Mizzou Links, 3-16-09

Alright, sit back and enjoy a MONSTROUS links post...holy crap, is there a lot going on right now...

Actually, before we dive into basketball, let's get a couple quick football notes out of the way: first, Mizzou scored two commits from Texas kids over a big recruiting weekend: 6'4 TE Eric Waters (Mansfield, TX, friend of Kip Edwards) and dual-threat QB James Franklin (Corinth, TX).  Very nice.

Next, Mizzou's first scrimmage of the spring took place over the weekend (which, in previous years, would have gotten about 98% of the attention in this Links post...but we're good at basketball again now!!!!).  Links!

• Dave Matter: Tigers put on the pads
• PowerMizzou: Saturday practice report

Alright, basketball time.  I'll let The Beef cover your baseball (Mizzou's bullpen blew a shot at a series win over Texas on Sunday) and softball (ho hum, another no-hitter) news in his Musings later today...time to focus on Mizzou's 2pm Friday game versus Cornell.

• Mutigers.com: NCAA Tournament Central
• The Trib: Boise-bound
• The Missourian: Tigers set to play Cornell in NCAA Tournament
• KC Star: West Regional analysis
• KC Star: West Regional capsules
• KC Star: Denied KC, Mizzou has a good laugh over Boise

  “Boise sounds good,” said MU point guard Zaire Taylor. “I want to go to all 50 states, and I can’t see myself going to Idaho for any other reason.”

• Upon Further Review: NCAA Tournament simulation results
• PowerMizzou: Motivation comes quickly

  The ink wasn't even dry on the West Regional bracket when the Missouri Tigers were handed motivation on a silver platter. CBS co-host Seth Davis proclaimed Memphis and Connecticut to have a cake walk to the regional final.
  
  "I appreciate Seth, I really do," Mike Anderson said. "I appreciate him saying that."

• PowerMizzou: Back to Boise
• Post-Dispatch: NCAA-bound Mizzou players celebrate rise from "rock-bottom"
• Post-Dispatch: It's back to Boise for No. 3 seed MU
• Post-Dispatch: Mizzou-Cornell preview
• Post-Dispatch: Anderson: Tigers will be focused in Boise
• Post-Dispatch (Gordon): No. 3 seed is fair reward for Tigers
• CornellBigRed.com: Men's Basketball Opens NCAA Play vs Missouri
• Cornell Daily Sun: Cornell seeded No. 14 in Western Bracket

  The Red hasn't faced non Ancient Eight competition since the Ivy season began in January. The team's lack of out-of-league experience may prove to be an achilles heel in tight competition with the top powers from the Big-12, Pac-10 and Big East.

• Ithaca Journal: CU relieved with seed, draw

  "This year we've done a much better job already than we did last year," Cornell coach Steve Donahue said. "Maybe because it was my first time as a coach going through (the NCAA tournament). We've prepared for Missouri already, to be honest with you. We've been working on our full-court press break and different things we want to try on offense against athletic teams, things that we've already done. I feel we're so far ahead of where we were last year at this point."

If you want a good read for how Cornell's season has flowed to date, I highly recommend the prolific Cornell Basketball Blog.  Everything you need to know is there.

Finally, rest in peace, former Mizzou AD Dave Hart...