Mizzou Links, 12-15-08

Oh baby...8 degrees...20 mph winds...a layer of sleet/snow/frozen rain on the roads...this is gonna be fun...

So it was a big weekend for Mizzou Football Recruiting...not necessarily in the "hosting uncommitted recruits" sense, but in the "hosting mostly committed recruits and solidifying everybody's commitments" sense (it seems to have worked).  The only big-name, uncommitted kid in town was Ronnie Wingo, who had a "perfect" trip.  He's insisting on taking five visits, but I think there's at least a small chance that doesn't happen.  His family's on-board with Mizzou, and I'm quite optimistic about our chances whenever he decides to pull the trigger.

Chase Coffman may not get his name on the wall, but he is indeed getting a mural...

Mizzou Back to Practice links!

• Dave Matter: Tigers get back to practice

  "The coaches will give significant reps to younger players during the pre-bowl practices in Columbia. Nobody took advantage of the extended time more on Saturday than freshman quarterback Blaine Gabbert. This was really the first substantial practice time I’ve seen from Gabbert since preseason camp back in August, and other than his No. 11, not much looked the same. He zipped some fastballs downfield during 11-on-11 drills, something we didn’t see much from Gabbert during two-a-days. On one, he fired a 30-yard rope to Wes Kemp between defenders that would have gone for a touchdown."

• PowerMizzou: Gabbert takes over
• Post-Dispatch: Maclin says jump to NFL isn't a done deal yet (of course...what else is he going to say?)

Carl Gettis: future leader.

Another day, another "What a disappointing season" article from Vahe Gregorian at the Post-Dispatch, this one on Chase Daniel and the Heisman...and yes, he's not the only one writing them...but I always notice when it's him...

To basketball.  Here is a handful of Murray State wrap-up links for you...

• The Trib: A little more than they bargained for
• The Trib: [Isaac] Miles lives the dream
• The Missourian: Missouri frontcourt held in check
• The Missourian: Tigers find a way to win
• KC Star: Mizzou wins sixth straight
• Post-Dispatch: Lyons leads Missouri past pesky Murray State

Finally, for those who don't keep up with stat-nerd Ken Pomeroy and his basketball rankings, you may want to check them out.  He's sooo over the RPI, he's come up with something better, and Mizzou's #9.  Fun.  It's too early to take that too seriously, but it does show that while Mizzou has beaten up on mostly cupcakes (USC's #33, Cal #46, and Mizzou's SOS is #6 in the Big 12), they've done it in a pretty statistically sound way, which is encouraging.  Now we just need DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons to hold onto the ball, and we're really in business...