English, Missouri trying to earn respect

One medium where the Missouri Tigers are not consistently underrated: guard Kim English's iPhone, which rouses him each day at 4:50 a.m. with the same message:
"National champions, 2011."
"That's the first thing I see when I wake up every morning," English said.
It is important to English to prepare for the 2010-11 season with the belief that Missouri can become the NCAA champions, even though it holds the distinction as the most successful basketball nfl jerseys
program never to make a Final Four appearance.
Despite impressive success, Mizzou has been among college basketball's least appreciated programs the past two years. The Tigers are 54-18 in that period and advanced in the NCAA Tournament both times, but they generally are overlooked when it comes to preseason predictions and postseason awards.
The Tigers return English, their leading scorer from last season's 23-11 squad, along with sophomore classmates Marcus Denmon and Lawrence Bowers as the core of a team that might finally enter a season carrying some public respect.
Coach Mike Anderson added the best Super Bowl XLIV jersey recruiting class of his tenure to this terrific group of veterans, who averaged a combined 35 points despite the fact none averaged even 25 minutes per game in Mizzou's constant fullcourt pressure attack.
The most prominent name is point guard Phil Pressey, a tenacious defender who'll be a perfect fit because of his ability to defend the basketball. The biggest impact might come from junior college big man Ricardo Ratliff, who could help establish a powerful inside presence. The Tigers also are waiting to hear on the status of elite wing Tony Mitchell, who has not yet enrolled.
English said he was pleased the Tigers were able to recruit so well.
"A lot of high school All-Americans aren't going to want to come to where they'll only play 23 minutes as a freshman," English said. "There are guys in our league playing 37-38 minutes a game, but the way we play – basketball guys, NBA scouts, they see our efficiency numbers. Coach always says, 'The go-to man is the open man.'
"I don't regret it. I love it. I love playing with a team that's so unselfish. Some nights – I'm the leading scorer and I may only get seven points. That's our weapon. You can't key in on Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey one guy. My freshman year, there were games where you did not know who would explode, and that's such a luxury in the tournament."
As at most other Division I universities that have begun classes, Missouri's basketball players work daily pickup games into the routine as they prepare for the official Oct. 15 start of preseason practice.
The Tigers aren't using their patented brand of fullcourt pressure defense, though.
"That would be brutal," English said. "It's hard enough during the year. We'd pretty much put ourselves in mid-season form and it's only August. We'd be dead by February and March."