Mizzou Links, 1-19-10

Mizzou Basketball Links

• The Trib (Steve Walentik): Anderson talks about regrouping, Nebraska
• The Missourian: Keith Ramsey does the little things for Missouri

  This season, Ramsey’s play has earned him promotion to captain. He said he has struggled with the vocal aspects of the job and prefers to lead more by example by diving on the floor for loose balls and deflecting rebounds to keep the ball alive for his teammates. Missouri forward Justin Safford said the little things Ramsey does sets the tone for the team as a whole.

   "I think defensively Keith can really impact a game," Safford said. "It’s not always about scoring with this team, because we got a bunch of different guys who can score. But he can really impact the game a lot of different ways."

  Recently Ramsey has started to make an impact on offense. He has improved his free-throw shooting from 35 to 62 percent so he won’t be a liability at the end of games. Against Oklahoma, he made his first 3-point shot of the season. The more aggressive approach is something Safford said would complete Ramsey.

• PowerMizzou: Like father, unlike son: Basketball bye
• PowerMizzou: Audio: Anderson breaks it down
• KC Star (Upon Further Review): Tigers, Cats and Hawks - All Decade Teams

Big 12 Links

• K-State 71, Texas 62
  ESPN.com: Kansas State holds on as No. 1 Texas falls to 17-1
  KC Star: Samuels, Kelly lead K-State to 71-62 upset of No. 1 Texas
  Topeka Capital-Journal: K-State dethrones No. 1 Texas
  Dallas Morning News: Frazzled top-ranked Texas upset by No. 10 Kansas State
  Burnt Orange Nation: Buzzsaw: Texas at K-State
  KC Star (Upon Further Review): The BIGGEST Victory in K-State History?
• KC Star: KU's Cole Aldrich wants to re-emerge as a force

FOOTBALL!

• SI.com (Stewart Mandel): Gators, Trojans hit hard; Buckeyes survive
• Mocking the Draft: Site rankings, top 100 updated

Other

• Pro Football Reference.com blog: Defensive scheming, Part I (via Smart Football)
• Pro Football Reference.com blog: Defensive scheming, Part II
• Daily Soccer Fix: Talking Dempsey and injuries: I ponder the question, "What next?"

Clint Dempsey's injury was just cruel.  While watching USA advance to the World Cup quarters in 2002, I remember looking at the youth on the field and thinking, "Wow, we're going to be good in 2006, and great in 2010!"  Well, we were okay in 2006, and injuries have just begun to kill USA in 2010.  Charlie Davies was in a bad car wreck in October, but I thought that as long as Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu and Clint Dempsey stayed healthy, we'd have a fighting chance.  Then Onyewu got hurt (knee).  And now Dempsey is hurt (knee).  Awesome.  No way is this team anywhere near 100% come June.  They might not be 75% at this rate, and no matter how good Donovan is, he's not THAT good.