Mizzou Links: Tigers win second straight game at home

What's On

Gee, I wonder.

Mizzou will start next year with a 2-game home winning streak

more to go but I wanted to end it like that. thanks to the man above .. MIZ

— Keith Shamburger (@idfndazou14) March 4, 2015

MUTIGERS.COM: Shamburger Lifts Mizzou Past Auburn on Senior Night
The Trib: Shamburger leaves Mizzou Arena with a game-winner against Auburn
Post-Dispatch: Shamburger rallies Tigers to victory
The Missourian: Keith Shamburger shines, hits game-winner in final game at Mizzou Arena
PowerMizzou: Shamburger goes out a winner
PowerMizzou: The Baseline View

A positive spin
The Trib: Missouri might have gotten a head start on turnaround

MU has taken its lumps while Anderson has relied heavily on sophomores Johnathan Williams III and Wes Clark — before his elbow injury — and those freshmen. The seven underclassmen are among the nine MU players averaging more than 15 minutes.

"I’d love to have a large, talented freshman class that you can begin to lay some foundation and groundwork with, to get that process started sooner," said Pearl, who pointed to the slow-and-steady progress of Mississippi State over the past three seasons as a model for construction. "That’s more of an ideal situation as far as growth because here’s the thing — sometimes you have to go through this pain as part of that foundation."

Granted...
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou Arena attendance down again

SEC women's tournament starts today

MUTIGERS.COM: Tigers Open SEC Tournament Play Thursday
MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou's Jordan Frericks Earns All-SEC Honors
The Trib: MU's Frericks makes coaches' All-SEC team

MAC wrestling championships start on Saturday

I highly recommend all three of these links, especially the two Matter pieces at the Post-Dispatch. The first is a feature, and the second is basically the deleted scenes.

The Trib: MU wrestlers will enter MAC tournament with good chance to rack up national bids
Post-Dispatch: Smith built Mizzou wrestling into national powerhouse
Post-Dispatch: Smith's Tiger Style redefines MU wrestling

In Tuesday’s story we touched on the origins of "Tiger Style." Spend just a few minutes on the fourth floor of the Hearnes Center and you learn it’s more than a hashtag. A few years back Smith read Pete Carroll’s book, and the football coach wrote that late in his career he started writing down all of his thoughts and ideas about coaching and life. Smith started doing the same. The Tiger Style pyramid was born, based on four core foundations: Believe, Compete, One More, Expect to Win.

"You don’t have to say Mizzou wrestling anymore. You just say Tiger Style," Smith said. "It’s what we call our camp and we teach our campers Tiger Style. … It’s really sold. Kids, coaches and parents really understand that when they send their kids there, it’s about more than wrestling."

When Smith paid a home recruiting visit to Willie Miklus in Altoona, Iowa, his father, Garry, pulled Smith aside and told him, "I want my son to wrestle for Tiger Style." In-state powers Iowa State and Iowa were recruiting Miklus, too. Here’s what Smith told the father: "I know a lot of coaches will come and talk about wrestling. We coach our kids up. You know that. But it’s more than wrestling. You’re giving me your son for five years. He’s going to be in an environment that’s not always positive for a young athlete. You’ve got to feel safe that you’re sending him to the right person. That’s what we’re doing here. That’s what my dad would do."

In case you needed it

SB Nation: 2015 Championship Week primer: Who to watch, root for and more