1. Let’s gush about the Missouri-Iowa State match-up tonight — Hilton Coliseum already is.

A pipe burst at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum on Thursday, and it created this:

Remember, Missouri tips-off against the Cyclones at 6 P.M. CT Friday. Luckily, this doesn’t appear to have any affect on the game Friday.

2. Snubbed by the O’Brien Award, Drew Lock is a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Finalist.

Lock didn’t make the cut to 16 in the Davey O’Brien Award on Wednesday, but he’s one of ten finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Here are the other nine finalists:

• Eric Dungey, Syracuse
• Ryan Finley, NC State
• Will Grier, West Virginia
• Justin Herbert, Oregon
• Trace McSorley, Penn State
• McKenzie Milton, UCF
• Gardner Minshew, Washington State
• Shea Patterson, Michigan
• Brett Rypien, Boise State

The award is given to a senior or fourth-year junion; hence, no Tua Tagovailoa.

3. Get well soon, Jontay.

Still unbelievably bummed — for Jontay Porter and for Missouri fans — that the Tigers’ best player will miss this year, but good to see that the surgery for Porter’s torn ACL and MCL went well.

Yesterday at Rock M

• STUDY HALL: Mizzou 68, Central Arkansas 55
• The much-maligned Missouri defense might be better than you think
• Missouri’s defense should do well against an inconsistent Vanderbilt offense
• It’s the first podcast of hoops season!

More Links:

• As usually, there are some really good tidbits in Dave Matter’s weekly chat with fans over at STLtoday.com. Check out the whole thing here.
• Daniel Jones takes a look at Akial Byers’ transition from defensive tackle to starting defensive end, and how he’s making a big impact on Missouri’s defensive turnaround (via ColumbiaTribune.com).
• This name is familiar — and if she’s anything like her sister, Missouri track will be set for the next four years:

• I know this isn’t Mizzou, but some cool scenes from Columbia College as it clinched a conference tournament title in women’s soccer on a snowy night (plus in my other life I work for the NAIA, so whattup Cougars!):

• Speaking of snowy scenes: