Mizzou Links, 1-7-08

That Laurence Bowers dunk from last night? A SportsCenter Top 10 highlight.

"Mizzou's 13-2" Links!

• Mutigers.com: Tigers sink Eagles, 88-55
• CoppinStateSports.com: McKee Moves into Second Place on Career Scoring List; Tigers Beat Eagles
• PowerMizzou: Laurence, Lawrence highlight Tiger win
• The Trib (pre-game): Critics don't bother Lawrence (though he doesn't name mcboomofdoom directly)
• The Trib (post-game): Lawrence lights up Coppin State
• The Missourian: Lawrence lights up Coppin State (that's right--same highlight)
• KC Star: MU pops Coppin State 88-55

  DeMarre Carroll followed every word, nodding his head in apparent understanding.

  No matter that Terry Moore — a sportscaster from Shenzhen, near Hong Kong — was speaking Chinese.

  “I speak no Chinese,” Carroll said, “but I’m an active listener.”

  So ended Missouri’s nonconference basketball season, with the 13-2 Tigers accepting plaudits from all over following the Tigers’ 88-55 victory over Coppin State. Including flowery congratulations from the Chinese TV journalist visiting the Missouri School of Journalism.

  Through a translator, the Chinese journalist with the American-sounding name, asked Carroll, Keith Ramsey and Matt Lawrence: “What chance do you think you can get yourself into the NBA, thanks.”

  ...

  Later, in a hallway inside Mizzou Arena, Lawrence was still shaking his head but smiling over the exchange.

  “He started off speaking in English, and then I realized he switched to Chinese,” Lawrence said. “I didn’t realize he was going to have a translator.”

• Post-Dispatch: MU aces its final warm-up act

No idea why I'm linking to this (it's still waaaaay too early), but I just knew you needed some Bracketology in your life, so here you go.  Gonzaga-Missouri in the West Region 7-10 game.  Better than the Kansas-Davidson draw, I'll say that much.

NFL Draft or Mizzou?  Well, it might finally be coming to an end: in two days, Jeremy Maclin announces his intentions for 2009.

Finally, in recruiting news, hold your breath: Ronnie Wingo is visiting Arkansas, and let's just say I'm pretty sure he's going to be told exactly what he wants to hear about playing running back, his coach actually staying there for five years, et cetera.  Chances are, if Wingo hasn't committed to Arkansas by Monday, his odds of becoming a Tiger end up getting awfully high, even though Tennessee is trying to sneak in the back door...