick Brumfield (stress fracture, 20 games), Shane Laurie (concussion #1, 11 / leg strain, 1 / concussion #2, 2), Justin Fuehrmeyer (ankle, 5), Chris Cooks (concussion, 3), Spencer Laurie (hand, 4), Cardell McFarland (ankle, 2), Ryan Jehle (shoulder, 4), Derron Hobbs (ankle, 3).

 Brumfield is expected to redshirt this season, and Shane Laurie will miss the rest of the season after his second concussion in 2008-09.

Exhibition Excellence - Five Bears averaged double figures in scoring for Missouri State’s pair of preseason exhibition games in November. MSU defeated Quincy, 79-44, on 11/3/08 before a 103-73 victory over East Central (Okla.) on 11/10/08. Both games were played at Hammons Student Center.

 The Bears were led by Chris Cooks’ (Sr., F, Idabel, Okla.) who averaged 24.5 points, including 28 against East Central (Okla.). The Bears scored 91.0 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 in the exhibition season.

 

Nets of Fire - Prior to last Tuesday’s game at Wichita State, the Bears’ season-best shooting performance was a 47.4-percent outing in the home win over Drake on January 21. However, at Koch Arena, the Bears beat that performance by a landslide, firing at a 58.3-percent clip, including another season-best demonstration from three-point range -- 69.2 percent.

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 again playing with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League. In 22 games with the club, he is averaging a team-best 24.0 points (32.5 ppg in February) and 6.0 assists, and has made 143-of-150 (.953) free throws and 45.2-percent from three. He was one of three Wizards selected to play in the NBA D-League All-Star Game on Feb. 14 in Phoenix, where he was named the game’s Co-MVP as well as winning the Three-Point Challenge.

 Ahearn scored 41 points in his most-recent game last Tuesday against Bakersfield.

 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.

 He was in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ training camp this fall where he averaged 7.8 points and 1.2 assists in five preseason games.

 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. On March 21, 2008, he was called up to the NBA’s Miami Heat, appearing in 12 games and scoring 70 total points and going 30-for-31 at the free throw line.

 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 24.5 points and 3.8 rebounds through 17 (of 22) games, including 39-point outputs on 12/5/08 and 1/25/09, and an amazing 43-point effort on 12/28/08. He is shooting 90.0 percent from the free throw line and 49 percent from three-point range.

 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. In five games with the club, he is averaging 1.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and has collected 23 personal fouls.

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 concluded their careers in 2007-08, including 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). Mitchell finished his career 19th on the Bears’ all-time scoring list (1,131) and became the 27th 1,000-point scorer. Lamberth collected 954 points in three seasons.

 Former head coach Barry Hinson (1999-08) finished his 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 on 1/9/09 and a 35-point game (2/3/09) on 12-of-14 shooting. He is averaging 23.4 points through 19 games this season at Miller Career Academy (9-10) in St. Louis with 34 three-pointers and .800 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 All-metro honorable mention distinction. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds and was invited to the Nike Top 100 Hoop Jamboree. Last game: 35 points, 7 rebounds and 12-for-14 shooting in a 74-38 win over Roosevelt on Feb. 3.

 Pickens scored a season-high 29 points on 1/19/09 against University City (13-for-18 shooting) and is averaging team-bests 14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds through 23 games at Oakville High School (17-6) in St. Louis with a .512 shooting percentage and 83 blocked shots. 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. Last game: 18 points in 49-45 win over Jennings on Saturday.

 

Good Half / Bad Half - The Bears have blown halftime leads in their last three ball games, something the team had done just twice previously all season. Missouri State led Southern Illinois by a 31-28 count on Feb. 7, before surrendering 44 second-half points to the Salukis in a 72-64 home loss. On Feb. 10 at Wichita State, MSU held a 31-29 lead at the break before a three-pointer by the Shockers with 5.1 seconds left led to a 62-61 loss. Lastly, MSU led 35-30 at the half and 71-70 with under a minute to go on Saturday night against Indiana State before missing their last 8 field goal attempts in a 76-71 loss.

Just Charge It - MSU has drawn 38 charges in 26 games (1.46 per game) this season. MSU has also been called for 27 (1.04) charges. By player, here is the number of charges drawn this season: Chris Cooks 8, Justin Fuehrmeyer 7, Ryan Jehle 6, Spencer Laurie 5, Will Creekmore 4, Wade Knapp 3, Shane Laurie 2, Kyle Weems 2, Derron Hobbs 1.

Back for More - Bears’ guard Spencer Laurie (Springfield, Mo.) is completing his fourth season with Missouri State 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.

Dunk-O-Meter - Through 26 games, the Bears have 20 dunks to their credit as follows:

Wade Knapp 15

Kyle Weems  3

Isaiah Rhine  2

 MSU opponents have 32 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, 624-582, in the paint this season.

Coors Players of the Week - The Missouri State Coors Player of the Week for the week of February 9-15 is Kyle Weems (6-6, 220, Fr., Topeka, Kan.).

 Weems scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a pair of narrow MSU losses last week, both of which the Bears led in the final minute. Weems fired at a 48.1 percent clip (13-for-27) from the field and was the only Bear over 56 percent from the free throw line with a 75-percent effort for the week. He is currently the No. 3 freshman scorer and No. 2 freshman rebounder in the Valley.

 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.)

 January 18-24 - Cardell McFarland (Fr., G, Evansville, Ind.)

 January 25-February 1 - Cardell McFarland (Fr,. G, Evansville, Ind.)

 February 2-8 - Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.)

 February 9-15 - Kyle Weems (Fr., F, Topeka, Kan.)

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 continue their two-game road swing Saturday in the ESPNU BracketBusters game at Tennessee-Martin at 6 p.m.