It’s a relatively abbreviated version this month...I everybody was busy on other things...
1 - Has anyone, in any sport, ever had a performance against Mizzou like Michael Beasley did on Saturday? I'm sure there are some examples out there, but I'd like to hear it.
2 - Is the Big 12 still going to get 6 teams in the NCAA tourney? Baylor's sliding, and OU's only recently begun to rebound from a slide. Looks like they'll both come into the postseason with around 10-11 losses, and their RPI's won't be just wonderful...
3 - Tennessee is #2 in the country running a relatively similar style to that of Mike Anderson. Does that bode well for the future, or are there too many differences between the coaches to compare?
4 - For Mizzou fans here, what do you need to see from Mizzou down the stretch to satisfy you?
5 - Weekend picks! OU @ UT. KU @ OSU. NU @ ATM. KSU @ BU. CU @ MU. Bonus pick: Memphis vs Tennessee. An unlikely #1 vs #2 matchup, but pretty dang exciting...
Click 'Full Story' for answers.
ZouDave: 1 - Tony Sands.
2 - Big XII gets 5. We don't have the respect that the ACC does for getting in those marginal tournament teams.
3 - I'm not sure it's an indicator either way. Just about any system will work with the right players. Anderson's future is made by getting players in here that can play well and be coached by him. He's a good enough D1 coach, he proved that at UAB. But he's got to have guys that will play his way as a team, and not just some of them some of the time. Herb Brooks knows a thing or two about that.
4 - Effort. I don't really care about wins and losses anymore because our season is cooked. Just play like you care, and use that to start off right next season.
5 - Texas, kansas, Aggies, Wildcats, Mizzou. And Memphis wins against Tennessee.
mizzourobot: 1 - In College basketball? I can't remember one. Maybe that's just all the ether my mom inhaled when I was in the womb, though.
2 - It's really not looking like it. I can see Baylor rebounding and coming back up, but it's going to be a dogfight. Right now I'll take UT, KU, KSU, OU, and A&M.
3 - The biggest gap is recruiting. Missouri recruiting is going to struggle for the next four years while we try and get back on our feet (with our jaws attached).
4 - Effort, intensity, discipline. No more poilce blotters would be nice.
5 - UT by a mile. KU by a mile. A&M in a squeaker. KU in a mile. MU in a squeaker. Memphis. Don't be fooled by the near-upset. They have the kind of depth that makes analysts swoon. Their guard play alone is good enough to get it done.
rptgwb: 1 - No. Granted, I'm probably not the best expert on the subject, but I'm sticking by my answer on this one.
2 - I think at this point, the Big 12 is staring down only 5 bids. I think Baylor/OU was a playoff game in that sense, barring any odd doings in the conference tournament. KU, KSU and Texas are locks. I expect A&M in with a decent tournament showing, and I think whoever ends the season hotter between Baylor and OU gets that fifth and final Big 12 nod.
3 - Systems and styles mean nothing if you don't have the athletes to run them. Pearl has had time to stockpile athletes and build a team in his image. Let's extend Anderson that same courtesy.
4 - The young players need to play well. Tiller and Keon Lawrence need to become floor generals as well as become the emotional axis upon which the team centers. Good Leo needs to show up on a consistent basis, Matt Lawrence needs more nights like the one he had against KSU, Safford needs to keep gaining confidence, and Anderson needs to keep experimenting and tinkering to see what this group can do well and what they'll respond to.
5 - Picks:
UT > OU
KU > OSU
ATM > NU
KSU > BU
MU > CU
Memphis gets upset by Tennessee
Bonus question: Anyone have any thoughts on the proposed change in clock rules for college football?
Michael Atchison: 1 - It doesn’t happen often, but it happens. Bud Stallworth scored 50 for the Jayhawks against Mizzou in 1972. And for sheer numerical ridiculousness, it would be hard to top the 396 rushing yards that Tony Sands dropped on the Tigers way back when. And didn’t that little back from Iowa State – oh, you know the one – nearly match that total some time around the turn of the 21st Century? All that said, I can’t wait to see Beasley playing for the Miami Heat next year.
2 - Six is always hard to get. I think five for sure. I’d say about a one in three shot at a sixth.
3 - I don’t know that it bodes ill or well. Success is more about players than systems. The seven new guys who suit up next year will have more to do with Mike Anderson’s success or failure than his concepts about making basketball a horizontal game ever will.
4 - I need to see the guys who will be back playing like these games mean something, and I think they will. The guys who are most important to longer term success – Tiller, Keon, Safford – don’t seem to lack for heart.
5 - The league picks don’t get much easier than this: Texas, Kansas, Aggies, and Tigers are easy. I think Baylor’s guards might pull it off against KSU. I’ll take the Bears in a close one.
As for the Tennessee Tussle, I’ll take the Vols. Memphis is legit, but they haven’t played a team anywhere near this good in a long time. Coach Cal has a real challenge in keeping his team sharp come March in the watered-down Conference USA.
The Beef: 1 - I recall Tim Duncan putting up almost 20-20 on us a bunch of years ago...that is the only one have actually SEEN. I am with ZD on the Sands thing, but I did not see it. I seem to recall reading (in Atch’s book I believe, available on the link to the left) about Autry from Syracuse who put up 31 in the 2nd half against us in a tourney game? Do I have that right?
2 - I would love for Baylor to get in because I think the NCAA totally missed on punishing them for the sins of the one of the worst humans ever. They have done a terrific job, but it appears they are sliding and really let one go last night (especially after coming back to tie it and having the chance to win it). Baylor’s got a win over ND and that is about it in non-con. They would need to win at least 4 of their last 5, and that includes games with aTm and k-state. Win both of those and then we’ll talk. As for OU, wins over Arkansas and WVU are decent, and they have 18 wins right now. A strange schedule for them coming down the stretch, with UT, bedlam, us, aTm and at NU...need to get 3 of those and NOT lose in the first round of the Big XII tourney...22 wins should do it I would think.
3 - I don’t really think it does because I don’t see us getting the quality of player Tenn gets. I know many of our problems stem from not having the right players for this "system", but I think once you get the right players, you then have to get the BETTER right players. Tenn can recruit and get those people, and right now and for the foreseeable future, we can’t. My jury is still out, but their (Tenn) doing well does not give me any more or less hope than I had (or did not have) before.
4 - I want to see Safford play more. I know there is the age-old argument about "earning" your minutes in practice and perhaps he is not doing it, but I don’t care. No point in not having him on the floor at least 15-20 minutes per night. We don’t owe Butterfield anything at this point (especially for how it has all transpired with him) and considering what our returning talent level looks like for next year, we need everyone coming back on the floor as much as possible. And I would like to see smarter basketball...but have come to grips with the fact I likely wont.
5 - I will take UT, kU, aTm, kSU and MU. I also think Memphis will hold court at home, but I would like to watch it considering the hype the game is getting.
Doug: 1 - I like Dave's answer. Plus, I was in the stands for that game... me and about 500 of my closest friends. I believe it was like 2 degrees outside for that game.
2 - Right the sure bids are KU, Texas, K-State and A&M. After that? At the moment it's a toss up between Baylor and OU, but if Baylor keeps slipping and OU's rebound stalls out, then the Big 12 could be looking at only 4 bids.
3 - Bruce Pearl is a force of nature. Mike Anderson is a basketball coach. That's the biggest difference I see, doesn't mean Anderson can't recreate what he had at UAB, but for that one NCAA Tournament run, he had the perfect mix of guys who played his style to its up most.
4 - A fabulous recipe for chicken wings.
5 - UT, KU, aTm, BU and MU. And, what the hell... let's go Tennessee.
Michael Atchison: The biggest revelation here is that someone actually read my book. The Beef is right, Autry scored 31 after the half (including OT) against the Tigers in the Sweet 16 in 1994. But no one will ever remember it quite like what Beasley (or Stallworth) did, because Mizzou won that game.
There was a time in the late 1980s when every other team Mizzou faced had a guy who could hang 40 on them (Stacey King made it a habit, and Danny Manning, Mitch Richmond, Jeff Grayer and others were always a threat), but the Tigers always had a Chievous or Doug Smith able to return the favor. There were a whole lot of 101-99 wins in those days. Those of you too young to remember (and I realize that’s almost all of you) missed a whole lot of fun.
The Boy: Yeah, the late '80s in the Big 8 were amazing...offense, offense, offense.
1 - Tony Sands was the only thing I could think of. Though the Davis Brothers of ISU did have a series of ridiculous games as well...
2 - A week ago, I thought OU was out and Baylor was in. Now it's been reversed. Plenty of time for that to reverse itself 3-4 more times. There's certainly a way for both of them to get in, but they both have to finish strong, and BU's doing the opposite of that right now. ATM's in right now, too, but they've been really unsteady...they need to make sure not to hit a slump over the next couple weeks, else they could be in a bit of trouble.
3 - The thing Bruce Pearl inherited that Mike Anderson didn't was a go-to scorer. Chris Lofton was a big-time (albeit relatively inconsistent) scorer and defensive presence from the beginning...a better (and seemingly smarter) version of Stefhon Hannah. Lofton allowed him Pearl to have a level of immediate success that was damn near impossible here. The success gave Pearl inroads for quicker big-time recruiting success, and the ball is rolling for them. In other words, Pearl inherited a better situation than Anderson, but that's not meant to underscore the fact that Pearl is indeed a force of nature.
4 - I guess the main thing for me is also effort. The skill-level (and brain-level) of this team just isn't high enough to expect any major momentum down the stretch, but we can still see progress. As for Safford...honestly, I think what's keeping him from seeing the court more might simply be immaturity. Anderson seems to be yanking him quicker when he gets into Pout Mode, and down the line I think that may be a good thing. It sucks right now because it means we have to see more of Butterfield, but I may understand what he's doing.
Or that could be my complete imagination.
5 - UT > OU by 8.
OSU > KU by 1 (UPSET CITY, BABY...and no, this probably won't actually happen).
ATM > NU by 7 (Maric vs ATM's bigs could be entertaining)
KSU > BU by 5.
MU > CU by 11.
Memphis > Tennessee by 3. NEVER BET AGAINST A STREAK!!
Michael Atchison: I found it. Troy Davis (Iowa State) had 378 yards on 41 carries in 1996. That’s an all-time day. I listened on the radio. I’m sure my imagination made it even worse than it looked in person.
The Boy: I imagine 378 yards looked pretty rough in person too.