(AP) -- Missouri Basketball returns to NCAA Tournament play for the second consecutive year after advancing to the Elite Eight in 2009 ... The Tigers are one of just three programs to return to the NCAA Tournament despite losing three 1,000-point scorers off their 2009 Tournament squad, joining fellow Buffalo podded school Syracuse and fellow East Region squad Marquette.
Mizzou is making its 23rd trip to the NCAA Tournament overall ... The Tigers are 21-22 all-time in the Big Dance and have won four consecutive opening-round games dating back to an 84-70 loss to 8th-seeded North Carolina in 2000 ... That Carolina team ended up making the Final Four.
Missouri is headed to the East Region for just the fourth time in school history ... The Tigers last went East in 2001 and defeated 8th-seeded Georgia (70-68) before falling to top seeded Duke (94-81) ... As Tiger fans know all too well, Missouri usually heads west in the Big Dance and has played in the West Region eight times ... MU is 2-3 all-time in the East.
> Two of the nation's most exciting teams will lock up on Friday ... Clemson is among the nation's leaders with 299 total steals this season, while Missouri leads the nation with 350 total thefts ... MU also forces a nation-best 19.7 turnovers per game and scores 23.0 points per game off of those miscues ... Over the last two seasons Missouri has ripped away 738 total steals, the highest two-season steal total in Big 12 history ... Kansas held the previous record with 706 steals in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
For more information go to www.mutigers.com
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