Missouri junior forward Ricardo Ratliffe was named the Big 12 Conference’s Preseason Newcomer of the Year by the league coaches. DeMarre Carroll earned the same honor before the 2007-08 season and went on to claim the postseason award as well.

Ratliffe 6’8, 240 pounds will add size and strength to a strong returning group at Missouri. At the junior college level, Ratliffe earned back-to-back first team all-NJCAA All-America honors while setting school records for scoring (1,653 points) and rebounding (580) at Central Florida Community College.

One of just 13 players in junior college history to be named first team All-America twice, Ratliffe averaged 27.4 points and 11.3 rebounds as a sophomore en route to national junior college player of the year recognition. As a freshman, Ratliffe averaged 26.8 points and 11.0 rebounds to earn all-conference and league player of the year recognition.

Ricardo Ratliffe talks about his role with Missouri