Mizzou Links, 3-2-09

We start this look back at a relatively craptastic weekend by linking to my RMN counterpart's Maneater piece.

Missouri’s offense was dormant and Kansas (24-5, 13-1) drained field goals at will in the first half, as the Jayhawks used a 14-0 run to storm out to a 45-19 halftime lead.

“That’s the best half of basketball we’ve seen here in 11 months since Carolina,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, referencing the first half of Kansas’ 84-66 win against North Carolina in the 2008 NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Kansas’ bench players outscored Missouri’s bench, which is generally regarded as one of Missouri’s strengths, 15-0 in the first half.

In fact, only three Tigers, junior J.T. Tiller and seniors Lyons and DeMarre Carroll, scored for Missouri in the half. Kansas’ bench outscored the Missouri bench 25-6 for the game.

“Our bench isn’t perfect,” Lyons said. “They had a lot of confidence coming into the game, but they met their master today."

Guess this can be used as a learning experience for the youngins, then?  Maybe?

What that link wasn't enough for you?  Then here you go...

• The Trib: Jayhawks throttle Tigers
• The Missourian: Missouri bench, newcomers wilt under pressure
• The Maneater: Lyons' effort not enough against Kansas
• KC Star: Jayhawks administer Border Beatdown
• KC Star: MU's Lyons turns in strong performance in losing effort
• Post-Dispatch: Tigers lose chance for Big 12's top seed
• Post-Dispatch (Miklasz): Kansas caldron too hot for Tigers
• Post-Dispatch: What next for Tigers?

So assuming Mike Anderson is our coach next year, it's easy to be pretty intrigued by a team returning Tiller & Taylor (excuse me, Hustle & Flow), English & Denmon, Bowers, Ramsey, etc., and adding another backcourt threat in Mike Dixon.  But we've only signed one big so far--Keith DeWitt.  We're pursuing JUCO options, one of whom is coming to town this week: Jarrid Famous.  If the surprisingly good season we're experiencing is to pay off in recruiting this year, I'd love for it to pay off in the form of a 6'10, 230-pound JUCO beast who averaged 25.2 PPG (on 59% shooting), 13.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 SPG and 2.1 BPG.  If he comes here and averages half of that in '09-'10, I'm cool.

Baseball links!  Mizzou lost to Oregon State on Friday and Northern Illinois (ugh) on Saturday before finally putting enough pieces together to salvage a second win of the season, riding Nick Tepesch's arm to a 5-2 win over Arizona State on Sunday.  They now stand at 2-7 after a disastrous swing through the state of Arizona.  Next up: the home opener against Western Illinois on Wednesday and four home games against Ball State over the weekend (and then another bout with WIU next Tuesday).  Sweep those, and you're back to .500...but then again, it's pretty hard to sweep anybody over a 4-game series.

• The Missourian: Tigers beat Arizona State to end losing streak
• SimmonsField.com: Missouri 5, Arizona State 2
• Stripes and Seams: Tigers 5, Sun Devils 2

Softball links!  Mizzou Softball fared better than their male diamond counterparts, but they still hit a small rough patch.  They took out Oregon in extra innings on Friday and pummeled Santa Clara on Saturday before losing in extras to San Diego State on Saturday and in the last at bat of the seventh to #4 UCLA on Sunday.  They closed out the San Diego Classic with an easy blanking of USD.  They're now 13-2 with a pair against SIU-Edwardsville on Wednesday.

• The Missourian: MU softball 3-2 at San Diego tournament