As if the will he/won’t he enthusiasm for a certain 6’10 lottery pick hasn’t reach the peak in Missouri, even Tennessee has fallen victim. People flew to Nashville, booking trips months ago with the hope to get to see Michael Porter Jr.

Bill Gillam finalized the decision days ago. He would make the five-hour drive from his home in Chesterfield to Nashville. He would opt to not sell the Missouri-Vanderbilt ticket he bought before the season. No, he would use it, and, God willing, he would watch Michael Porter Jr. play basketball.

But Porter did not play Tuesday night in Missouri’s 74-66 win at Vanderbilt. For the 29th straight contest, the freshman did not dress. After warming up with teammates, Porter walked onto Memorial Gym’s elevated court in sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

Coach Cuonzo Martin has continued to assess the freshman’s status as “day-to-day,” a necessary company line that spurs more questions than it answers.

Whether people are driving from St. Louis or flying from Kansas City to get to Nashville with the chance to see the guy play is just where this whole thing is right now. We all want to see him play and we all want it to be as we imagined when he committed back in spring. But this saga is getting wild. Rumors on message boards have this a stand off between the Porters and Cuonzo Martin (which is absurd). I’ve seen people attacking the integrity of Martin, Michael Porter Sr, Michael Porter Jr, and everyone in between (everyone is still united in their love of Jontay though) but the reality is MPJ probably wants to play and will play when he’s ready.

I know it’s not exciting or incendiary to say it’s just a situation that takes time. But back injuries don’t have a definitive timeline in the way other parts of the body do.

Cuonzo Martin wants to make sure he’s ready to go lest he mess something up bringing him back. MPJ wants to play but he also wants to come back when the timing is right because it’s already been long enough and no sense risking a mediocre comeback after so much built up drama. And the parents want to make sure their son is making a sound logical decision and not one based upon just wanting to be on the court.

Lets be honest, Mike wants to play. And he will when it’s right. As much as we all want to see him on the court, what’s more important is he’s 100% right when it happens.

Yesterday at Rock M

More Links:

• Did YOUR Alma Mater have a program tying N-I-N-E Swimmers earn NCAA bids this year? If your alma mater is Mizzou then the answer is: YES!

A program-record-tying nine members of the Mizzou women’s swimming team earned invitations to the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, the NCAA announced on Wednesday (Feb. 28). Seniors Sharli Brady(Burlington, Ky.), Erin Metzger-Seymour (Westminster, Colo.), Hannah Stevens (Lexington, Ohio) and Kira Zubar (Chaska, Minn.), juniors Kylie Dahlgren (Victoria, Minn.), Courtney Evensen (Golden Valley, Minn.) and Annie Ochitwa (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), sophomore Haley Hynes (Lee’s Summit, Missouri) and freshman Sarah Thompson (Collierville, Tenn.) will represent the Tigers at the Championships, March 14-17, at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.

• The KC Star made a so-so attempt at Rock M style content with this piece on pick and pops and Jontay Porter
• More postgame thoughts at the Trip from Cam Teague
• Ole Miss toppled Florida to advance in the Women’s SEC tournament, which means they’ll face the Mizzou Tigers, and 2x First team All SEC Sophie Cunningham.
• Baseball won again, they’re 7-3, Ryan Herrera is doing a great job covering the baseball Tigers.
• Softball starts their home schedule this weekend, get out and see them!