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Sigh
So MUtigers.com doesn't even have a story about last night's game up yet. I think Wes Clark's injury officially gutted anybody who had to date remained ungutted.
The Trib: Clark injured as Tigers suffer 10th straight loss
Post-Dispatch: Gamecocks deal Mizzou more despair
The Missourian: Wes Clark dislocates his elbow as Missouri basketball loses 10th straight
I'm solid bro nobody worry #FordTough
— Wes Clark (@Im_back_15) February 11, 2015
pray for my Brotha ... got a lot of respect for frank martin ..
— Keith Shamburger (@idfndazou14) February 11, 2015
I know my brother gon come back stronger than ever!!!
— Tramaine Isabell (@oTrillMaine) February 11, 2015
Everybody pray for my brotha @Im_back_15
— Namon Wright (@kharyw) February 11, 2015
My heart breaks for my dude. We in this til the end. Love this kid! pic.twitter.com/krnsp7tSRm
— Coach Fuller (@CoachTimFFuller) February 11, 2015
Wes Clark is lounging in his seat on the plane & even flashed a smile when I asked if he was alright. @Im_back_15 is as tough as they come.
— Patrick Crawford (@p_crawf) February 11, 2015
Detroit, Michigan.... I'll take a kid from Detroit any day of the week. This year is gonna make Wes stronger. pic.twitter.com/Ab1WL4M2K2
— Kim English (@Englishscope24) February 11, 2015
In the last 12 months, Wes Clark has been cited for marijuana, suspended by his old coach, suspended by his new coach, raised his scoring average from 4.1 PPG to 10.1, raised his offensive efficiency numbers, made key sots, missed key shots, and tried like hell to become a leader for a team that is starving for wisdom and leadership. And last night, he suffered one of the most nauseating injuries you'll see. It made Kim Anderson turn away for a second. It sucked the life out of the crowd and both teams.
This is a lot to handle when you're, what, a 20-year old college sophomore?
Missouri's basketball team has dealt with more bad breaks, bad bounces, and bad moments this year than any I can remember (aside from maybe this year's women's team). But there they were, scrapping like hell to cut South Carolina's lead to 4 with two minutes left. Naturally, things didn't work out here -- bad play here, bad call here, bad break there -- and the Tigers lost their 10th straight. But if they come through this year with the roster mostly intact, they'll have survived nearly every test of adversity that you can be given as a college basketball team. This team could be tough as hell next year.
Maps!
The Trib (Behind the Stripes): Mapping Out MU's Scholarship Players
Lee's Summit has a population of a little over 90,000. The Dallas Metroplex has a population of nearly seven million. So it's about 75 times more populous than Lee's Summit.
They have the same number of scholarship players on the Missouri roster: seven.
That kind of makes sense. Lee's Summit is much closer to Columbia than Dallas.
But, in the "Pinkel built his Missouri program on the backs of Texas prospects" it makes no sense at all.
And, as we discussed earlier, the Dallas group is an aging one: only two of the seven are sophomores or younger. The Lee's Summit group has four underclassmen out of its seven.
Also: Nashville and Houston have the same number of scholarship players on the Tigers' roster.
A postseason push
MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou Looks to Continue Winning Ways at Alabama
So the next two opponents for the Fightin' Pingetons are 1-9 and 4-6 in conference, respectively. At 13-11, Mizzou needs a few more wins to solidify a chance at the women's NIT, which would be a mighty impressive feat given this year's injuries. So this week provides a pretty big opportunity.