Have such a bad national reputation right now?  No votes in either poll, and considered to be in the bottom half of the Big 12 by almost every "expert."  Seems bizarre given that they've lost by a total of ten points to a ranked Oklahoma State team in Stillwater and Arkansas, a nearly-top-ten team on a neutral field.  Am I expecting voters/experts to pay too close attention to details?  The results give me no reason to believe that A&M isn't just as good as every team in the Big 12 except for Nebraska and Oklahoma (I'd say they're just as good as OSU given their 3 point loss on the road).  I would say that Missouri has to play a near-perfect game to win on Saturday and while the line agrees with that perception, nationally people seem to think A&M sucks.  Why?

Thus far Missouri hasn't faced a challenge severe enough for short-yardage situations to truly come into focus.  Yes, the Bowling Green game was tight, but not because we were matched up with a top-flight team.  I'm concerned about games against Nebraska, Texas, OkSt and Kansas where the size of an opposing team's defensive line will likely create decisive short-yardage situations.  In the recent past -- as you all know -- Missouri has refused to modify its spread offense in short-yardage situations and the results have been horrifying.  Recent disasters/games against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State come to mind in particular.  While Missouri has this year shown more willingness to bring Gabbert under center for sneaks, it still doesn't seem to have any prototypical short-yardage scheme.  And if Missouri doesn't find something to do in short-yardage situations besides run the sneak, my guess is that failure will again be common when we need a yard against big-time teams.  Does anyone out there understand why Missouri's coaches have shown such resistance to implementing a standard goalline set (i.e., cut down offensive line splits, two tight-ends, a fullback, etc)?  Its almost like the coaches think that non-spread formations are contagious and if they run one occassionally it will taint the spread.  Any ideas?

is having surgery today to repair a torn ligament in his elbow according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  That snipet is at the end of a nice little article about the players' reaction to Anderson staying with Missouri.  Also some commentary on the departing seniors.  I particularly like the discussion of the Marquette players/fans reaction to Tiller "faking" his injury in the context of his impending surgery.  Here is the link....

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/mizzou/story/F5892BBA94576E9E86257592000B4708?OpenDocument

Have a good Easter.

[Ed. note: Bumped from FanPosts, which reflect the viewpoints of our members and not necessarily those of the RMN editorial staff.]

According to a St. Louis-area sports station, the University of Kentucky has hired Calipari to a seven-year contract worth over $30 million.  The University of Memphis has, in turn, told Mike Anderson not to sign anything before the two parties have a chance to talk.  I love Mike Anderson and I think that Missouri will routinely be in the Sweet 16 with him at the helm, but I am virtually certain he would leave Missouri for Memphis.  Especially since Memphis is likely to surpass the $1.5 million cap that Missouri has allegedly placed on Anderson's new contract.

UPDATE 1: Subject of post changed to more accurately reflect the post's subject matter.

UPDATE 2: Since there was another post about the same thing, the link from that post has been moved into this one to try to streamline where the chatter is.

Live Feed of Memphis News Discussing Potential Coaching Changes

UPDATE 3: PowerMizzou is reporting that as of 3:30pm, Memphis had not yet contacted Missouri for permission to talk to Anderson.  Who knows what may happen in the next few days, but we probably shouldn't jump the gun with speculation based off of inaccurate information.

UPDATE 4: Really...just to appeal to the ridiculous nature of this whirlwind, evidently new-kid-on-the-St. Louis sports radio-block 101.1 ESPN is reporting Anderson's agent is currently meeting with Georgia's AD.

A response to my thread regarding East Coast bias was given that neat green tint for being so well-reasoned.  That response suggested that the Big 12 was having a down year and that neither MU/OU/KU could break into the top four in the Big East.  I think this is crap...so please read.  I WANT A GREEN TINT TOO!!!!!

Lets look at the top 3 of each league....RPIs are as of Thursday night except USC which I bumped a little for beating UCLA last night...

Missouri beat.: (1) USC/RPI 45; (2)Cal/RPI 41; (3) OKST twice/RPI 18; (4) at Texas/RPI 34; (5) Kansas/RPI 9; (6) Oklahoma/RPI 5.

Kansas beat: (1) Missouri/RPI 14; (2) Oklahoma/RPI 5; (3) Washington/RPI 12; (4) Temple/RPI 39; (5) Tennesse/RPI 24; (6) Siena/RPI 20; (7) Texas A&M/RPI 27; (8) OKST/RPI 18; (9) Texas/RPI 34.

Oklahoma beat: (1) Texas/RPI 34; (2) OKST twice/RPI 18; (3) Purdue/RPI 33; (4) USC/RPI 41; (5) Utah/RPI 13; (6) Texas A&M twice/RPI 27

11 WINS VS. RPI TOP 20.....13 WINS VS. RPI 20 to 50

TOTAL: 24 TOP 50 WINS

Louisville: (1) Minnesota/RPI 36; (2) Villanova twice/RPI 11; (3) Pitt/RPI 1; (4) 'Cuse/RPI 15; (5) WV twice/RPI 19; (6) Marquette/RPI 32.

Pittsburg: (1) Siena/RPI 20; (2) FLorida St/RPI 17; (3) 'Cuse/RPI 15; (4) WV twice/RPI 19; (5) UCON twice /RPI 6; (6)Marquette/RPI 32.

Connecticut: (1) Wisconsin/RPI 40; (2) Gonzaga/RPI 29; (3) WV/RPI 19; (4) Villanova/RPI 11; (5) Louisville/RPI 8; (6) Michiagan/RPI 43; (7) 'Cuse/RPI 15; (8) Marquette/RPI 32.

16 WINS VS. RPI TOP 20.....7 WINS Vs. RPI 20 to 50

TOTAL: 23 TOP 50 WINS

While the Big East's top three have more wins versus the top 20 RPI that is simply a product of facing such teams more often.  The same rationale can be used to understand why against teams in the 20 to 50 RPI, the Big 12's top 3 have more wins than their counterparts from the Big East.  The conclusion?  It is terribly difficult to establish the supremacy of the Big East's top three over the Big 12's top three. At the very least, their schedules/results prove that they're much closer than the media would have you think.  Moreover, its absurd to suggest that the Big East should get three number 1 seeds given the above facts.

I don't want to sound like a spoil-sport so tell me if thats what I'm being...but I'm missing the "best game ever" nature of the 'Cuse/Connecticut game.  Yes it was phenominally long and it was cool that players that never sniff the court got to play at prime time because everyone else had fouled out.  But what is so wonderful about:

(1) Some ass-clown embarrassing himself by standing on the press table because he made a shot after the game had ended?  How juvenile is that guy?  Didn't he get into some sort of trouble earlier in the year (legal maybe)?  I get being excited, but how about trying a little respect.

(2) The fact that neither team had the spine/skill/nerve to hit a game winning shot for six straight five minute periods?

(3) Watching two arrogant, self-indulgent -- albeit wonderfully successful -- coaches bytch and whine for over three hours?

Anyone notice that the loses of Kansas and Oklahoma didn't prove the depth of the Big 12 but rather its weakness to the national media?  Why is it that when a Big East "power" is upset its because that league is so amazingly stacked?  I, for example, don't believe that 'Cuse could beat Texas or OSU on a neutral court 4 out of ten times....

WHAT GIVES.

Missouri goes into Allen and starts terrible against a GREAT KU team that is on fire and gets whipped, Kansas starts awful against an ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE but hot Tech team and is losing by 10 with three to go.

Anyone want to re-reflect on Sunday’s game? Or is everything still so clear?

Funny how the final score on Sunday couldn’t just be because MU played terribly. Nope according to most of you, Kansas was/is just way better than Missouri. Maybe now that you’ve had an awful game — other than UMASS — you might appreciate how things can go south, even against a dreadful team. At least Missouri lost to a GREAT team at a famous venue on Sunday, you guys are getting it handed to you by a team with 2 wins in conference.

Last, you’re welcome for the Big 12 Championship — we beat OU with Griffin!

(1) Missouri got whipped on Sunday...no doubt.

(2) A lot of people on here have been saying that Missouri isn't very good if the opposing team takes care of the ball.  And, from their perspective, Sunday was proof of that position.  I think that is nonsense. Consider:

a. Missouri missed eight uncontested -- even by high school standards -- lay-ups in the first-half of Sunday's game.  That's sixteen points that were thrown away.

b. Kanas shot an absurd percentage of 56% from the field and 57% from behind the arc.

Now, if you change NO other factors in the game other than giving Missouri those open lay-ups and reducing Kansas' scorching percentage to a still sizzling 50% -- which I think is fair because Kansas is not going to shoot that well again this season, certainly not from behind the arc -- the margin of 25 is reduced to by 22 points (sixteen on MU's lay-ups and six points by taking KU's percentage down to 50%). 

There may be those of you how think that I am being ridiculous but I'm really not asking for much of a leap.  No one who watched that game could avoid noting how many lay-ups MU was missing when NO ONE was around them.  Similarly, Kansas' season average is 48% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc.  All I'm asking you to do is give Missouri those uncontested lay-ups and take Kansas from an absurd percentage down to a percentage that is STILL well above the season average.  If you do those two things for me, I think you'll agree that MU is plenty good regardless of whether or not the other team makes a horrendous number of turnovers.

Disagree if you like, maybe we'll get to see in the Big 12 Tourney or maybe we'll learn more on Wednesday night in Columbia.

Thanks!

Game over.

You can't go into Allen and miss eight lay-ups and the front-end of three one and ones during the first twenty minutes, and expect to compete.  And certainly not when Kansas is shooting/playing well.  Couldn't have been much more disparate performances. GAME OVER. 

GAME OVER. 

GAME OVER. 

GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. GAME OVER. 

Yes, I am looking past Kansas State in Columbia tomorrow -- maybe a mistake but I can't help it!  I have to write this post in response to the comments that have been made about "misery."  To be clear, I have been a Missouri fan every since before Derek Chievous, Anthony Peeler, Doug Smith, Keon Dooling, Ricky Paulding, Clarence Gilbert and so on.  In other words, despite whether claims to the contrary, I do not have an inferiority complex with regard to Kansas.  While Missouri has never won a national championship, the Tigers are traditionally a NCAA tourney team and have given us Mizzou fans plenty to cheer about.  Just as the Boston/Chicago fans never wanted to switch seats with the Yankees of Cardinals, we MU fans are happy where we are.

All that said, do I think we'll win in Lawrence on SUnday?  Hell no!  Only a fool would think that likely.  I give us about a 25% chance.  What would it take?  A close game at half-time.  Because Missouri turns the pressure up so much in the second half and because they are so deep, I think if Missouri is within 5 at half-time they win.  That said, I don't expect Missouri to be within 5 at half-time.  I'll give two predictions.

75% chance: Kansas 84 - Missouri 72

25% chance: Missouri 88 - Kansas 84

Don't be too mean to me on Sunday, I expect us to lose.  That is, unless we get lucky like you guys did in Norman with Griffin and Aldrich doesn't play a minute.  In that case, we -- like you guys in Norman -- will win a game on a fluke.

i can just imagine what was going through all of our heads (or most of them)..."missouri is over-rated, we're awesome"...but I don't have to imagine, all i have to do is look at the mid-game/late-game posts on this site to see what was going through your heads and undoubtedly the heads of the KU players on the court...that said, KU is a VERY good team, each team played well for a half...hopefully we have a more balanced game in lawrence (where i'm sure ku will win)

MISSOURI WILL RISE FROM THE DEAD ON MONDAY NIGHT...A TOP 4 SEED IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT WILL FOLLOW...ONLY LOSS THE REST OF THE SEASON IN LAWRENCE....MISSOURI FINISHES 25-5 BEFORE BIG 12 TOURNEY.  ATTACHED IS A NON-BIASED STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR MY POSITION...MIZ...ZOU...

LET US NEVER REMEMBER QUIN SNYDER FROM MONDAY NIGHT FORWARD!!!!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/121379-lurking-quietly-beneath-the-radar-mizzou-welcomes-you-to-tiger-country