“I’ll Run Through a Wall for Him”

I mean, how can you NOT like the sound of that? Don’t you just love this time of year? When the new guys — there’s SOOOO many this year — are just getting to campus and starting to get to work with their new team? There’s an excitement in the air. I love it. Especially this year, when the team is basically starting over from scratch and they’re getting acclimated to one another.

I know Josh shared this in yesterday’s links, but it’s worth a RT, I think. I’m SO READY (and also in need of a photo sheet, as there’s a few that I can’t put faces to names to just yet).

In a new story from the Columbia Tribune’s Eric Blum, we got to hear from the new transfers, and that quote above (about running through walls) is courtesy of K-State transfer DaJuan — remember kids, it’s pronounced DAY-SCHWAN — Gordon, who made this statement while talking about how hard he worked at KSU to get better and how it will translate here in CoMo.

From the article, where DaJuan was asked about why he thought he could improve even more at Mizzou:

“The coaches, they want it. They want to be the best,” Gordon said. “They want to win. The coaches came from the same type of situation I came from in my life. We all grew up the same way. So it’s a pretty good connection because they know exactly how I feel. So there’ll be more of me getting better, just wanting me to get better, just being a sponge and trying to learn everything I can.”

I LOVE THIS. I know that recruiting hasn’t always worked out in Zo’s favor, but this is what he (and the staff he formed) was brought in for— to connect with the players on this kind of level. And connect he has. We’ve seen it work with his previous transfers— Kash, Dru, Drew... just to name a few. These were all guys that came in ready to work hard and lead and are also were, by all accounts, great humans.

When asked about what he looked for when scouting for transfers, Coach Martin said that he and the staff spent a lot of time talking with grassroots coaches, parents, high school coaches, and all sorts of people trying to find out what kind of guy they could be getting. Because fit is everything, and the coaching staff is selective. After all, Mizzou isn’t trying to be Arkansas, offering quite literally everyone in the portal.

From Martin, in the same article :

The obvious part for me, is he a good guy, you like being around him?” Martin said of the fresh faces in Columbia. “Does he have a work ethic? You saw Kassius, Dru Smith, those guys have a work ethic. And then with the guys that are coming in now and the transfers, those guys are able to make individual plays, they can make a shot and I think they have good size. I think all those things are very helpful.

Be sure to check out the article to see what Boogie and Ronnie Three-Sticks had to say as well. It was a really nice story, and makes me so pumped for the new season.

Keeping with hoops news, but switching over to Robin Pingeton’s squad, it looks like Coach P has got the team working HARD and ready to run through a wall for her. I love this tweet as a peak behind the curtain.

Onto the Links!

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Nate previewed the Texas A&M game, reminding us that no matter how good A&M has been, only twice in the this millennium have the Aggies have beaten Missouri.
• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Sam asked if Aidan Shaw is Zo’s most important recruit. Nate published a two-parter on Mizzou Football about the quality of the program and recruiting.
• COMING UP: The “Team Missouri” DL is awarded. Who will win?

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More Links:

Football

• In a new episode of the Eye on the Tigers podcast, BenFred & Matter break down how the the Supreme Court ruling stopping NCAA from capping educational benefits to student athletes could lead to the dismantling of the amateurism model.
• Dave Matter covered the news that college football is getting closer to an expanded 12-team playoff.
• Just in time for a new season, new turf!

Hoops

• In women’s hoops recruits news, Grain Valley’s Grace Slaughter, a Mizzou commit, was named to the USA National U-16 team after a week of trials in Indy, according to Bill Althaus of the Examiner (via the Columbia Tribune).
• According to insider Jon Rothstein, we have some matchups for the Tigers in the Jacksonville Classic, and Matthew J Harris weighs in:

• While we don’t really know if this relates to basketball, it’s a nice little bit of perspective from two of our newest transfers:

• Loving the sneaker game from Pingeton’s staff, especially those Air Forces:

Mizzou in the Olympics (AKA Karissa Time)

• THE MIZZOU TRACK QUEEN SPEAKS!

• In light of Karissa making the Olympic team (!!!), Trumans Tales’ Kyle Jones looked at other former other notable Mizzou Tiger olympians. Noticeably missing from this list is silver medalist shot putter Christian Cantwell, but he does make an appearance on this list at MUTigers.com, which was released before the last Olympics in 2016.
• The Trib’s Eric Blum also wrote about Karissa’s historic night, and how she becomes the first Track & Field Olympian since the aforementioned Cantwell, who medaled in Beijing in 2008. The last person to medal overall with Mizzou ties? J’den Cox, of course, who won the bronze in Rio. (mutters about stupidity of qualifier issue which kept him from being there again)

From her former Mizzou XC coach, Mark Burns:

We are so happy for Karissa to achieve the first step of a lifelong goal to be an Olympian,” Missouri head cross country coach Marc Burns said in a statement. “Now it is time to get ready to make a podium run. Her dream started in Des Moines and became something very real during her time as a Tiger. The Bowerman Track Club has continued to nurture her dream.

Mizzou in the Pros

• In the new Ten Hochman, Benjamin chats about how Michael Sam’s coming out led the way for the Raiders’ Carl Nassib.
• I mean… this is just hilarious to me. Mad Mizzou Max is looking mighty… mad. I think it’s the eyes that make him look especially unhinged in some of the videos, to be honest. He’s channeling my fave former Cardinal, Chris Carpenter, and I’m here for it.

• OMG, this is the CUTEST. Thank you for sharing, Chase Daniel.

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