It’s Valentine’s Day, y’all! And with that, we are reaching the conclusion of Cheater Week ... er... Tiger Week!

This week’s two game stretch of men’s hoops — which I will affectionately call “Cheater Week” to encompass the two head coaches of teams wrapped up in a helluva lot of controversy (how is Will Wade still employed?!?) — wraps up with a visit from the No. 11 Auburn Tigers on Saturday evening. I guess TECHNICALLY it could also be called Tiger Week based on mascots, but really- if a Tiger is purple & gold or orange & blue, can it truly be a real tiger? NO. It’s a made up Tiger, no different that that made-up bird out west. Cheater Week just has a better ring to it, so that’s what I’m sticking with.

Anyway, Josh will have your game preview up around lunchtime.

I don’t know about you all, but I’m hoping to see more of this.

Back to talk about some Tiger basketball are Rock M’s very own basketball overlords, Sam Snelling and Matthew J Harris, who finally recorded a new pod for our listening ears! It’s available on a multitude of platforms (Apple Podcasts / Google Play / Spotify). Dive Cuts is a MUST LISTEN pod for any Mizzou Hoops fan.

And finally, Happy Valentine’s Day.

To the links!

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Yesterday at Rock M

• BK said that we should be happy that Ryan Walters is good enough to be considered for the recently vacated University of Colorado head coaching position.
• Matt and Sam put out a new episode of Dive Cuts, the hoops pod everyone is raving about. Give it a listen! Read the recap!

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More Links:

Football

• PowerMizzou podcast: Gabe and Mitchell put out a new episode of their PowerMizzou Podcast where they chatted with Kurt Hunzeker, the president of the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, and the KC Star’s Vahe Gregorian about covering the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run and some Mizzou news.
• PowerMizzou (free): Pete Scantlebury’s newest Voice of the Fantlebury got real and gave some advice to college coaches.
• PowerMizzou/Rivals ($$): Sean Williams revealed a new Rivals 2021 rankings list, and detailed where the Top 15 from Missouri rank, as well as how Mizzou’s current targets fare. Mitchell Forde unearthed his first version of The Perfect Class: 2021.
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Dave wrote that the core of Mizzou’s new football staff took root at Auburn. He also wrote about Ryan Walters’ link to the open Buffaloes job.
• (updated) The Athletic ($$): Peter Baugh did a deep dive into the life of Eliah Drinkwitz. Cool read for those wanting to get to know our head coach a bit more.

Men’s Hoops

• STL Today: Dave Matter held his regularly scheduled weekly chat, focusing mainly on hoops & football. Interesting tidbits of the chat: One commenter said that even though Tuesday was a loss, he was still okay with it. To which Matter responded:

I thought Tuesday’s game at LSU was one of the three best complete games Mizzou has played all season... However, there are no moral victories. No pats on the back for playing hard. That should be a given. But that was a very promising game. It tells us a few things:

1) By no means has Martin lost this team despite a losing record. Guys are still fighting to win. Dru Smith played a strong game on one working ankle. Reed Nikko is closing out his career with the best string of games he’s ever played.

2) This team is capable of playing solid defense and can rebound well against an elite offensive team. But this group seems to let its defense and rebounding slip when shots aren’t falling. On Tuesday, shots were falling.

3) Good things happen when Pinson and Tray Jackson are playing focused and getting minutes. This team won’t beat you with elite athletes, but these are two players who play above the rim. They are the future.

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Dave & BenFred released a new episode of the Eye on the Tigers pod, focusing on the upside of X and Tray.
• KC Star: Souichi answered readers’ questions for a Mizzou Mailbag.
• Columbia Missourian: Briar Napier wrote that Jackson’s recent play has earned Cuonzo’s trust.
• Truman’s Tales/FanSided: Rilee Stapleton wrote about the Studs and Duds of the LSU game.
• Friend of the Dive Cuts Pod, Blake Lovell, started a new daily podcast endeavor, Locked on SEC, and he talked a bit about Mizzou’s game against LSU. Check it out! (The Mizzou-LSU specific part runs from approximately 8:50-11:08)

Women’s Hoops

• The Tigers are back in action on Sunday, taking on Florida at 2pm. In honor of Alumni Reunion Day, they will be recognized at halftime and be a part of a post-game ceremony.
• Random Fun Fact: I talked to Hannah Schuchts at my part-time job the other night. Lovely girl. Very polite and kind. Very tall.

Mizzou Diamond Sports

• Softball’s season continues this weekend with the ESPN Elite Invite in Clearwater, FL (that my parents are attending)! Here’s what’s on tap, and where you can watch!

• In the return of the Border War showdown on Thursday, Mizzou Softball run-ruled kU in an 8-0 victory, led by Cayla Kessinger, who hit her second grand slam of the season. LOVE TO SEE IT. More game info and recap at MUTigers.com.

• The Missourian’s Tyler Hollins wrote a game recap, and here’s some highlights of the Beaker Beatdown, courtesy of the team’s twitter account:

• Columbia Missourian: Melanie Rau penned a season preview piece about how the baseball team ‘has everything to play for.’
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Mr Matter talked about Coach Bieser’s lofty goals despite that dumb (insert appropriate swear word here) postseason ban.
• Happy Season Opener, Baseball Team! Steve Bieser’s squad will play a three game series against Jacksonville State, starting this afternoon. Emma Moloney of the Missourian wrote a series preview. Here’s the schedule and where you can watch!

MUTigers.com

• Steve Bieser sat down with Ben Arnett to preview the season.

• Congrats to Ian Bedell on being named to the Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List! More info on this available at MUTigers.com.

Other Mizzou Sports & News

• PowerMizzou’s Gabe & Mitchell started a new weekly feature, entitled Blowing Smoke, Presented by Weston Tobacco, which will consist of them making (likely) wildly inaccurate predictions about Mizzou sports (and this time, the XFL).
• Here’s how #TigerStyle’s wrestlers hold up in the coaches’ rankings.

• Tiger Gymnastics is back on the mat at the Family Arena in St. Charles tonight to take on LSU, Iowa State, and D-II powerhouse, Lindenwood. The start time is 6:30, but sorry, it’s only televised on FloGymnastics.

• Track & Field is ready for two meets this weekend, and off to a fast start.

Mizzou in the Pros/Sports-adjacent news

• This is really good story by the XFL on Kony Ealy, and his quest to get back to the NFL. I had wondered what had become of him and knew he wasn’t playing, and this story gives excellent insight into Kony’s life and mental health struggles.
• J’den Cox has selected his weight class in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, according to Team USA. Here’s his decision video. J’den is a truly remarkable young man. Love him.

• Jordan Clarkson. Professional bucket maker. SBNation site SLC Dunk says Clarkson could be the first Utah Jazz player to win Sixth Man of the Year and Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune wondered where the Utah Jazz would be without Jordan Clarkson.

• Junkyard Dog News: SBNation site Pounding the Rock examined the strange DeMarre Caroll situation in San Antonio. FanSided’s Space City Scoop wondered if the Houston Rockets should be interested in Carroll.
• Drew Lock News Corner (apologies for not checking in on him recently): Broncos Must Avoid These Common NFL Mistakes When Building Around Drew Lock (SI.com Mile High Huddle). Pat Shurmur impressed with Drew Lock’s athleticism (SBNation Mile High Report podcast). How Broncos’ QB Drew Lock should spend his winter vacation (Jeff Legwold, ESPN.com)
• Godfather of Rock M, Mr. Bill C, has added his patented (are they patented?) SP+ rankings to ESPN! Check out BK’s post at 8am to see where he’s got the Tigers slated in the way-too-early 2020 SP+

• In news that absolutely no one wanted (besides maybe Rock M staffer, Levi), my two favorite pastimes collide this weekend. The Bachelor (yeah, I know. it’s a tradition with my best friend to watch it together every week) and basketball! You see, one of the top 4’s (Madison Prewett), dad is a longtime member of Auburn’s staff as the Director of Ops, and Auburn is in town this weekend! And in this coming Monday night’s episode, Madi takes the bachelor to her hometown... where they visit Auburn Arena, meet Bruce Pearl, and eat dinner AT HIS house. Mind blown, y’all. All my favorite things (though at times regrettable) comin’ together. Some grainy, far too zoomed in photos of Coach Prewett & Big Bruce are definitely coming my friend’s way, ha. (editor’s note: I know Sam has lost all respect for me for including this— as have some of you, I’m sure. It’s been nice knowing everyone. I’ll see myself out)
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