What's On
A fun game of Word Association with Gary Pinkel:
"We needed a catalyst when we got here. Needed a difference maker. And a young guy from Youngstown, Ohio, Brad Smith, he redshirted his first year, and the rest was history. ... Remarkable young man. We all know that."
The catalyst doesn't always get the glamorous locales that the later stars do -- he's too busy helping to drag a program out of the mud ... or lead program-changing comebacks in Shreveport.
Shreveport Times: I-Bowl 40 in 40: Former Missouri quarterback is No. 21
Only No. 21? #disrespect
Okay, fine, since you requested it...
Odom
Inside STL: Dave Matter: New Missouri Coach Barry Odom 'All Substance, Super Intense'
On Rhoades saying he felt Odom was the right fit early on in the process:
"The first interview, when he had him over to his house for four or five hours...he knew this was the right guy, right temperament, right demeanor, right fit. But then he said his head had to sort out things. I think it was smart of him to go talk to other people to...if anything...reaffirm that Odom was the right guy. I think that's the best way to do these things, to branch out and have an open mind." [...]
What makes strength and conditioning coach Pat Ivey so special?
"He's important to the program. He's like a Touchstone for these players. They are with him constantly in the offseason. All these guys swear by him. Not just his technique in the weight room, but his leadership and his personality and all the mental conditioning stuff he works on with them. He's been a staple to the athletic department and the football program especially. I think it was a win for Barry Odom."
I don't know...
...maybe because Fuente didn't appear even slightly interested? Call it a hunch.
ESPN.com: SEC coaching hires fail to capture much attention
Kirby Smart could turn out to be the answer at Georgia; Will Muschamp could have a solid second act at South Carolina; and Barry Odom might be the right person to carry on the work Gary Pinkel left behind at Missouri. But you're telling me that three former defensive coordinators are going to capture the nation’s attention? The only thing people are asking right now is, "Why?"
Why didn’t Georgia pursue someone with more experience?
Why didn’t Missouri go harder after Fuente?
9-0!
Mizzou scored the first 21 points of the game with the first 10 coming from sisters Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo) and Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo). Sophie scored the first seven points before her older sister knocked down a triple to make it 10-0. LMU didn't get on the board until the 3:07 mark of the first quarter.
Sophie Cunningham led all scorers with 23 points, going 9-11 from the field and a perfect 3-3 beyond the arc. She also had five rebounds, tied a career-high with three assists and notched two assists.
Throughout the game, 11 Tigers entered the scoring column while 13 players again saw significant minutes. It was the fourth time this season that the team has had 11 players record points.
The Trib: MU women match best start in program history with rout of LMU
So uh ... damn
MUtigers.com: Sam Tierney Wins National Title at AT&T Winter Nationals
Former Mizzou swimmer Sam Tierney won the men's 100 breast national title at the 2015 USA Swimming AT&T Winter National Championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash., this past weekend.
Tierney was the top seed after preliminaries after a morning swim of 1:00.27. He then swam a lifetime best 1:00.15 in finals to claim his first-ever national title, while defeating a pair of former Olympians in the race.
He also placed third at the 200 breast at the National Championships, with a finals time of 2:12.49.