Who: No. 14 Missouri Tigers (32-16, 11-10) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (29-22, 8-13)
2007 Series: MU wins series, 2-1 (in Columbia)
Series History: MU leads 208-120-2
When: May 9-11
Where: Hoglund Ballpark (Capacity: 2,500)
Game times: (Respectively) 6:00 p.m. / 6:00 p.m. / 1:00 p.m.
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Make Rock M Nation your base of operations this weekend and weigh in with your predictions, questions, worries, bold statements and observations by signing up for a free account. The Kaufman exhibition awhile back gave Kansas some Kansas City bragging rights, but it's time for the teams to put up or shut up when it really counts in the Big 12 standings. For more on Kansas, make sure to drop by the Live Thread at RCT, which always does fine work with Big 12 baseball.
We continue with Round One of the Mizzou 25 Coaches Edition! It's time to determine who was the best, most likable, most influential Mizzou coach in the last 25 years! Competitors were seeded by more normal methods this time (as opposed to the chronological seeding of the Players Edition), and over the next week and a half, we'll be plowing through the first round matchups.
Half of Round Two has been established...three in blowouts and one in a nip-and-tuck battle. Click here for the bracket.
An all-conference player at Mizzou, McArtor took over for legendary John "Hi" Simmons and won 732 games and two Big 8 titles in 21 seasons. He took Mizzou to 6 NCAA tourneys (it was harder to qualify back then) and also served as Associate A.D. during the search for Joe Ca$tiglione’s replacement in 1998. Beyond that, he was the Chairman of the NCAA Baseball Committee in the late-'80s, a period of strong growth for sport.
Though he only amassed a 33-46-1 record in Columbia, Smith restored pride and raised expectations for Mizzou football after the program spent a decade lost in the wilderness. Without him and the upgrades he demanded to Mizzou's facilities, the Tigers would not be where they are today. He was on the sidelines for some of the most memorable games in Mizzou history, including the classic OT loss to Nebraska in 1997.
Leo Lyons has announced that he is returning to Mizzou for his senior season. That's good news, but I have no idea why he decided that already. I didn't think many of the camps/scrimmages/whatever they're called had taken place yet? Then again, I guess you don't have to play in many pickup games for the "play like you did the last few games of last season all of the time next season, and you'll be in good shape...but we're not sure you have that in you" message to sink in. Steve Walentik has more, while PowerMizzou takes a look at how next year's roster is taking shape.
[A]dvantage Mizzou. Lyons is back and it would certainly be expected DeMarre Carroll will follow some time in the near future. That means without a doubt that the roster for next season can now pretty much take shape.
Assuming Carroll returns, the Tigers will have 13 players on scholarship next season, the maximum number allowed by the NCAA. It may seem like no big deal. However, this will be the first time in four seasons that the Tigers have been dealing with a full deck. In November of 2004, the NCAA put the Tigers on probation, stripping the program of three scholarships over the next two seasons. In each of Mike Anderson's first two years, the Tigers featured a transfer who was sitting out and ineligible to play. With the addition of Zaire Taylor and a six-man recruiting class, Missouri has 13 scholarship bodies available for the first time since that 2004-05 season.
So...chances are, however Mizzou Softball does in the upcoming postseason will likely be dictated by how well their catalyst, uhh, catalyzes. The Missourian has a nice piece on freshman base thief Rhea Taylor and how she never thought she'd end up at Mizzou.
Taylor said [Mizzou] was like "nothing that I’ve ever seen before, really."
It turns out Missouri softball has never seen a player like her, really.
"Every offense has that igniter or they hope to have that igniter, and Rhea’s definitely ours," Earleywine said. "Statistically it’s apparent that when Rhea starts off the game with a hit, or when she leads off an inning with a hit, we kind of follow in suit."
Taylor has compiled some impressive statistics from the Tigers’ leadoff spot this season. The freshman led the Big 12 Conference in five offensive categories: batting average (.408), hits (80), runs (60), triples (tied with five players with four) and stolen bases (52).
In addition to more than doubling the total of her nearest competitor, Taylor’s 52 stolen bases also set a new Big 12 season record.
It was linebacker day on PowerMizzou yesterday, as PM checked in on two Mizzou targets. First up was relatively unknown Gus Jones, from Wagoner, OK. Being from a rival 4A Oklahoma school, I say...WAGONER SUCKS! Yeah! Anyway, next up was Rivals250 (and therefore 4-star) LB Chris Williams, from Abilene. Both are high on Mizzou. I must say, it's entertaining following Mizzou recruiting for this very reason--watching the staff alternate between the more and more numerous blue-chip kids on the list and the small-town rough diamonds is fun.
And yes, I'm hoping "rough diamonds" catches on. It's shorter to type than "diamonds in the rough".
Finally, I laughed myself to tears watching this yesterday...for those of you who don't watch Inside the NBA, well, I don't know what to tell you. It's the best sports show on television.
UPDATE: Called after 43 votes. The Kreklows jumped out early and coasted to an easy 86%-13% win.
We continue with Round One of the Mizzou 25 Coaches Edition! It's time to determine who was the best, most likable, most influential Mizzou coach in the last 25 years! Competitors were seeded by more normal methods this time (as opposed to the chronological seeding of the Players Edition), and over the next week and a half, we'll be plowing through the first round matchups.
Three second round bids have been handed out...two in blowouts and one in a nip-and-tuck battle. Click here for the bracket.
In 8 seasons since moving across town from Columbia College to Mizzou, the Kreklows have gone 169-77, qualifying for NCAA Tournament appearances every season. They inherited a program that had won 64 matches in 7 seasons and won 70 in their first three years. They have built volleyball into one of Mizzou's most popular sports, hosting regionals in 2004 and 2005 and drawing loud, exciteable crowds throughout their tenure. Their Elite Eight run in 2005 was, to say the least, a lot of fun.
The only coach in the history of Mizzou Soccer, Blitz has negotiated through a couple rough patches in building a relatively strong program. After building a 71-53-5 record between 1998 and 2004 (which included two NCAA appearances), Blitz struggled through a 28-27-4 patch over the next three seasons before beginning a turn-around in 2007. With an extremely young squad, Mizzou went 13-8-1 last year, winning its first NCAA tourney game since 2003 and its second ever, both under Blitz' watch.
Not surprisingly, last night's MU-SMS game was canceled due to massive wetness. It will not be made up. (Shortest press release ever, by the way.) Oh well...we couldn't have generated any more momentum than we did the night before with the walk-off HR.
Just in case you need a reminder of why a) KU sucks, and b) these particular MU and KU teams have a history, check this out (via trrip). And while we're checking out links trrip found, the Topeka Capital-Journal checks in on Aaron Crow, who's 10-0 despite his ERA going up about 3 runs in the last month.
Steve Walentik has a nice link dump on his Trib blog...covering everything from Tom Crean & Indiana to one of Dave Bliss's assistants at Baylor.
Finally, when I was living in the dorms, I got to witness one of the funniest things ever when there was a "Who knows __ better?" competition between a good friend's girlfriend and his high school best friend. There was a series of events related to what he was like growing up, sports, and predicting his answer to certain questions (Q: "What are Rice Krispies made of?" Correct Answer: "F--- you." Don't ask.) It was all very enjoyable...and apparently 10 years ahead of its time. ESPN the Mag had the same competition, between Tyson Chandler's wife and Tyson Chandler's teammate, Jannero Pargo.
UPDATE: Called after 43 votes. Dr. Rick wins easily, 88%-11%.
Time to get started with Round One of the Mizzou 25 Coaches Edition! It's time to determine who was the best, most likable, most influential Mizzou coach in the last 25 years! Competitors were seeded by more normal methods this time (as opposed to the chronological seeding of the Players Edition), and over the next week and a half, we'll be plowing through the first round matchups.
Voting for Rutherford v. Miller continues, as only one vote separates the two (for now). Click here for the bracket.
5/5: 1 Norm Stewart vs 16 Cindy Stein 5/6: 8 Joann Rutherford vs 9 Jay Miller 5/7: 5 Rick McGuire vs 12 Brian Hoffer
5/8: 4 Wayne & Susan Kreklow vs 13 Brian Blitz
5/9: 6 Gene McArtor vs 11 Larry Smith
5/10: 3 Brian Smith vs 14 Jared & Rebecca Wilmes
5/12: 7 Tim Jamieson vs 10 Jake Jacobson
5/13: 2 Gary Pinkel vs 15 Quin Snyder
And yes, some of these matchups should be massive blowouts. Oh well.
Let's get rolling!
5 Rick McGuire vs 12 Brian Hoffer
vs
1983-present
1992-present
Five Best Athletes:
Christian Cantwell
Derrick Peterson
Natasha Kaiser-Brown
Ashley Wysong
Russ Bell
Five Best Athletes:
Matt Ferrarelli
Rebecca Wolfe
Marionna Costa
Dylan Linn
Kendra Melnychuk
Dr. McGuire is one of the most respected names in track & field, both in the classroom (he’s a faculty member in the MU College of Education and has headed the sports psychology program for US Track & Field for 25 years) and on the track, where he’s coached 119 All-Americans and twice been named Conference Coach of the Year. He is an institution.
A three-time Conference Coach of the Year (in '93, '94, and '04), Hoffer has stood watch over a program that has grown steadily in both prowess and facilities. Under his watch, the Mizzou women have gone 96-22-1 (an .811 win percentage) over the last decade, and his recruiting classes have continued to improve in recent years, suggesting further and sustained success ahead.
Mizzou Baseball 5, Creighton 4. Well...if Mizzou needed a jolt, a walk-off home run is as good as anything to do the deed. Down 4-1 in the 8th, Mizzou got a 2-run shot from Trevor Coleman to make it 4-3, then a 2-run shot from Steve Gray in the 9th to win it. Ian Berger bounced back from a poor bullpen appearance over the weekend by putting up an okay start (3 runs, 5.1 IP, albeit with 9 hits and a walk...so he was playing with fire there), and Scooter Hicks bounced back from a blown save on Sunday to put up two scoreless innings and get the win. Mizzou hosts SMS tonight. Lord only knows who will see mound time in that one.
I still really don't agree with how these scores are compiled, but Mizzou Football is fourth in the Big 12 in academic performance according to the APR. Last place is enjoyable here--not only is KU in last in the Big 12, but they were one of only two teams in the country to lose scholarships in football. Beyond football, here's what Dave Matter says: "Missouri received public recognition awards for six teams, all on the women’s side: basketball, women’s cross country, golf, swimming, outdoor track and indoor track." Nothing wrong with that! Also: K-State is one of four basketball teams that could lose up to two scholarships.
The latest Tiger Ten has everybody from a small-school Oklahoma QB to the #1 DE in the country. So it's got THAT going for it...
So I don't know how this name slipped by everybody, but apparently 4-star SF Christian Watford (Rivals' #47 prospect for 2009) has Mizzou solidly in his Top 5.
Finally, in response to my 'Culture vs Caliber' post yesterday, a Virginia Tech fan chimes in at SMQB. And yes, links are sparse enough this morning that I linked to a comment. Sue me.
With so few question marks for 2008 outside the punting game, I've found myself looking toward the slightly-more-distant future (i.e. 2009, 2010, etc.) quite a bit. And I'm asking an unanswerable question a lot--what are the odds that Mizzou can sustain a high level after 2008? This was covered a bit during my discussion with the Trib's Dave Matter, and it continues to rotate around in my obsessive brain.
I had a theory a while back--and I never had the time/non-laziness to prove or disprove it--that building a sustained power is cyclical. And few programs from the mid-level of D1 (that would include, historically, us) have the resources, length of rope, or luck involved to actually crack through to the upper echelon and stay there. Think about how many not-historically-successful programs have emerged and threatened to break into that USC/Ohio State/Florida/Oklahoma/etc level over the past 10-15 years. There's Virginia Tech, and then there's...well...that's it. I guess you could count Kansas State (though they've obviously taken about 8 steps backwards in recent years), and I guess you could maybe count West Virginia or Louisville if you really wanted to, but only VT and K-State have cracked that Top 10 echelon in more than one recruiting cycle (meaning, the 4-5 years that a special, 'breakthrough' class of players attends a school) under the same coach (or branch of the coaching tree), and only VT is still there (I guess). Otherwise, that's about it.
It's not at all uncommon to see schools experience a 1-2 year "nouveau riche" breakthrough and then plummet back to earth. There are a number of reasons this could happen. Oregon State exploded for double-digit wins and a Fiesta Bowl birth in the early-'00s, then their coach (globetrotter Dennis Erickson) leaves for a better job. Kansas did the same in the mid-'90s, and their coach (good ol' Glen Mason) left for a marginally better job. When the breakthrough coach leaves, you roll the dice again, and you likely land back in the middle when all is said and done.
The other way a program falls back to where they were before is when one class or group of players (usually landed early in a coach's tenure during his 'recruiting grace period', where results on the field don't matter--only the promise of great things down the line) cycles through the program, excels as juniors and seniors, and then vanishes into the night, leaving a fanbase to the realization that recruiting hasn't gone quite as well in proceeding years. Look no further than Columbia for that one--the Corby Jones-led Tigers climbed the ladder in '97 and '98, and every Missouri fan in the world thought the "sleeping giant" had awoken. And then Jim Dougherty/Kirk Farmer and DeVaughn Black/Zain Gilmore took over for Corby and Devin West, and we were back in the land of 4-7 records in no time. Look also to Champaign, where the Fighting Illini went from 2001 Big Ten Champs to 2002 Has Beens in the blink of an eye. The landing's usually pretty bumpy if you haven't been able to sustain your recruiting edge.
Honestly, it seems that the only way a program can jump to the upper echelon and stay there is in cycles. You recruit some kids who believe in what you can bring them, they succeed as upper-classmen, you parlay that success into higher-caliber recruits, you endure a down(ish) year or two when the last class cycles through and the high-upside youngsters are cutting their teeth, then you achieve even higher heights when those kids are upper-classmen...which leads to higher-caliber recruits, smaller down-periods, higher upside, etc. Sounds great, but honestly it just doesn't happen very often. Again, the list after Virginia Tech and K-state is pretty much nonexistent...and even then, Tech hasn't gotten back to a Title Game like they did in the Michael Vick years (though I guess they, like about 23 others teams, came relatively close last year), and K-State fell off of the relevance map as soon as Bill Snyder retired (actually, about a year or two before that--his recruiting had plummeted, and the writing was on the wall).
Which brings us to the question of the day: is Missouri capable of revisiting this level of success rather soon (assuming 2008 goes well...knock on wood), or will the fall from Top Ten Land be as swift and succinct as the post-Corby fall was when Chase Daniel exits Dan Devine Pavilion for the last time?
As a whole, Gary Pinkel has followed pretty closely to the Frank Beamer and Bill Snyder timetables.
We pick up where we left off in Part One...halfway through the "during spring football" portion of the exchange...
The Boy: Things have gone pretty smoothly this spring for all positions not named "linebacker". Um...how concerned should Mizzou fans be about the LB corps right now? I'm sure Weatherspoon will be more or less fine come the fall, and until I hear otherwise I'll assume the same about Van Alexander, but what was the thinnest unit in terms of proven talent has become infinitely thinner with the losses of Marquis Booker and Connell Davis. The starters ('Spoon, Christopher, Alexander) are great, and the fourth man (Lambert) looks quite solid as well...but after that? You've seen more of these guys than most...can somebody like Steve Redmond step in and log some quality playing time?
Dave Matter: I'd hold off on being alarmed until late August. If Weatherspoon is tackling pain-free the week leading up to the Illinois game, then things are OK. Trainers and doctors think Alexander will be back for the first game. Much will depend on how aggressive he attacks his rehab plan, and knowing Van, I'm confident he'll do all he can to get back for the start of the season. If not, if it takes a few games to get up to speed, the defense is fine with Lambert as the other starter. Short-term, as in just this year, as long as you have five healthy linebackers, and I'd include Redmond as the fourth and walk-on Jeff Gettys as the fifth, things are stable. Long-term, you'd like to have some younger players getting reps and experience, but given the attrition and injuries the position has dealt with, things aren't as bad as they might seem, especially considering MU has only two linebackers on the field against spread teams and on most third-down situations.
UPDATE: Drama! Rutherford pulls off a minor comeback and wins in OT, 31-30.
Time to get started with Round One of the Mizzou 25 Coaches Edition! It's time to determine who was the best, most likable, most influential Mizzou coach in the last 25 years! Competitors were seeded by more normal methods this time (as opposed to the chronological seeding of the Players Edition), and over the next week and a half, we'll be plowing through the first round matchups.
5/5: 1 Norm Stewart vs 16 Cindy Stein 5/6: 8 Joann Rutherford vs 9 Jay Miller
5/7: 5 Rick McGuire vs 12 Brian Hoffer
5/8: 4 Wayne & Susan Kreklow vs 13 Brian Blitz
5/9: 6 Gene McArtor vs 11 Larry Smith
5/10: 3 Brian Smith vs 14 Jared & Rebecca Wilmes
5/12: 7 Tim Jamieson vs 10 Jake Jacobson
5/13: 2 Gary Pinkel vs 15 Quin Snyder
And yes, some of these matchups should be massive blowouts. Oh well.
Five Best Seasons:
1988 - 44-18
1991 - 39-14 (5th, Women's College World Series)
1992 - 41-14 (Final Ranking: #16)
1994 - 40-23 (7th, Women's College World Series)
1997 - 47-16 (Big 12 Champions)
The female Norm Stewart and the Mother of Mizzou Basketball (she took over during the Mizzou women's second season in existence), Rutherford prowled the sidelines for 23 seasons at Mizzou, winning 422 games and amassing a .618 win percentage. She won 20+ games for 8 straight seasons in the 1980s, coached the two greatest Tiger ladies of all-time (Renee Kelly and Joni Davis), and reached the NCAA Tournament six times.
The coach of Mizzou’s only Big 12 champion, Miller led Mizzou to a .643 win percentage (556-309) over his fifteen seasons in black and gold. His program caught fire in the mid-‘90s, going 242-121 from 1994-99, winning a Big 12 regular season championship and tournament in 1997. Two of his squads qualified for the Women's College World Series, placing 5th in 1991 and 7th in 1994.
Well...Max Scherzer's debut start didn't go particularly well, though the three unearned runs suggest that wasn't necessarily his fault. Mad Max went 4 innings, gave up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs (plus the 3 unearned runs), struck out five, and threw 58 of 92 pitches for strikes. He started laboring his second time through the order (gave up more hits, took more pitches to get outs), and he ended up getting beaten by 84-year old Jamie Moyer, but that's alright. Two appearances into his career, he's averaging almost 1.5 K's per innings and he's got himself a 2.16 ERA. Not bad. Mizzourah has a bit more.
Well...a week into his pro career, Tony Temple has already been cut. Tony was dropped by the Browns and picked up by the Bills. Knowing what little I know about the Bills, I'd think that Cleveland's depth chart was a more favorable situation, but I guess not.
For all those recruiting newbies out there, PowerMizzou has thrown together a 'Tiger Recruiting Timeline', suggesting what to expect and when over the next few months.
Graham Watson catches up with, of all people, Kalen Grimes. Pretty decent story.
"It was a tough year," Grimes said. "I had a lot of regrets about the situation, but I was fortunate enough to keep my scholarship and finish school here at the University of Missouri. A lot of people wouldn't have even had that opportunity."
Initially, the prospect of allowing Grimes to keep his scholarship was one that hadn't crossed coach Mike Anderson's mind. But as Grimes and his mother, Glenda, sat in Anderson's office to receive the news that he was no longer with the team, Glenda pleaded for her son's ability to finish his education.
"It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision," said Anderson, who plans to watch Grimes graduate May 17. "And if we had to do it all over again, we'd do the same thing.
"At the end of the day you want to make sure these young men have a life, because there's a life after basketball. ... When I look at where I'm from and the things that have helped me in life, there's always been some event or some people that have had an influence."
Mutigers.com knows what you're thinking--just the other day you were wondering how Zaire Taylor's transfer redshirt year was going...and they found out for you!
Finally, note to Chicago athletes: once you make it big, never go back home.
Still pissed at OU for that whole, you know, "Wrecking Mizzou's only shot at a national title" thing? Check out this year's Fiesta Bowl. In its entirety.
Still REALLY pissed at OU? How about last year's Fiesta Bowl. In its entirety...
...or maybe just the highlights.
STILL pissed? Well...I can't help you. And Natalie doesn't care...
VS. 
Leo Lyons has announced that 
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