#Mizzou Links: Softball's SEC tourney comes to an end and more on "the" rivalry talk

What's On

Checking in on two of Mizzou's track stars.  (Who are wisely opposed to snow)

Softball's SEC tourney run comes to a halt.

Tigers bounced from SEC tourney

Auburn eliminated Missouri from the SEC softball tournament with a 5-2 quarterfinal win Thursday in Baton Rouge, La. Auburn, the No. 2 seed, managed just four hits off MU starter Paige Lowary (16-4) but capitalized on two errors and came through with timely defense.

Sloppy defense hurts tigers in loss vs. Auburn

What's next

MU will await its NCAA Tournament seed, which will be released Sunday night. The Tigers likely will be seeded in the No. 9 to 16 range, which would mean MU would host a regional but would not be guaranteed of hosting a super regional. Top-eight seeds are guaranteed to host a super regional, should they advance that far.

And for those who don't read the links, the SEC tourney preview piece ended with this note:

Kingsley plans to forgo her final year of eligibility. Kingsley tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the 2013 season and tore it again before last season, causing her to miss all of 2014. She has appeared as a spot starter in left field this year and as a reserve, posting a .318 average.

Redshirt junior outfielder Kayla Kingsley was among those honored during MU’s senior-day celebration Saturday.

"She said there’s just so much pain in her knee that it’s taken all the fun out of softball for her," Earleywine said.

Good luck to her in whatever chapter comes next, that sounds miserable.

Speaking of Diamond Sports

From mutigers.com: #21 Mizzou heads to #1 LSU this weekend

LSU tigers prepare for big test this weekend

LSU baseball may be the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, but they have a very dangerous opponent to face this weekend, and one that they cannot afford to take lightly.

#LSU-#Mizzou weekend pitching matchups: pic.twitter.com/QcLBfNsgGZ

— Ross Dellenger (@DellengerAdv) May 7, 2015

Football Notes

How prepared are teams in replacing their #1 pick? (And I'll save you the time...)

Filed under "Expect a setback, but not much of one"

23. Shane Ray, DE
College team: Missouri
NFL team: Broncos
Next man up: Charles Harris and Marcus Loud won the starting end jobs at D Line ZOU this spring after combining for 33 tackles (five for loss) as rookies. If Harris' production can match his physique, expect NFL buzz.

How valuable is Russell Hansbrough?

Hansbrough had the fifth-most carries for any tailback in the SEC last season and managed a respectable 5.29 average, better than 2015 NFL draft selections T.J. Yeldon, Matt Jones, Mike Davis and Kenny Hilliard.

But he won’t be listed on any preseason ‘Who’s Who’ in SEC backfields. He’ll simply do what he has always done and that’s lower his shoulder, deliver a seismic collision and keep it moving.

And ICYMI and/or refuse to acknowledge the front page, FU talked with Denver's SBN page on Ray

Basketball Notes

Hanging out with HCKA

#Mizzou's Team Picnic at @CoachAndersonMU's house got the whole crew together last night! #MIZ #Family pic.twitter.com/jNe8DBrozC

— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouHoops) May 7, 2015

Incoming women's freshman Sophie Cunningham invited to U19 World Team Trials

Could another Tiger join the Lakers?

LA to pursue DeMarre Carroll

Adding Carroll into the mix in Los Angeles would definitely be an upgrade for the Lakers in more ways than one. Carroll is a solid defender and will be coming off a career-year with the Atlanta Hawks in which he averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Signing Carroll may come with a fair amount of risk considering his play may be a product of the system in Atlanta. Carroll has thrived under reigning NBA Coach of the Year, Mike Budenholzer, and it remains to be seen if he can be as productive in another system after signing a lucrative deal this summer.

Carroll is arguably the best option at small forward of the unrestricted free agents expected to hit the open market come July 1. All other top-tier small forwards either have a player option or will be restricted free agents in the off-season.

Speaking of the Lakers, Clarkson's important role in rebuilding.

"Byron (Scott) put him in the starting lineup," Kupchak said. "And to Jordan’s credit from day one, he embraced the opportunity and got better and better as the season went on."

Scott, who put a lot of time into developing his young charge, concurred with that sentiment during his own exit interview, also per the team's website.

"There was a point in the season when we looked at him and said, 'This kid can play,' " Scott said. "'And he’s going to get better if he continues to work and continues to keep that hunger. So yeah, we've got a nice little piece here.' "

SEC coaching carousel:  Florida hires Michael White (from Louisiana Tech)

Meet the new AD and (more on) bringing back "the" rivalry

Coaches' caravan to be in Springfield on 5/12

The least the jayhawks can do is listen

And funny how the conversation is at least creeping onto the table again, and creeping in at a time when new faces are sliding into the head chairs in Columbia. Chancellor Brady Deaton retired in November 2013. Alden is doing the same at the end of this summer. There's even chatter among SEC types that Texas A&M and Texas may find a way to get back on speaking terms again. And how is a world in which the 'Horns are playing the Aggies in football and the Jayhawks are playing the Tigers in basketball not a better place?

"I just think the biggest losers in all of it are the fans and the student-athletes and the coaches," Rhoades said. "And maybe, sometimes, we all -- including myself -- lose sight of that. And I think we need to remember that. And again, hopefully, we would find a way where we could resume playing each other here in the future."

Friday Musings:

Mizzou in medical news:  Potential new painkiller offers longer lasting effects

"Because of its versatility and effectiveness at quickly numbing pain in targeted areas, lidocaine has been the gold standard in local anesthetics for more than 50 years," said George Kracke, Ph.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "While lidocaine is effective as a short-term painkiller, its effects wear off quickly. We developed a new compound that can quickly provide longer lasting relief. This type of painkiller could be beneficial in treating sports injuries or in joint replacement procedures."

Fifteen words to eliminate from your vocabulary... literally!   (More fun, guess the fifteen beforehand, easily a handful have been debated on RMN.)

Sharknado?  Old news.   Tigernado is now the latest thing.

Happy Friday, y'all!