Missouri, Iowa State each battle distractions

AMES, Iowa -- From court cases to injuries to defections, distractions have dogged the Iowa State and Missouri basketball teams.

Tonight they'll try to put everything aside for a couple of hours to play a game.

Missouri (18-7, 9-5 Big 12), rejuvenated by an upset of Oklahoma and a rare road victory, visits Iowa State (14-11, 4-10) for the Cyclones' home finale.

The game comes just two days after the resignation of Iowa State assistant coach Randy Brown, who was charged with possession of child pornography and obstruction of justice Monday.

Rumors about Brown had swirled since he was given a leave of absence in late January. Iowa State players and coaches have refused to comment on the case.

"Anything that's been said to us about any situation stays in the locker room," Iowa State's Jake Sullivan said.

The Cyclones also have seen the departure of backup center Chris Alexander, who left school in mid-February to be with a sick daughter.

Top reserve Marcus Jefferson has been going back and forth to his home in East Chicago, Ind., to spend time with his ailing mother.

Iowa State had little depth to begin with, and Sullivan, Tim Barnes and Adam Haluska played all 40 minutes in that Kansas State game.

Missouri also is thin. The Tigers had a defection when Najeed Echols quit the team in early January to transfer to Illinois State and guard Josh Kroenke has missed time because of tendinitis in his right knee.

Then there's the whole Ricky Clemons matter.

Clemons, the Tigers' point guard, was charged with second-degree domestic assault for allegedly choking a woman and has pleaded innocent. Later, Clemons broke his left hand at Colorado but hasn't missed any games because of the injury, which was to his non-shooting hand.

"I don't know if I've been around a kid that has faced more adversity in a single year," Missouri coach Quin Snyder said. "That's true of our program. There has been more (adversity) this season than any team I've been around."

Missouri is unbeaten home, including a 67-52 upset of then-No. 3 Oklahoma last week. The Tigers won away from home for only the fourth time when they beat Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., on Saturday.

"I think we're playing better," said Snyder, whose team has won four of its last five.

"I've felt like that for the last couple of weeks. We're trying to focus on being one of the teams that late in the season is actually getting better so we can improve in March."

Rickey Paulding leads Missouri with a 16.9 scoring average. Center Arthur Johnson averages 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds, while Clemons averages 16 points and 4.3 assists.

Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy has always admired Paulding, a 6-foot-5 junior who's effective shooting from the perimeter or driving to the basket. When it was suggested that Paulding can be a game breaker, Eustachy agreed.

"I think he's a professional," Eustachy said. "He does have the ability to do that."

Iowa State had thought it was getting on a roll after consecutive home victories over Kansas State and Colorado. But the winning streak ended with a 69-63 loss at last-place Nebraska on Saturday.

"We have to play at a high level to have any chance," Eustachy said. "It's hard to do that night in and night out."