Game on! NCAA Tourney links!
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The Trib: All for one, one for all
There are traits specific to this year’s team that make it an unwelcome foe.
The biggest might be its balance, which makes it hard for a coach to decide which player to make the focus of his defensive game plan. Senior forward DeMarre Carroll leads Missouri in scoring, averaging 16.8 points, but he is only one of six players to register a team high in a game this season. He’s also only one of 11 players to score at least 12 points on a given night.
Cornell Coach Steve Donahue has noticed.
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“But I’m telling you, there’s guys I’ve got to rewind the film a couple times and decide who the heck that was because they have nine or 10 guys contributing.”
- Steve Walentik: Cornell press conference quotes
- Steve Walentik: Missouri press conference quotes
- Post-Dispatch: Cornell has some experience in NCAAs
- PowerMizzou: NCAA Report: Cornell
- The Missourian: For Anderson, the Tigers' past struggles make this season sweet
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KC Star: Cornell prepares for grueling 40 minutes
- KC Star (Posnanski): Coaching at Cornell keeps Donahue happy
- KC Star: Boise Buzz: Near tragedy led big Foote to Cornell
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Ithaca Journal: CU looking to take the next step
- Ithaca Journal: Cornell ready for fast, furious Mizzou
Today's feature focus: Zaire Taylor. The P-D's Bryan Burwell takes a look at how exactly Mr. Coffee found himself in Columbia (and therefore Boise).
"It's funny when you're growing up, when you're 5 or 6 years old, there is no 'If'' in your vocabulary," Taylor said. "You don't think about IF you're going to dunk. When you see Michael Jordan on the TV dunking on people, that 6-year-old is saying, 'You know, WHEN I'm in the dunk contest ...
"It's the same thing with this tournament. When you're growing up, March comes around and you're always watching all these tournament games every year. I would see teams like Michigan State and players like Mateen Cleeves, and I always figured that was going to be me, too. I was one of those 'WHEN guys' — 'WHEN I GET TO THE NCAA's ...'"
With his neatly trimmed Billy goat goatee, and his soft-pitched introspective voice, Taylor looks and sounds like an old soul shaman. He leaned forward on his stool, stroked his goatee for a moment and finished delivering his message. "When you get older you do realize there is a big 'IF' in life. And that's exactly why sitting here now and just enjoying the moment, because it's taken a while to get here, and there were times when I wasn't sure it could happen. That's why now that we are here, I am going to make sure that I do everything in my power to make it last for as long as it can."
Moving on to...Spring Football Practice links!
- PowerMizzou: Thursday Practice Report
- PowerMizzou: Young crew ready at receiver
Sticking with football for a sec, PowerMizzou has a nice write-up of how Jeremy Maclin and Chase Daniel helped their draft prospects at Mizzou's final Pro Day yesterday (the P-D focuses on just Maclin), while The Missourian checks in on the still-hobbling Chase Coffman.
Finally, for those of you who weren't following along with The Beef's live thread last night, you can catch up with NCAA Wrestling results with the links below. Really, the only major surprise was Nick Marable (#6 seed at 165) getting upset in round one by Stanford's Nick Amuchastegui, 5-2. Otherwise, seeds more or less held.
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Mutigers.com: Missouri Wrestling in 10th Place after Day One at Nationals
Finally, Mizzou Softball: built for a Big 12 title.