Mizzou Links: Bud Sasser is underrated, and Shane Ray's stock is uncertain

What's On

Good luck, Coach.

The Trib: Fuller leaving Missouri basketball staff
Post-Dispatch: Fuller leaves Mizzou basketball staff
PowerMizzou: The first domino falls

Draft stock check

The Trib (David Morrison): NFL Draft Stock Update: Morse on the rise, Ray slipping a bit

The internet can't really decide what to do with Ray.

Some sites, most likely banking on his production as a junior at Missouri, are keeping him up in the top 10 like he was when the draft season started.

Some sites, most likely taking into consideration the toe injury he's been nursing and the average performance at the Tigers' pro day last week, seem to have him sliding down the boards ever so slightly.

He's going to have to prove he's either powerful enough to last with his hand in the dirt at the next level despite his somewhat slight frame, or he's fast and athletic enough to be a stand-up rusher on the outside.

Rotoviz: Bud Sasser: Underrated Prospect

You’ll notice Sasser is a much better prospect than anyone else in the table. His production numbers are the best of the group, he’s only slower than Evan Spencer, who has almost literally no college production, and Jake Kumerow, who is over 10 pounds smaller than him and played D3 ball, and he’s only older than the aforementioned Spencer and Devante Davis, who he outclasses as an athlete and significantly outproduced.

One concern with Sasser is that he’s a little bit of a Buster Douglas prospect; in 2013 he only had a 12 percent market share of Missouri’s receiving yards, fourth on the team behind two seniors and Dorial Green-Beckham. Then in 2014 there was nobody left ahead of Sasser on the depth chart and he broke out. How big of a concern is this? Digging into Sasser’s advanced stats, we see that he only averaged 8.0 yards per target, which is slightly concerning but is easy to rationalize when you account for the fact that his quarterback only averaged 6.4 yards/attempt on the 2014 season.

More on Rhoades

Post-Dispatch: Sampson on Mack Rhoades: 'He's a go-getter'

Q: You touched on Kim Anderson earlier, and Kim has mentioned you as someone he spent time with when he worked in the Big 12. From what you know about Kim, what makes you think he’s the right coach to turn around Missouri’s program?

A: He won a championship. You don’t win a national championship because you’re a good guy. Great guys don’t win championships. Great coaches do. Much like us here, he didn’t inherit an ideal situation. Understand this: Whoever was going to be the head coach at Missouri this year was going to lose. I don’t care if you put Red Auerbach and John Wooden in there, they were going to lose this year. This year doesn’t define Kim just like this year doesn’t define me. I’m going to enjoy watching the progress Kim has at Missouri because next year’s going to be better. The following year will be even better.

The goals at Missouri and Houston this year was not to win a conference championship. It was to  establish culture, lay a foundation, make sure those kids remain. I finished the year with seven scholarship players. Seven. When you go into certain programs, kids are going to leave. We had almost 600 kids transfer (in Division I last year). I’ve been out of college basketball for a few years and the biggest difference to me is kids just pick up and leave because things aren’t going good today. I’m sure Kim ran into that just like I  did. We started last April with five scholarships. We were signing bodies in May just to get through this season. We’re having a good recruiting class and were going to be a lot better next year. So will Missouri.

Two steps from the WNIT final four

Tomorrow at 6pm CT in Ann Arbor.

MUTIGERS.COM: Tigers Look for Another Postseason Win at Michigan

And my cousin didn't even get the win :(

MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou Baseball Falls to UAPB, 8-3
The Missourian: Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeats Missouri baseball 8-3

Wait, #TeamStubble is allowed to play home games (eventually)?

BORDER SKIRMISH
MUTIGERS.COM: Mizzou Softball Heads to Lindenwood to Face Border Rival Illinois

HOME GAMES

Fifth top-3 of the year

MUTIGERS.COM: Tigers Take Third at Middleburg Bank Intercollegiate