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4 Bears lineup Meet the men’s basketball team that will attempt to move on after Kyle Weems
5 Lady Bears lineup Meet the women who represent Missouri State on and off the court this season 6 Men’s preview The Bears play in their first regular season game this Friday at JQH Arena By Mike Ursery 10 Shorter profile Senior forward Christiana Shorter is the star player of this year’s Lady Bears team By Sam Holzer 11 Downing profile Senior guard Anthony Downing is lacing up for his final season with the Bears By Sam Holzer
12 Women’s preview The Lady Bears play in their first regular season game Nov. 13 at JQH Arena By Mike Ursery 14 Freshman forces Six men are joining the Bears for the first time this season and hoping to make an impression By Jon Poorman 15 What’s MSU’s ranking in the MVC? Find out how the Bears and Lady Bears measure up in the Valley this season 16 Home games Never miss out on an opportunity to cheer on Missouri State at JQH Arena 18 Steel magnolias Seven women are joining the Lady Bears to help fill the shoes of former player Casey Garrison By Jon Poorman
Standard staff Advertising staff Wil Brawley sales Trevor Collins sales Dayle Duggins sales Brandi Frye sales Brent Rinehart graphic design Adam Simpson graphic design
Megan Gates editor-in-chief Jon Poorman sports editor Jon Sims copy editor Gage Turner copy editor Mike Ursery sports writer
Editorial staff Steph Anderson photo editor Matt Aten sports writer Katie DeJarnette copy editor
Professional staff Jack Dimond faculty adviser Sandy King advertising manager
Cover design by Adam Simpson • Centerfold design by Brent Rinehart
Basketball Preview 2012
This is a publication of Missouri State University’s studentproduced newspaper, The Standard. The university has not approved and is not responsible for its content, which is produced and edited by The Standard staff. The Standard 901 S. National Ave. Springfield, MO 65807 417-836-5272 Standard@MissouriState.edu the-standard.org
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2012-2013 Missouri State University men’s basketball team Projected starting five: Anthony Downing (G), Nathan Scheer (G), Dorrian Williams (G), Drew Wilson (F) and Christian Kirk (F) Projected starting five based on lineups from exhibition wins over McKendree and Missouri Western.
Christian Kirk
Jersey: 42 Year: sophomore Position: forward Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 225 pounds
Anthony Downing
Keith Pickens
Marcus Marshall
Dorrian Williams
Jarmar Gulley
Michael Simpson
Drew Wilson
Nathan Scheer
Tomie Aromona
Ryan Carmichael
Gavin Thurman
Bruce Marshall
Jersey: 0 Year: senior Position: guard Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 190 pounds
Jersey: 5 Year: senior Position: forward Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 225
Jersey: 10 Year: sophomore Position: guard Height: 5-foot-10 Weight: 165 pounds
Jersey: 1 Year: junior Position: guard/forward Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 203 pounds
Jersey: 3 Year: freshman Position: forward Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 199 pounds
Jersey: 4 Year: junior Position: guard Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 195 pounds
Jersey: 11 Year: freshman Position: guard Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 181 pounds
Jersey: 15 Year: RS freshman Position: forward Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 217 pounds
Jersey: 20 Year: freshman Position: forward Height: 6-foot-6 Weight: 223 pounds
Jersey: 23 Year: RS freshman Position: guard Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 190 pounds
Jersey: 30 Year: junior Position: guard/forward Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 205 pounds
Jersey: 35 Year: freshman Position: center Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 215 pounds
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2012-2013 Missouri State University women’s basketball
Projected starting five: Edie (F), Shorter (F), Williams (G), Phillips (F) and Buer (G)
Aly Stock
Christiana Shorter
Tyonna Snow
Hannah Wilkerson
Kenzie Williams
Karly Buer
Tori Henderson
Whitney Edie
Nicole Smallwood
NiJay Gaines
Alex Hillyer
Desiree Phillips
Hillary Chvatal
Bry Snow
Mikala McGhee
Projected starting five based on lineup from exhibition win over Truman State. Jersey: 0 Year: junior Position: guard Height: 5-foot-7
Jersey: 1 Year: senior Position: forward Height: 6-foot-1
Jersey: 3 Year: junior Position: guard Height: 5-foot-10
Jersey: 43 Year: senior Position: center Height: 6-foot-4
Jersey: 4 Year: RS freshman Position: guard Height: 5-foot-10
Jersey: 11 Year: freshman Position: guard Height: 5-foot-8
Jersey: 12 Year: freshman Position: forward/center Height: 6-foot-2
Jersey: 33 Year: senior Position: forward Height: 6-foot-1
Jersey: 14 Year: junior Position: guard Height: 5-foot-7
Jersey: 15 Year: sophomore Position: guard Height: 5-foot-11
Jersey: 21 Year: junior Position: forward Height: 6-foot-1
Jersey: 22 Year: freshman Position: guard Height: 5-foot-10
Jersey: 23 Year: freshman Position: forward Height: 6-foot-0
Jersey: 24 Year: freshman Position: forward/center Height: 6-foot-3
Jersey: 32 Year: freshman Position: guard Height: 5-foot-11
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Let the post-Weems era begin
team in three-point shooting, knocking down 41 shots from beyond the arc. Down2011-12: 16-16 (9-9) 2008-09: 11-20 (3-15) ing will be relied on to 2010-11: 26-9 (15-3) 2007-08: 17-16 (8-10) be an effective scorer 2009-10: 24-12 (8-10) 2006-07: 22-11 (12-6) again this season. “He had a very good year for us last year,” second-year head coach Lusk said. “He’s a guy played four games against Costa Paul Lusk. Lusk showed in his first Rican teams and recorded a 4-0 who can make shots and defend and year that he is an effective recruiter, record. be a good example for the youth in our bringing in such talents as seniors “Our trip was good for so many program. One good thing about him is Anthony Downing and Jarmar Gulley, new guys who hadn’t played with us that he practices hard everyday.” who finished second and third respec- before,” he said. “It was good from a Another player who will be asked tively in scoring for the team last sea- competition standpoint and a bonding to contribute more this season is junior son. Last year, Lusk coached the standpoint. I thought it was produc- Nathan Scheer. He was successful on Bears to a 16-16 record and a third tive.” the court as well as in the classroom place finish in the MVC. Downing will be the lone senior on last season, earning MVC Scholar“We’re excited going into this sea- the floor this season. Gulley suffered a Athlete Second Team honors. He is a son,” Lusk said. “We have a lot of new torn ACL over the summer and will good defender and is also good at faces, and I think that brings opportu- not be available to play until the 2013- shooting the three, according to Lusk. nity for our guys.” “I’m looking forward to it (the sea14 season. The team spent time in Costa Rica Downing averaged 11.5 points per son),” Scheer said. “We’ve put in a over the summer. Lusk said he saw the game last season, playing his first sea- long, hard offseason, and we’re ready trip as a good opportunity for the new son with Missouri State after transfer- to get started.” players to practice and work with the ring from Independence Community u See MEN’s page 7 upper-classmen. Missouri State College. Downing was second on the
Missouri State moves on, despite losing one of its all-time greats By Mike Ursery The Standard
The Missouri State Bears return in the 2012-13 season with some fresh faces. Only seven squad members return from a year ago, and the addition of six freshmen rounds out the remaining roster. Due to their inexperience, the odds are stacked against them this season. The Bears have been predicted to finish eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference. However, the biggest question the team might be facing this year is how to deal with the departure of Kyle Weems, MSU’s second all-time leading scorer. Leading the Bears this season is
Missouri State season records
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Men’s
Continued from page 6
The potential in the freshmen points to a promising future for the program, according to Lusk. One player to keep an eye on is Gavin Thurman. Thurman comes from Heights High School in Wichita, Kan., where he played alongside highly touted University of Kansas recruit Perry Ellis. Thurman has already made his impact felt in two exhibition games, scoring 21 and 17 points against Missouri Western and McKendree, respectively. Missouri State will play a competitive nonconference schedule before beginning Missouri Valley Conference play against Southern Illinois on Dec. 30. The Bears will
play No. 20 San Diego State Nov.17 at JQH Arena as part of the MVC-Mountain West Conference Challenge. Missouri State also hosts Horizon League powerhouse Valparaiso on Dec.15. The team will also face tough road tests against Oklahoma State and Tulsa. “We have a lot of competitive games,” Lusk said. “It will be eye-opening to our new guys, but they’re going to be better off because of this schedule come the middle of the season.” Missouri State played two exhibition games at JQH Arena last week. On Oct. 30, Missouri State cruised to an 81-67 victory against Missouri Western, and on Nov. 3, the Bears defeated McKendree, 82-54. Missouri State will open the 2012-13 regular season at 7:05 p.m. on Friday against Philander Smith at JQH Arena.
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Missouri State junior guard/forward Keith Pickens goes up for a shot against Oklahoma State last season at JQH Arena. Pickens will be a key player for the team this year.
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Two seniors light up the scoreboard Shorter stars for the Lady Bears
Downing brings hoops pedigree
By Sam Holzer The Standard
By Matt Aten The Standard
Missouri State forward Christiana Shorter has been a starter for the Lady Bears for the past three years. She has gained a tremendous amount of experience and has evolved into a leader, both on and off the court. Entering her senior season, Shorter is on a quest to finish her college career on a high note. Shorter is poised to leapfrog some former players on statistical lists and cement herself as one of the best players in school history. Shorter enters her senior campaign with 1,196 career points scored, good for 17th in school history. She’s on pace to finish 8th on that list. She is also in Missouri State’s top10 list in double-doubles, rebounds per game, blocks, rebounds and free throws made. According to head coach Nyla Milleson, Shorter’s value to the team cannot be stressed enough. “She’s one of them we can’t have go down with an injury,” Milleson said. “She’s a presence on the boards. She can guard 1-5 on defense. She just does a little bit of everything for us.”
The player
Shorter is the heart and soul of the Lady Bears basketball program, both on and off the court. According to coach Milleson and a few teammates, however, her personality always sticks out, no matter where she is. “She’s silly. She’s funny and easygoing,” Milleson said. “She’s one of a kind,” fellow senior
The person
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Senior Christiana Shorter will lead the Lady Bears this season.
Whitney Edie added. “She’s going to bring it every day. Her heart’s here. She just loves to play the game.” Junior forward Bry Snow views Shorter as a vital part of the team, as she describes how Shorter is, in some ways, the pulse of the team. “She’s definitely a spark on our team,” Snow said. “A lot of the energy and laughter that we have comes from Chris.” Shorter has the rare blend of being able to be fun, yet fiercely competitive at the same time, according to coach Milleson. “She knows how to flip the switch when it’s time to step on the floor and get down to business,” Milleson said.
Shorter’s solid play and effervescent personality have allowed her to be the type of leader that every team needs. According to Snow, Shorter’s leadership has helped her develop into a better player as well. “She’s definitely a leader in the post position,” Snow said. “I’ve learned a lot from Chris.” Shorter knows that she has the numbers. She knows that she has already put together one of the best careers in Lady Bears history. As a senior, according to her, the only thing that matters now is winning, and her goal is to help this young squad do just that. “It’s my final year, so my biggest goal, like every year, is to win the MVC Championship,” Shorter said. “We have a lot of potential. We have six young girls, but once we get it all together, we’re going to be really good this year. You should expect a lot from us.”
The leader
With Kyle Weems having moved on to professional basketball in Germany, 2012-13 means it’s Anthony Downing’s time to shine for the Bears. Basketball runs in Downing’s blood. His grandfather Chic Downing won four state championships at Atchison High School in Kansas. Downing’s father, Matthew, played at the University of Maryland from 1990-92. Now, it’s Anthony’s time to make his mark.
Having a player with pedigree, intelligence and skills is just what MSU head coach Paul Lusk was looking for to guide his young squad this season. “Having a good point guard is crucial,” Lusk said. “ It’s just like having a good quarterback in football — you need one to be successful, and that’s what he (Downing) gives us.” While the Bears will look like a younger, smaller and faster team this season, the one constant that remains is Downing, who returns as the team’s top returning scorer with 11.5 points per game. Downing was honored for his performance last season by landing a spot on the MVC All-Newcomer Team in 2011-12 after transferring from Independence Community College. Despite his strong performance in 2012-13, Downing was not recognized as a part of the Preseason AllMVC Team this season. “Last year was his first year playing college basketball at this level,”
Point guard importance
Basketball Preview 2012 | 11
Lusk said. “He dealt with some growing pains last year, but overall had a nice season. That’s going to make him a better player, and I look for him to have a good year.”
On a team that carries four true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen, the lone active senior (senior Jarmar Gulley is out for the season with a torn ACL) will be asked to lead the youth movement and take on the role of team leader in 2012. Downing insists that the task is nothing new to him. “It’s part of playing the position,” he said. “I felt like I was a team leader last year, too. When you play this position, you have to take charge when you’re on the court.” Those natural leadership skills, as well as his status as the only active senior, combined to make Downing the obvious choice to be the unofficial team captain. “It’s not something the coaches came to me and asked me to do in a meeting or anything like that, but I know it’s expected of me and it’s something I’m comfortable with,” Downing said. Downing is mainly focused on winning, and while he isn’t looking to be a motivational speaker to his younger teammates, he prefers to have them watch how he goes about his business on the court. “I like to lead by example, but if any of the young guys need help, I’m happy to talk to them because I’ve been there before, and if we’re going to be competitive in the Valley we’re going to need those young guys to step up.”
Leading the pack
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Senior Anthony Downing is the Bears’ returning leading scorer.
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Lady Bears prepare to defend Missouri Valley Conference title Missouri State returns three senior players this year By Mike Ursery The Standard
Edie has recorded 42 blocked shots thus far in her career at Missouri State. She currently sits at 14th all-time in that category and is 10 shy of cracking the all-time top 10. “I’m looking forward to bonding as a team and working toward our goal every day,” Edie said. “I want to help my team win a championship.” Shorter is 17th on Missouri State’s all-time scoring list, with 1,196 points. She is on pace to finish eighth. Last season, Shorter was an offensive force, averaging 11.6 points per game and grabbing 102 offensive rebounds. Shorter was also effective on defense with 77 steals and 15 blocked shots. Shorter has earned Second Team All-MVC honors for two consecutive seasons now and was named to the Preseason All-MVC Team this season. “I’m really excited,” Shorter said. “We’re very young this year, so a lot of teams will underestimate us. I’m ready to see how everything goes.”
Head coach Nyla Milleson
The Missouri State Lady Bears return for the 2012-13 season with high hopes to build on what they accomplished last season. After winning the MVC regular season championship, along with advancing to the third round of the WNIT, the Lady Bears are back and hungry for more. Leading the team will be head coach Nyla Milleson. Entering her sixth year at the helm, Milleson said the ultimate goal every season is to win an MVC title, and that’s exactly what they’ll aim for this season. “We’re always looking to do a little bit better, but I continue to applaud what we got done last year,” Milleson said. “To win a conference championship is very good, and we won it in commanding fashion. But it is the goal of this team to make it to the NCAA Tournament.” Milleson has three returning seniors in Whitney Edie, Cristiana Shorter and Aly Stock, who are ready to step up and lead the team into the season. “We have a pretty experienced group,” Milleson said. “Our three seniors are doing a great job, and they’re pretty experienced at the post. They have a lot of anticipation going into the year.”
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Women’s Continued from page 12
Stock blocked 15 shots in 2011, giving her 28 for her career. She currently sits 26th on the all-time list at Missouri State. She will be asked to come off the bench and provide defense when needed, Milleson said. The Lady Bears have a competitive nonconference schedule before beginning MVC play on Jan. 3 against Wichita State. Missouri State plays against Oklahoma State on Nov. 13, the team that knocked the Lady Bears out of the WNIT last season. The Lady Bears will also play at the Hardwood Tournament of Hope in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Nov. 20-22. They will compete against Gonzaga, who made it to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament last season. Other notable teams in this tournament are Louisville and Central Florida. Missouri State faces stiff competition early on, but they welcome the opportunity. “This schedule will definitely make us better,” junior Bry Snow said. “Playing teams of that caliber will definitely help us when we start conference play. Hopefully, we can get a couple of good wins to build up our confidence.”
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Junior guard Desiree Phillips watches a Junior guard Karly Buer takes the court during pregame introductions for a game at loose ball go out of bounds during a JQH Arena last season. Buer will be a key player for the Lady Bears this year. game at JQH Arena last season.
Missouri State will be young this season with six true freshmen joining the team. These freshmen have already had the chance to bond with the rest of the team when they played in Costa Rica during the summer.
The team played in the Costa Rica Nationals from Aug. 6-9, winning all three of their games. Playing in the tournament was a good opportunity for the upper classmen to bond with the freshmen and see how they can contribute, Milleson said.
“We’re grateful that the university gave us the opportunity to go over there (Costa Rica),” Milleson said. “The competition wasn’t great, but it was great for team bonding and getting back on the court. I don’t think you can put a price tag on that.”
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Six freshmen are suiting up for the Bears this season and hoping for an opportunity to make an impact on the court By Jon Poorman The Standard
Drew Wilson and Dorrian Williams have been a part of the Missouri State basketball program for more than a year, and they will finally have the chance to make contributions on the court instead of cheering from the sideline. Wilson and Williams, who both redshirted last season, will now get their opportunities to suit up for a young Missouri State team that features six true, or redshirt, freshmen. “Dorrian didn’t get to practice a whole lot — actually at all — because of his torn labrum,” head coach Paul Lusk said. “Drew dealt with some injuries, but he got some practice time in. I think the summer has been very beneficial for those guys.” Joining Wilson and Williams in the youth movement will be four true fresh-
men — forwards Michael Simpson and Gavin Thurman, guard Marcus Marshall, and center Bruce Marshall. “I like our freshmen,” Lusk said. “I think they’re all very good players. The four true freshmen; I think all those guys have great potential, but you have to temper some of that as well because they’ve never scored a basket or been in a real college basketball game. I know they’re the right guys, and they all have different and unique talents, so we’re excited about them.” Simpson, who is 6-foot-5, will likely be responsible for helping to fill the vacancy left by Jarmar Gulley, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Simpson averaged 9.3 points and four rebounds during the team’s four-game trip to Costa Rica over the summer. “The transition has been good,” Simpson said of moving from high school to
college basketball. “It’s a lot more competitive; a lot more physical. You’ve just got to get tougher, bigger and stronger, and you’ve got to work harder than you used to.” The freshmen received a lot of valuable experience on the Costa Rica trip, and all of them played a big role in helping the team to a 4-0 record. “It was a very good experience for the whole team, especially the new guys on the team,” Simpson said. “It made us bond as a team, and I think that was a big key.” Simpson said that, even though the transition has been a little challenging at times, the help he and the rest of the freshmen have received has been beneficial. “I got some great advice from the coaches and upperclassmen,” Simpson said. “They just told me to keep working hard. It’s not going to be easy, and you’ve got to work for what you get.”
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Gavin Thurman dunks the ball during a dunking competition at JQH Arena as part of the Twilight Tipoff on Oct. 13. Thurman is a true freshman joining the Bears team for the first time this season.
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Missouri Valley Conference preseason polls Men’s preseason poll 1. Creighton 2. Illinois State 3. Northern Iowa 4. Wichita State 5. Evansville 6. Drake 7. Indiana State 8. Missouri State 9. Bradley 10. Southern Illinois
Women’s preseason poll 1. Creighton 2. Wichita State 3. Illinois State 4. Northern Iowa 5. Missouri State 6. Bradley 7. Indiana state 8. Southern Illinois 9. Drake 10. Evansville
Men’s team
Women’s team
Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Teams *Doug McDermott, Creighton Colt Ryan, Evansville Jackie Carmichael, Illinois State Jake Odum, Indiana State Ben Simons, Drake
*Carli Tritz, Creighton Christiana Shorter, MSU Jessica Diamond, Wichita State Jacqui Kalin, Northern Iowa Jamie Russell, Illinois State
* = Preseason Player of the Year
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Bears’ home schedule Date
Opponent
Time
Nov. 9 Nov. 17 Nov. 19 Nov. 21 Dec. 1 Dec. 15 Dec. 30 Jan. 8 Jan. 11 Jan. 23 Jan. 27 Feb. 2 Feb. 12 Feb. 19 March 2
Philander Smith San Diego State Jacksonville Malone Oral Roberts Valparalso Southern Illinois Illinois State Creighton Wichita State Drake Evansville Indiana State Northern Iowa Bradley
7:05 p.m. 1:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 4:35 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. TBA 2:05 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:05 p.m. TBA
A full season schedule is available on the Missouri State Athletics website at http://www.missouristatebears.com. All Bears games are played in JQH Arena.
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Lady Bears’ home schedule Date
Opponent
Time
Nov. 8 Nov. 13 Nov. 29 Dec. 1 Dec. 15 Dec. 30 Jan. 19 Jan. 21 Feb. 1 Feb. 3 Feb. 8 Feb. 10 Feb. 21 Feb. 23 March 9
Southwest Baptist Oklahoma State Oral Roberts Northern Kentucky Arkansas State Coppin State Drake Creighton Indiana State Illinois State Bradley Northern Iowa Southern Illinois Evansville Wichita State
7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 1:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. 12:05 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m.
A full season schedule is available on the Missouri State Athletics website at http://www.missouristatebears.com. All Lady Bears home games are played in JQH Arena.
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Steel magnolias The Standard
Seven women are taking the court for the first time this year and attempting to fill the shoes of four former stand-out Lady Bears
By Jon Poorman The Standard
Steph Anderson/THE STANDARD
Freshman Tyonna Snow (right) goes up against sophomore NiJay Gaines (left) at the Twilight Tipoff in JQH Arena on Oct. 13.
Casey Garrison? Gone. Jaleshia Roberson? Gone. Jasmine Malone? Gone. Lacey Boshe? Gone. There’s no question the Missouri State Lady Bears lost some of their firepower with the graduation of one of the top senior classes in recent memory. With six true freshmen and one redshirt freshman on the roster this season, however, there is reason to believe that these young players could develop into a core that could resemble the freshman class of 2008. When Garrison and the rest of the gang were freshmen, they received valuable playing time and eventually culminated their careers with a Missouri Valley Conference championship. Now, the 2012 version is looking to have similar success. “I’ve been pleased with our freshmen,”
head coach Nyla Milleson said. “A couple of them are going to have to play for us. They’re going to have to step up and play some roles. What that’s going to be, I’m not really sure right now, but there’s definitely some talent in that freshman class.” The freshman group includes redshirt guard Kenzie Williams, true freshmen guards Nicole Smallwood, Tyonna Snow and Mikala McGhee, centers Alex Hillyer and Hillary Chvatal, and forward Tori Henderson. The Missouri State fan base got its first look at the new members of the squad on Oct. 13 at the Twilight Tipoff, which featured a 20-minute scrimmage. “It was nice to get out here and kind of just get some — especially for the six freshmen — pregame jitters out of the way before the season starts and we’re playing in front of a packed house, hopefully,” McGhee said.
The biggest challenge in coming into a Division I program as a true freshman is to adapt to a whole new level of intensity, McGhee said. “I think that, at first, it’s always going to be a struggle for people,” she said. “It’s a different speed of game; different strength level — you definitely have to get your body and mentality accustomed to it.” Although the team is in need of some younger players to step up and contribute, every minute of playing time must be earned, McGhee said. “You have to give 110 percent every play; there are no plays off,” she said. “If you aren’t running, then you won’t be on the floor. In high school, you could take a play off here or there. It was no big deal because you were all the best. Out here, we’re the underdogs right now, and we have to work for a spot just like everybody else.”
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