Missouri could still end up with the No. 2 basketball recruiting class in the country for 2017

Technically, as things currently stand, Missouri’s 2017 basketball recruiting class consists of Michael Porter Jr. and C.J. Roberts. Technically, weekend visitor Kevin Knox is still considered a Duke lean. Technically, potential weekend visitor Jeremiah Tilmon has yet to be released from his Illinois LOI (as he has requested).

I don’t know if I’m trying to keep you or myself grounded saying these things. Either way, it’s really easy to get starry-eyed about where things might be headed in the coming days/weeks. Really easy.

Guh.

If Tilmon is indeed released from his Letter of Intent, it could be a pretty interesting local battle for his services.

Missouri, St. Louis University and other suitors could be back in play for East St. Louis basketball standout Jeremiah Tilmon. [...]

A source close to Tilmon’s situation expects Missouri to factor into Tilmon’s decision and said the 6-10 center could visit Mizzou this weekend if granted his release. Schools other than Illinois are prohibited from making contact with Tilmon and his family until he’s released from his letter of intent.

Another source said Tilmon isn’t close to settling on another school. “He’s keeping it open right now and weighing his options,” the source said Wednesday. “There’s no clear-cut favorite right now. Not at all.”

This could be the first of many battles between Cuonzo Martin and SLU’s Travis Ford. But it’s Illinois’ move first.

More Basketball Links:

• Dave Matter wrote about Cuonzo Martin’s dreams coming true.

Sometimes they’d hit up North County. Sometimes Chesterfield. Other times they’d find a mansion in Ladue. Sandra would have a list of open houses she wanted to visit — but never with plans to buy a new home. Home was the Norman E. Owens housing project back in East St. Louis. Tenants called it “The Hole.” Sandra wanted Cuonzo, brother Dale and sisters Valencia and Jamikka to find comfort in a land of hope and dreams.

“We would lay on those beds like it was our home,” Mizzou’s new men’s basketball coach recalled recently. “She’d say, ‘One day you could have this.’ She probably did that once or twice a year. I get emotional just thinking about it.”

• Knox talked to Scout.com about his upcoming visit.
• Mizzou officially ‘unveiled’ Cuonzo Martin’s coaching staff yesterday — Chris Hollender, Cornell Mann and Michael Porter, Sr.. More from the Post-Dispatch, The Trib, and Missourian.

More Links:

• #RemnantsOfThePartyStarter

• The bad news: Mizzou Baseball has lost six games in a row by a combined seven runs. The good news: The Tigers are heading to Athens, where they’ve won four in a row. It’s a Thursday-Saturday series; first pitch is tonight at 6:30 pm CT, and the Saturday game is at new SunTrust Stadium in the Traffic Hell, er, Atlanta.
• Mizzou Softball’s weekend opponent (Arkansas) is only 25th in the country? Pssh, I thought the Tigers only played top-10 teams. This is gonna hurt the RPI. (Yesterday’s doubleheader against SEMO? Postponed because weather is dumb.)
• Mizzou Women’s Golf is off to Tempe. I’m guessing the weather’s just a little less cruddy there.
• The Maneater put together a solid Mizzou Gymnastics season recap.
• Former Mizzou Swimmer Dominique Bouchard, one of Canada’s best, might be retiring soon to enter med school.
• Women’s Basketball season-ending banquet: April 18.
• Can I interest you in a new Podcast Ain’t Played Nobody? We talked about coach-hiring alternate history and watched Chinese football highlights. As one does.