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Missouri's redoubled Texas recruiting efforts make sense, but it's all about execution

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly

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Mizzou Tigers pennant What's on

TENNIS!

MUtigers.com: @MizzouTennis Matches Best Start in Program History with Win over Kansas State

Mizzou Tigers pennant Football things

Meet the staff

MUtigers.com: @MizzouFootball Fans Invited To Meet Football Coaching Staff

The Tiger Quarterback Club, in conjunction with Mizzou Athletics, invites all Mizzou Football fans to join them for "A Columbia Welcome for the Mizzou Football Staff," to be held Feb. 15th at 5:30 p.m. at the Peachtree Banquet Center (120 E. Nifong Blvd.).

Head Coach Barry Odom and his brand new coaching staff will be on hand to meet and greet Tiger fans beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m.  A formal program will take place at 6:30, where a panel discussion will be held with each coach and emcee Matt Michaels of KTGR Radio/Zimmer Radio Group.  Michaels will lead a discussion to further introduce fans to the new staff and to give them a chance to discuss all things related to the football program.

There will be a cash bar and light appetizers available during the event.  Cost for admittance is $10 per adult, with 18-and-under free.  Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP to the Tiger Scholarship Fund office via e-mail at TSFEvents@Missouri.edu.

Congrats to Del Howard!

LyonScots.com: Howard named defensive coordinator

Howard served as defensive backs coach for the Scots during the program's inaugural season in 2015. He impressed Kelley so much during the first season that it wasn't a tough decision when the position became vacant recently. [...]

Howard, who received his Bachelor's degree in General Agriculture at Missouri in 2010, assisted the Memphis defensive coordinator with game planning and scouting reports, while also facilitating the offensive scout team. At Missouri he assisted the defensive coordinator with daily duties and helped run drills with kickoff and punt returns.

"I've worked with some great defensive minds in the past and will use those things and some ideas of my own with our schemes here at Lyon," Howard stated. "Some of what I use here will be what I learned from them and some of it will be ideas of my own. It's going to be a nice combination of things, but I also want to add my own flavor to it." [...]

The Scots started last season running a 3-4 base defense, but also ran a 4-3 later in the year. Howard said the Scots will run predominantly a 4-3, but fans will see a lot of variations.

"I'm more comfortable with a 4-3 because that's what I played in, but I won't be handcuffed to it," he stated. "I want to be able to show a lot of different looks and have the flexibility to have a number of different personnel combinations on the field."

More on the 2016 class

PowerMizzou: Getting back to Texas

Odom's statement rings true. The Tigers' efforts in Texas brought them arguably the greatest player in program history (Chase Daniel), the best single season by a receiver in school history (Danario Alexander), one of the top running backs of the Pinkel era (Henry Josey), a record-setting return man (Marcus Murphy) and possibly the best defensive player of the last 15 years (Sean Weatherspoon). Daniel led the 2007 team, which many consider the best team in school history. Murphy, Josey and Michael Sam were major contributors to the 2013 and 2014 teams that played in the SEC championship game. Where the players come from may be immaterial, but history suggests the Tigers have had tremendous success when targeting the state of Texas.

My opinion: Getting back into Texas feels good because of all the players Gabe mentioned in the piece above. And to be sure, with Texas still struggling on the field and A&M going through some issues, both have faded just enough in the recruiting game to leave a bit of a recruiting vacuum. Both signed top-15 classes this year, but they weren't top-five classes. Some guys got away.

That said, it's all about execution. Odom trying to go heavy back into Texas makes sense, just as Gary Pinkel shifting efforts toward the southeast did. Both Texas and GA/FL are ridiculously fertile, and it all comes down to where the guys on your staff can have the most success. Identify talent well and reel guys to Columbia, and either approach will work out to your advantage.

ESPN.com: Recapping Missouri Tigers' national signing day

Hey, did you hear Kony Ealy was pretty awesome on Sunday?

New York Post: One Panther played the game of his life in Super Bowl 50

Mizzou Tigers pennant The only (men's) basketball link in today's links post:

USA Today: How the Golden State Warriors are influencing college basketball

Lon Kruger, Oklahoma’s coach, said his team watches the Warriors — "they’re fun to watch" — and can understand the comparisons. He’s got good passers, good shooters and guys who make plays for each other, "which is what the Warriors do." But Kruger doesn’t study specific plays the Warriors run to copy them.

[Nevada coach Eric] Musselman does; he’s remained a sponge for anything NBA-related that might work in the college game. Leading into the season, his first at the helm of Nevada, he had his players watch Warriors film about four times a week to study their spacing and tempo. Now, the Wolfpack run two Warriors side-out of bounds plays and one deep corner Warriors play. They’ve added a series called Brazil that is used by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Mizzou Tigers pennant Lots going on right now

Women's basketball

MUtigers.com: @MizzouWBB Returns Home to Face Alabama Thursday

The Missourian: Sophie Cunningham set for on-court reunion with Alabama's Hannah Cook

Softball

MUtigers.com: @MizzouSoftball Hosts Black and Gold Game Saturday

Wrestling

The Missourian: Missouri wrestling vies for top spot in national duals

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