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Mizzou Links, 3-5-12

By Bill Connelly
Presswire

There are so many good links, so many interesting topics, that I almost broke this out into about 16 different links posts. But, you know, then how would people know which 'water cooler' to visit to b.s. about Star Wars and food, right? So you get one enormous post (and probably a Norris Stevenson post later in the day) instead. And I've bolded some of the must-read articles in the bunch.

Mizzou Basketball Links

My joke after the Big 12 co-coaches of the year (Self, Hoiberg) were announced yesterday was that I wished they'd have just gone ahead and committed to the spite and named somebody other than Mike Dixon as Sixth Man of the Year as well. If you're going to do it ... if you're going to pick two coaches ahead of Frank Haith (the front-runner for many people's National Coach of the Year votes) ... if you're not going to make Marcus Denmon a unanimous first-team pick ... you might as well just go all out and not vote for any Mizzou guys, right?

(Meanwhile, definitely read the two KC Star articles about the Big Eight and Kansas City basketball.)

  • All-Big 12
    Big 12 Sports: 2012 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards Announced
    MUtigers.com: Five Tigers Earn All-Big 12 Honors
    The Trib: Tigers well-represented in All-Big 12 awards
    The Missourian: Five Missouri players receive Big 12 honors
    KC Star (Campus Corner): A sneak peek at my All-Big 12 Ballot
    Post-Dispatch: Haith misses out on Big 12 coaching award
    KBIA Sports Extra: Five Tigers take home Big 12 honors
  • Big 12 Tournament
    KC Star: Colorful coaches made Big Eight a battle royal
    KC Star: This is the best it will ever be for college basketball in KC
  • Selection Sunday
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Basketball To Host Selection Sunday Event
  • The Draft
    SB Nation: NBA Draft Toolbox: Le'Bryan Nash, Myck Kabongo Among Big 12 Prospects Building Cases

    Marcus Denmon, Missouri

    6'3 senior guard

    • Shot creation: Like English, Denmon has thrived in more of an off-the-ball role due to Pressey's emergence. Averaging 18.0 points a game on a very efficient 47 percent shooting from the floor as a senior.
    • Defense: Excellent athlete at 6'3 who has the quickness to attack an opponent's dribble, with a career average of 1.3 steals in four years in Columbia. However, lack of height means he'll be forced to play primarily as a PG at the next level.
    • Outside shot: Excellent shooter with a quick release, shooting 41.1 percent from the three-point line and 88.8 percent from the free throw line this season.
    • Passing: A decent playmaker who averages 2.2 assists and 1.2 turnovers this year, but has never displayed the ability to be Missouri's primary ball-handler.
    • Rebounding: Athletic ability allows him to be a factor on the glass with an average of 5.3 rebounds a game this year.
    • Best case: 6'3+ guard who can defend point guards and shoot but can't run a team -- Toney Douglas.
    • Worst case: A "1.5": too short to be a two-guard and not comfortable running the point -- Bracey Wright.

The "Toolbox" article also looks at Kim English, Phil Pressey and Ricardo Ratliffe. Definitely check it out.

Other Basketball Links

Mizzou Football Links

  • Norris Stevenson
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Legend Norris Stevenson Passes Away
    The Trib: MU football trailblazer Stevenson dies
    The Missourian: Former Missouri football player Norris Stevenson dies
    KC Star: Norris Stevenson, first black scholarship football player at MU, dies at 72
    Post-Dispatch: Mizzou's first black football player Norris Stevenson dies
    Post-DIspatch: Services for Norris Stevenson set
  • Chase Abbington
    PowerMizzou: Show-Me Star picks Mizzou
  • Pinkel
    The Trib: Q&A with Gary Pinkel

    Q: What about the tailback situation? I know you're not putting a public timeline on Henry Josey's comeback, but other than him, what do you expect from that group this spring?

    A: Last year we had a lot of injuries there and obviously a very severe one. First of all, Henry's doing really well. My big thing with him when people ask and how I consistently answer, because it's the truth, is he's got three years to use two years of eligibility. So whenever he's ready, he's ready. Now knowing him, he's going to do everything he can to be ready for this year. That's fine. But it would not be wise for us to count on him. That's not wise to do.

    But Kendial Lawrence is obviously a very good player. He produced really well. We get Marcus Murphy back. We've got Greg White back, and we've got Jared Culver. Then we've got a couple young players coming in. We feel really confident that the two freshmen are two really good players. I read something where we were eighth or ninth in the nation in rushing last year, so for a spread offense, that's not bad.

  • Spring 2012
    PowerMizzou: Five things to watch this spring
  • 2012 Schedule
    Mizzou Network: Mark Alnutt Talks Schedule
  • Pro Day
    The Trib: Michael Egnew, other Tigers attempt to erase stigmas for scouts
    PowerMizzou: PMTV-HD: Tiger Football Pro Day

Other Football Links

SEC

  • Scheduling
    Birmingham News: SEC needs 9 conference football games, even if there's no stomach for it
  • Spring Previews
    PowerMizzou: SEC Spring Preview: Tennessee

Mizzou Wrestling Links

  • Champs
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Wins First Big 12 Championship
    Big 12 Sports: Missouri Captures First Big 12 Wrestling Title
    The Trib:
    The Missourian: Missouri wrestlers win first Big 12 Championship
    The Missourian: PHOTO GALLERY: Missouri wins first Big 12 Championship
    KC Star: MU wins Big 12 wrestling title
    Daily Oklahoman: Missouri edges Oklahoma State for Big 12 wrestling title
    KC Star (Campus Corner): Real-life Davids: How Missouri's wrestling program conquered the Goliaths of the Big 12

    "Just think of that," Smith said. "I told them eight days ago about David and Goliath and going through the valley of Elah. I told them the Philistines, and the Goliath is the Big 12 and we had never won it. David walked out there with confidence. You got to believe in all the good things that can happen. I put signs up that said ‘Be my David’. All week, every kid, I went up to, I said ‘Be my David’ and they came up to me at the end and said, Coach, we are your David’s."

    That message also hit home for Smith, who remembers people doubting his ability to lead Missouri to the top of the Big 12’s wrestling landscape when he was hired 14 years ago.

    "When I took over my first three years, we were awful," Smith said. "It just took time."

    But eventually, Smith started getting people to believe, and Missouri started winning. After going a combined 22-30-1 his first three years, the Tigers went 18-3 in 2001-2002. Then, in Smith’s sixth year, the Tigers finally beat Oklahoma State in a dual meet for the first time. Then Ben Askren became Missouri’s first national champion in 2006, and the Tigers took third at the NCAA meet in 2007, their highest finish ever.

    "Oh yeah," Smith said with a laugh, "a lot of building."

Mizzou Softball Links

Easy weekend for #TeamStubble, outscoring the rest of the state by a combined 28-1. Really, two things interested me as I cracked open the box scores this morning: innings distribution and errors. As mentioned previously, defensive miscues had cost Mizzou a couple of different times already this season; meanwhile, with Bailey Erwin pitching well and Kristin Nottelmann serving up quite a few walks (despite getting raves in practice), I was curious about how Ehren Earleywine would approach the easy weekend. The verdict: 1) two errors in four games (not bad) and 2) two complete games (12 innings) for Chelsea Thomas, one complete game (seven innings) for Erwin, one complete game (five innings) for Nottelmann. And a lot of offense.

  • Mizzou 10, Saint Louis 0
    Mizzou 9, SEMO 0
    MUtigers.com: No. 13 Tigers Win Pair by Run-Rule
  • Mizzou 3, Missouri State 1
    Mizzou 6, UMKC 0
    MUtigers.com: Tigers Knock Off Missouri State, UMKC
    KBIA Sports Extra: No. 13 Mizzou softball sweeps Missouri Coaches v. Cancer Tournament

Mizzou Baseball Links

Few things probably eat away at a baseball team more than when they completely dominate a series overall -- Mizzou 26, Ball State 12 -- but don't get the sweep. As we will probably see plenty of times this year, the bats went quiet again on Friday night; against BSU ace Cal Bowling, Missouri managed six base runners and seven strikeouts in a limp 5-2 loss. And then they destroyed every other Cardinal pitcher to the tune of 24 runs in two games.

Three weeks in, it'the season has already qualified as "up and down," with a lovely series win at Auburn followed by a four-game losing streak (three to San Francisco, one to Ball State). Despite solid pitching from Eric Anderson, they are 0-3 on Fridays versus (presumably) opponents' aces, 4-2 in all other games. They can move back to .500 on Tuesday against Nebraska-Omaha.

Other Mizzou Links

I was happy to see Mizzou extending Robin Pingeton's contract this weekend despite the horrific season. She virtually announced at the beginning of the season that Missouri wasn't going to be very good this season and that the third year was when she expected to see things begin to turn around. I assume she told the Mizzou administration the same thing on Day One. Mizzou is nothing if not committed to the long-term, and this deal proves that.

  • Mizzou Gymnastics
    MUtigers.com: Gymnastics Takes Third at Winterfest
  • Mizzou Women's Basketball
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Closes Regular Season with Loss at Oklahoma State
    The Missourian: Missouri loses final regular season game
    MUtigers.com: Pingeton Presented With Contract Extension
    MUtigers.com: Tigers will face Oklahoma State in Big 12 Tournament
  • Mizzou Swimming & Diving
    MUtigers.com: Mizzou Sets Six Team Records at American Short Course Championships
  • Mizzou Track & Field
    MUtigers.com: Roxberg Uses Last Chance Meet to Set Record Pace

What I Did On My Summer Vacation Weekend

  • Self-Share!
    SB Nation: Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Day 1: Ambition And Curmudgeons
    SB Nation: Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Day 2: Comedians And Overlords

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