Except if he finds someone really good, of course…

Drink was back to meeting with the media on Thursday, this time solely with the local media. He chatted about a lot of topics, ranging from shopping (for transfers) to NIL to injury updates. Let’s check in, shall we?

First up, that shopping cart. He’s only after “products” (people) who will be good for multiple years. None of those dollar store players, y’all.

Moving on.

As for an injury updates, Daniel Robledo currently has an upper-body injury and will be out til mid-October (the bye week). Perhaps this is why the Tigers targeted Baylor DT transfer, Josh Landry? As for good news, Ennis Rakestraw, Martez Manuel, Ky Montgomery and Kris Abrams-Draine are fully cleared for summer practices. Yay! I feel like Rake has been injured for years.

Moving on once more.

Per my bud Max Baker, who’s freelancing for the KC Star this summer, here’s a list of all the newcomers. That’s… a lot. I think I read there’s 40 (!) of them?!?

As for those already on campus, Drink shared this:

Prepare ‘em for the future in the NFL.... well, some of them anyway!

On to the links!

SIDE NOTE: How bout those Celtics, huh? Jaylen Brown(ie), A+ human, was coached by Cuonzo Martin at Cal. I really just wanted a reason to share my favorite NBA Paint graphic…

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Matthew Smith started part 1 (of 11) of his weight class previews: 125 pounds
• Aaron’s Build Your Favorite Player series is back and features wide receivers

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More Links:

Football

• A very special Homecoming visitor? Perhaps Finebaum will be in town. Also, thanks to DRF for the J-school shoutout. Even if Finebaum’s son decided not to attend my beloved place of employment, per Dean Kraxberger.

• The Tribune’s Matt Stahl tells readers what Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz had to say about QBs, NIL and SEC scheduling.
• Max Baker asked, who will be the Mizzou Tigers’ starting QB this fall? The competition will be ongoing at workouts.
• The KC Star’s Blair Kerkhoff asked, if the SEC expands its football schedule, what teams would Missouri prefer to face?
• PowerMizzou’s Gaber DeArmond wrote, the 2022 roster is mostly set for Mizzou.
• Dave Matter wrote a couple pieces for STL Today, including how the upcoming MLB draft played pivotal role in Mizzou’s pursuit of QB transfer, and about while the fireworks were kept to a minimum in Destin, the SEC’s coaches have concerns over the sport’s future.
• The Missourian’s Jack Knowlton wrote about Drinkwitz’s comments on Missouri’s QB battle.
• Another note:

Other Mizzou Sports

• Way to go, Kim!!!! What a great way to end your softball career!

• Such a deserving honor, and love that she praised her teammates.

• Look at you, smarties! Mizzou continues to focus on the the STUDENT part of student-athlete, which I love. From MUTigers.com:

The 3.20 GPA marked the 11^th-consecutive semester with a 3.0 overall or higher GPA and the third-straight above a 3.20 GPA as a department. In Fall 2021, the department’s student-athletes set a record 3.22 overall GPA.

For Spring 2022, 56 student-athletes received a 4.0 GPA and 332 recorded above a 3.0. Additionally, 201 student-athletes received Dean’s List honors which made it the fifth-straight semester with more than 200 members of the athletic department on the Dean’s List.

Tops on the list women’s swim & dive, with a 3.72 GPA. It’s their sixth-straight semester above a 3.5 and have recorded at least a 3.0 in EVERY semester on record.

Also hovering around the 3.5 range, which is incredible given that these athletes spend so much time working on their athletic craft, is a whole lot of women’s sports: golf (3.65), gymnastics (3.49 | 12th straight semester above a 3.0), soccer (3.55), softball (3.46), and tennis (3.65).

The highest GPA among the dudes? Men’s golf with a 3.26 GPA. I’d imagine track’s GPA was pretty high too as they had someone with a 4.0 and 16 making the Dean’s List, but their overall numbers weren’t listed.

• Steve Bieser’s squad is also lightin’ it up in the classroom.

• The SEC announced their conference track & field awards Thursday, and SIX Tigers were honored! Congrats to: First Team All-SEC honoree Mitch Weber (discus), Second Team All-SEC Georgi Natchez (triple jump), All-Freshman team honorees Isabella Sokolova (heptathlon) and Rece Rowan (discus), and Community Service Team members Mikayla Reed and Christopher Conrad.

Hoops

• Dre Gholston has been hard at work. Lookin good, sir!

• Aidan’s moving “home” tomorrow! To have Mr Shaw on campus finally is just delightful. Just need to get his all-star sister into Tigers gear, too.

• According to PowerMizzou’s Mitchell Forde, three-star wing Jordan Burks is planning to visit soon.
• So… if you look at the stats alone and consider literally nothing else, such as WHY this person left the university, then maybe I can see how this person was selected (I argue J3 was the “one who got away.” However, ignoring the very reason he was forced out of Mizzou misses part of the story. Anyway, read it and make your own determination of who the best transfers have been and sound off in the comments.

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