Mizzou Links, 7-28-14: Braylon Webb is a rock, Henry Josey is Darren Sproles

What's On

Since it's going to be one of the Mizzou games the SEC Network shows in a few weeks ... and since it was one of Andrew Baggett's (mentioned below) finest moments ... how about a little 2012 Mizzou-Tennessee...

33 days to South Dakota State

Barely a month to go. Yessir.

The Trib: Boehm front and center for this year's Tigers
The Trib (Behind the Stripes): FALL CAMP ROLL CALL: Special Teams

So the raw material is definitely there. The strong leg is definitely there. Baggett ranked 10th in the FBS in kickoff average last year and third in the SEC, behind only Auburn's Cody Parkey and Ole Miss' Andrew Ritter.

Both of them have graduated, leaving Baggett with possibly the strongest leg for a kicker in the league.

But can he use that strength to make the ball go where he wants it on field goals?

He hit 7-of-8 field goals over three spring scrimmages, missing from 47 and hitting from as long as 46. Even though it wasn't against a live rush, that's still an encouraging sign.

PowerMizzou: Corners on the rise
PowerMizzou: Webb the rock in the back
The Trib (Behind the Stripes): Projecting the SEC, Year 2

And in the pros...
The Missourian: Training camp shows glimpses of how Michael Sam fits with Rams roster
ESPN.com: James Franklin adjusts to the NFL game
NJ.com: Eagles training camp report Day 2: Darren Sproles, Jordan Matthews, Henry Josey and more

Henry Josey: The Eagles are pretty set at running back, as it is hard to see any of the backs on the roster taking a spot from third-stringer Chris Polk. If one does, however, it is going to be Henry Josey. It is easy to mistake Josey for Sproles, as both stand under 5-foot-8, and both are lighting quick with their cuts. Josey made a big play during a team drill, taking the ball up the middle and cutting past the linebacker for a big gain. It is hard to say how far he would have gone in a game, since there was no tackling, but the back showed an impressive burst. Josey will be a player to watch during the preseason games, and is a serious candidate for the practice squad.

Basketball

Between Josh Huestis and Emmanuel Mudiay, a squeeze is coming for college basketball - SBNation.com

The NBA's efforts to establish the D-League as a viable minor league ought not to include piddling $25,000 salaries for any player, not when the NBA is a multi-billion dollar enterprise about to negotiate a deal for more billions in TV revenue.

But I also wonder what this deal — and the NBA's effort to make the D-League a fully fledged minor league — might mean for college basketball. And I fear it's not particularly good for the sport of basketball on either end.

There were already many good reasons for leaving college basketball for the professional ranks before running out of eligibility, most notably the prospect of making actual money, instead of free room and board (but not, until this coming academic year, snacks) and tuition, to do much of the same work that is done in a college basketball program. That reason probably factored into the early NBA Draft entries of Missouri's Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson, Arizona State's Jahii Carson and North Carolina's James Michael McAdoo, to name four players who scored 14 or more points per game in the 2013-14 season, yet still went undrafted.

Baseball

MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou in the Majors

Kyle Gibson - Minnesota Twins - Second Season - Starting Pitcher

Since last checking in with Kyle Gibson, he has developed a 1-1 record in his last two outings, keeping him at an even 8-8 on the year with a 4.19 ERA. In Gibson's most recent victory against the Mariners July 9, he went six innings giving up no earned runs on seven hits and three strikeouts. Lower back stiffness has caused Gibson to miss his last two starts, but Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the former Tiger should be back in the rotation early next week.