Mizzou Century: No. 76 – Jimmy McKinney

A superstar at Vashon High School in St. Louis, Jimmy McKinney arrived at Mizzou with sky-high expectations, but his career was beset by injury (he fractured his sinus early in his freshman year) and controversy beyond his control (the Clemons fiasco, the end of Quin Snyder’s tenure). Still, even as he was shuttled between positions to cover for the team’s shortcomings, McKinney posted impressive personal numbers, recording 1146 points, 422 rebounds and 349 assists for his career. As a freshman, he helped the Tigers advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but his finest individual performance may have come in his junior season against Kansas in Columbia. Playing point guard in place of the suspended Jason Horton, McKinney scored 21 points on six-of-seven shooting to lead the Tigers to an upset victory over the seventh-ranked Jayhawks.

Mizzou Century: No. 77 – Charlie Huhn

Considered a giant in his time, 6’6” center Charlie Huhn used his natural advantage to control the ball and sink point-blank shots. With 14 points against Kansas in the dedication game for the new Brewer Field House, Huhn led a charge that ultimately resulted in Missouri taking the 1930 Big Six title. Then, as a senior in 1931, Huhn carried a team ravaged by graduation and other attrition and earned a place on the All-Big Six team.

Mizzou Century: No. 78 – Lynn Hardy

The original Detroit Tiger, Lynn Hardy arrived in Columbia in 1984 as part of an exceptional recruiting class that included high school All-American Derrick Chievous and junior college standouts Dan Bingenheimer and Jeff Strong. After contributing as a freshman, Hardy moved into the starting lineup in his sophomore season and gave Mizzou 9.7 points and 4.0 assists per game while running the offense from the point position. Hardy helped the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence, and then led Missouri to even greater glory in the 1986-87 season, quarterbacking the club to an unexpected Big Eight championship while scoring more than 11 points per game. The Tigers stood poised to defend their title in Hardy’s senior season, but a back injury sidelined him for 17 games and derailed Missouri’s hopes. Still, Hardy’s leadership, poise and tenacity helped Mizzou return to the league’s upper echelon in the second half of the 1980’s.

Mizzou Century: Nos. 79 & 80 – Denver Miller and Kenneth “Duke” Jorgensen

The backcourt tandem of Denver Miller and Kenneth “Duke” Jorgensen headlined some modestly successful Tiger teams in the early 1930’s, the darkest days of the Great Depression. Miller played through a fractured cheekbone in his junior season and then became a star as a senior. A stalwart of Coach George Edwards’s double-post offense, Miller made the all-conference squad and then handed the Tiger team captaincy to Jorgensen, who stood one class behind. A heady guard with a soft touch from long range, Jorgensen earned second-team All-Big Six honors as a junior and then claimed a spot on the first team in his final season.

Mizzou Century: No. 81 – Gary Leonard

One of the biggest Tigers ever, 7’1” Gary Leonard came to Mizzou from Belleville, Illinois, and had an immediate impact, starting 20 games in the 1985-86 season, his freshman campaign. A complementary player to stars like Derrick Chievous and Byron Irvin, Leonard contributed to teams that made four NCAA Tournament appearances, won two Big Eight conference tournament titles, and captured the 1987 league crown. For his part, Leonard remains in Missouri’s all-time top ten in career games played (132, tied for second place), field goal percentage (56.0%, third), and blocked shots (95, sixth).

True Sons in MIZZOU Magazine . . .

The media frenzy has begun. On page 46 of the new MIZZOU Magazine, there’s a nice piece by Dale Smith on the book, plus a photo by James Yates that flatters me about as much as a photo can.

. . . and Mike Anderson in Kansas City

New Missouri basketball coach Mike Anderson will make an appearance tonight at Harpo’s in Westport (4109 Pennsylvania Avenue). Reception starts at 6:00, program at 7:00. The event is open to the public. I’ll be there with two young kids in tow. Hope to see some of you there.

Mizzou Century: No. 82 – Lamont Frazier

On paper, Lamont Frazier was a run-of-the-mill role player who totaled a modest 667 points in a four-year career. On the hardwood, though, he was a menace. Shoe-leather-tough and junkyard-dog-mean, the 6’4” swingman from Charleston, Mo., made a career out of setting bone-jarring picks and playing a fiercely physical style of defense. By doing the dirty work, he opened up space for stars like Anthony Peeler and Melvin Booker to shine. But when called upon, Frazier could score, too, as demonstrated during Missouri’s magical 1993-94 season. His 20-point effort (including a three-pointer at the end of regulation) in the Tigers’ epic three-overtime triumph against Illinois, helped set the stage for the best regular season run in Mizzou’s modern history.

Time Out

With the holiday weekend upon us, traffic is sure to be light for the next few days. So we'll pause the countdown here and pick back up on Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Here's best wishes for a safe and happy weekend, and a salute to those whose sacrifice we honor on Memorial Day.

Mizzou Century: No. 83 – Jesse “Mule” Campbell

Jesse “Mule” Campbell, a varsity star from 1915 to 1918, was not as highly decorated as many Tiger greats, but he worked as hard as the beast of burden that provided his nickname. As the respected captain of Mizzou’s first Missouri Valley championship team (the 1917-18 squad posted a 17-1 record), Campbell was a key figure in the dawn of the first golden period of Tiger basketball. Mule excelled despite playing for a different head coach in each of his three varsity seasons, twice being named second team All- Valley. An aggressive interior player (he moved from forward to center as a senior), Campbell was a fine rebounder and an effective scorer from close range. Missouri posted a cumulative 42-8 record in his three seasons, making he and teammate Sam Shirkey the first Tigers to collect 40 wins.

Mizzou Century: No. 84 – Mark Dressler

Few other players in Missouri history are as defined by a single game’s effort as Mark Dressler. A 6’7” forward from St. Louis, Dressler’s career was derailed by a knee injury that cost him the entire 1980-81 season. Still, he contributed to three Big Eight championship teams while shooting 54.9% from the field for his career, fifth best on Mizzou’s all-time list. But despite those accomplishments, Dressler will always be best remembered for his inspired play late in the 1979-80 season. After star forward Curtis Berry went down with a sprained knee, Dressler scored 18 points to lead Missouri to a win over Oklahoma that clinched the league title for the Tigers. But it was an effort two weeks later that secured Dressler’s place in Missouri hoops history. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers faced a powerhouse Notre Dame team that featured five future NBA players. But Dressler – the least heralded player on the floor – dominated. He scored 32 points on 13-of-16 field goal shooting, and sealed an 87-84 overtime victory with a clutch steal and pair of free throws. Dressler was nearly as impressive in Missouri’s next game (he made 9 of 11 shots from the field), but the Tigers fell to top-seeded LSU, 68-63.

Mizzou Century: No. 85 – Dan Bingenheimer

Dan Bingenheimer came to Columbia from Wabash (Illinois) Community College in 1984 and helped Missouri reload in the post-Stipanovich/Sundvold era. A 6’9” forward, the junior college All-American had modest success in his first season at Mizzou as he blended with fellow new recruits Jeff Strong, Derrick Chievous and Lynn Hardy to help the Tigers reach the NIT after a year’s absence from post-season play. More assertive as a senior, Bingo averaged 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and he blocked 46 shots, then second most in school history. His efforts helped Missouri reach the NCAA Tournament, the first of five straight trips for the Tigers.

Mizzou Century: Nos. 86 & 87 – Marvin “Moon” McCrary and Prince Bridges

Despite some relatively pedestrian individual statistics, junior college transfers Marvin “Moon” McCrary and Prince Bridges played major roles on some of the best teams in Missouri’s history. McCrary arrived in 1980, and though standing just six-feet-one, he starred defensively at small forward, often shutting down much bigger opponents. His efforts helped the Tigers to the 1981 Big Eight championship, Mizzou’s second straight title. Prince Bridges joined the squad a year later and the Tigers reached even greater heights. An insanely athletic point guard, Bridges quarterbacked the offense and gave Missouri another formidable defensive presence. Together with established stars Ricky Frazier, Steve Stipanovich and Jon Sundvold, McCrary and Bridges helped the Tigers reach the top of the national polls while winning the Big Eight regular season and conference tournament titles. Then, after McCrary’s graduation, Bridges returned for the 1982-83 season and Missouri won an unprecedented fourth straight Big Eight championship.

Mizzou Century: No. 88 – Ken Doughty

A powerful 6’0” guard from Herrin, Illinois, Ken Doughty bridged the transition from retiring coach Sparky Stalcup to Bob Vanatta. As a junior in 1961-62, Doughty led Stalcup’s Tigers with 16.6 points per game, including a 32-point performance against Oklahoma in the Big Eight holiday tournament. Then, as the only senior starter for Coach Vanatta, he averaged 12.3 points while juniors Ray Bob Carey and Bob Price began to emerge as stars in their own right. For his career, Doughty converted 79.8% of his free throw attempts, a mark that stood as a Missouri record for eleven years.

Mizzou Century: No. 89 – Thomas Gardner

Score 40 points in an unbelievable overtime victory over Kansas and you make the list. In three seasons at Mizzou, Thomas Gardner, a guard from Portland, Oregon, displayed a flair for the dramatic. As a freshman, he sank a clutch three-pointer in overtime to help beat sixth-ranked Oklahoma State. As a sophomore, he christened Mizzou Arena with a 19-point, 12-rebound performance as the Tigers opened their new home with a win over Brown. Later that season, he sank two three pointers in overtime to give Missouri an upset victory over nationally ranked Oklahoma. And, of course, during his junior year, Gardner’s clutch shooting helped the Tigers overcome a seven point deficit in the final minute to stun Kansas in a nationally televised game. In three seasons, Gardner accumulated 1,067 points, thirty-third on Missouri’s all-time list.

Mizzou Century: No. 90 – Carl Ristine

A founding member of the program and a three-year letter winner, Joplin’s Carl “Curly” Ristine became Missouri’s first all-conference basketball player in 1909. At six feet and 168 pounds, Ristine played guard, a position devoted primarily to defense in those days. Though he played in an era when statistics were kept poorly (if at all), Ristine’s reputation as one of the finest athletes in the Missouri Valley Conference was widely known. In addition to his basketball exploits, Curly was a standout football player who played center and captained the 1909 Tiger football team, which won the conference title with a mark of 7-0-1.

Mizzou Century: No. 91 – Julian Winfield

After playing his freshman season at St. Louis University, Julian Winfield transferred to Mizzou and started 24 games for the tremendous 1993-94 squad, giving the Tigers quality minutes despite being slowed by a knee injury. As a junior, Winfield was called on to help counter the lost production of the injured Kelly Thames and the departed Melvin Booker and Jevon Crudup. He responded with a sensational all-around effort. The 6’4” swingman averaged 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while filling the role of defensive stopper for the Tigers. The bucket he made to give MU a one-point lead with 4.8 seconds left against top-ranked UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament would rank as one of the most memorable shots in Missouri history but for the remarkable, heartbreaking shot made by the Bruins’ Tyus Edney at the buzzer.

Mizzou Century: No. 92 – Win Wilfong

One of the most decorated high school players ever in Missouri, Win Wilfong came to Columbia in 1951 from Puxico, where he was a historically prolific scorer. But once he arrived at Mizzou, it was his all-around skills – and especially his defensive play – that made him a budding star. Eligible as a freshman because of rules necessitated by the Korean War, Wilfong immediately gained some unwanted attention when Kansas’s gigantic Clyde Lovellette stepped on his exposed midsection as he lay on the floor late in the finals of the Big Seven holiday tournament, an incident that nearly sparked a riot. From that point forward, though, Wilfong became best known for his play. Missouri’s second leading scorer (behind Bob Reiter) as a sophomore, Wilfong earned first-team All-Big Seven honors, and was on his way to a storied career until called to a higher duty. The United States Army beckoned, and Wilfong served for two years before resuming his basketball career at Memphis State, earning MVP honors at the 1957 National Invitation Tournament.

“If you go to Missouri . . . you’ll come out a man”

I’d be remiss not to note the recent commitments of Stefhon Hannah, DeMarre Carroll, J.T. Tiller, and Darryl Butterfield, who join fall signees Keon Lawrence and Vaidatos Volkus to round out Missouri’s new six-man basketball recruiting class (Carroll, a transfer from Vanderbilt, will sit out the coming season and then have two years of eligibility left). Hannah’s commitment is notable not only because it came at the end of a pitched and public recruiting battle between Mizzou’s Mike Anderson and Kansas State coach Bob Huggins (the man many Missouri fans, short-sightedly in my view, wanted to succeed Quin Snyder), but because of the testimonial the junior college guard gave for MU’s new coach in making his pick. It seems that everyone who knows Mike Anderson praises him not only as a coach but as a man of character, and it also seems that character is ultimately what sold Hannah – and his mother – on Missouri. When Hannah found himself unable to choose between the rival Big 12 schools, he turned to his mom. She told him “If you go to Missouri, you won’t come out just a great basketball player; you’ll come out a man.”

That should be the new mantra for Missouri basketball. It should be emblazoned on t-shirts, tattooed on foreheads, written in smoke in the sky. Mini Mizzou should play Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” and let the Tigers do lay-up drills to its finger-poppin’ bass line. Plenty of good citizens inhabited the program during the Quin Snyder years, but the epic disaster that was The Clemons Affair (really, it was like a train wreck inside a volcano under siege by aliens) overshadowed every good deed and diploma. Deservedly or not, to much of the outside world this was Outlaw U., a perception sealed when the NCAA branded Mizzou with the scarlet P.

That can change now. Marcus Watkins, son of associate head coach Melvin Watkins, is on the squad, and though nothing has been said officially, it seems likely that Mike Anderson’s son Michael (who walked on for his dad’s club at UAB) will join the team, too. Factor in that newcomer DeMarre Carroll (who made solid contributions in two seasons at Vandy) is Anderson’s nephew, and it really is a family affair inside the Tiger hoops program. Making improvements on the court this year should help Anderson recruit athletes. Making Mizzou a place where boys become men should help him recruit their mothers. And often, that’s just as important.

Mizzou Century: No. 93 – Scott Sims

A coach’s son from Kirksville, Mo., Scott Sims played a reserve role behind the likes of Willie Smith, Steve Dangos and Jeff Currie until he busted out in his senior year, winning MVP honors at the four-team Sun Bowl tournament early in the season. After averaging less than four points per game as a junior, Sims raised his output to nearly 16 per game in his final campaign. He also threaded passes to his teammates – most notably Kim Anderson, Jim Kennedy and Clay Johnson – for easy scores, recording ten assists in a game four times that season. Despite a short bench and a rash of injuries, Sims helped lead Mizzou to a 21-8 record in 1976-77. Later he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the fifth round of the NBA draft. He saw action in twelve games during his only NBA season.