I'd just like to point out that it's only about 63 hours to kickoff...
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Mizzou Volleyball jumped out to take the first two games at Colorado last night (live on Fox Sports Midwest!), looking unbelievable in the process. They then proceeded to let up and lose the next two games before regaining their footing and pulling things out in Game 5. That's the third time in Big 12 play that they've blown a 2-0 lead (the fourth time this season), and the second time they've gone ahead and won anyway. The big news in the 30-20, 30-19, 26-30, 28-30, 15-9 win was that freshman Weiwen "Wendy" Wang had one of the best matches I've ever seen from a Tiger: 19 kills (0 errors!), a .559 kill %, and a Mizzou record 12 blocks. That's sick! Since moving to middle blocker (where she's undersized at 6'0, but makes up for it with a Jamonte Robinson-like wingspan), she's really taken off. Her play, combined with the efforts of Megan Wilson and Catie Wilson, has allowed the Tigers to begin to move on from the loss of Julianna Klein. Mizzou is now 2-4 in Big 12 play (they've won two in a row), and they get lowly Texas Tech at Hearnes, 2pm on Saturday.
According to mutigers.com, W.I.N. Magazine has Mizzou Wrestling #6 in the nation in their preseason poll. Not bad considering they'll be replacing their best wrestler of all-time. A VERY strong recruiting class comes in, and.......yeah, I'm treading on The Beef's territory here. I'll just say they're going to be really good.
We've got a fun disagreement between our two main recruiting services. Inside Mizzou says "Tigers Play Down Importance of Nebraska Game", while PowerMizzou says "Yes, Tigers Admit, It's a Big Game." Good times. They're both right, by the way...it is a SUPER-important game, but it's going to take more than one big win to win the North this year.
And while we're linking on PM, Gabe says Mizzou has an opportunity to "catch" Nebraska Saturday. He makes a good point, though tradition and history still matter...and as long as NU is doing just well enough to continue selling out that giant stadium of theirs, they've probably got a 'bigger' program than we do.
Dave Matter has a nice feature on Tony Temple's development from moody and inconsistent to...well, not moody and inconsistent. Matter also goes "Inside the Numbers" on Nebraska.
Mike Dearmond features Van Alexander, making his first Big 12 start on Saturday after a couple of injury-plagued seasons. My 'Beyond the Box Score' pieces really don't like Van very much...here's to hoping he has a career game Saturday.
Vahe Gregorian, fresh off a nice Chase Daniel piece, decided he needs to be fair and balanced, I guess. Here's his piece on Sam Keller. Meanwhile, Graham Watson takes a look at the Mizzou offense and its week-to-week wrinkles.
Finally, Pinkel says, "No rushing the field!" I agree with him. You don't rush the field for beating a team ranked lower than you.
It’s the first official Mizzou Roundtable! Just like The Mizzou Exchange rips off Bill Simmons’ “Curious Guy” bit, this idea very clearly rips off the “Like Father, Unlike Son” bit over at PowerMizzou (along with about 1,350 other similar bits), but...well...I say it’s an original idea because nobody has done a roundtable with this specific group of people.
So without further adieu...joining me for this are Doug, ZouDave, The Beef, Michael Atchison, and Trripleplay. I never ended up with Bill C’s answers, and I will add them if I get them.
As we prepare for another school year's worth of college sports, what was your favorite (college sports) moment of 2006-07?
Doug: The most enjoyable moment of the 06-07 college sports season? For me, it was the entire college basketball season.
David Stern's implementation of draft eligibility requirements for the 2006 draft, paid big dividends for this season of basketball. Without those limitations in place, one can be fairly certain both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant would have jumped straight from high school to the NBA and spent most of the season sitting on the bench (certainly collecting a big paycheck, but that's besides the point).
Instead both wound up creating one of the most exciting college seasons in recent memory, Durant by being an offensive force of nature and Oden by dominating with one hand, his off-hand even. Together, the two provided some of the most memorable performances and games, combining to create one great season. Granted, we still had to deal with Joakim Noah, but Durant and Oden provided high-energy, athletic play without the dramatics or the ponytail.
On a more regional scale, Durant offered up plenty of Big 12 Conference dramatics. Consider the triple overtime game against Oklahoma State, the double overtime win over Texas A&M, the regular season championship on the line against Kansas and the Big 12 Tournament title overtime, also against the Jayhawks. I think it is without a stretch that if you were to pick the top 5 in most memorable Big 12 conference games this season, Texas would be included in at least four of those games.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Durant and the Longhorns did not see the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Some would blame Rick Barnes for his inability to call a set offense instead of relying so much of his freshman uber-star, and while I don't think that's too far off, Durant never seemed to hit the "wall", still turning in 40 minutes and 30 points against USC in the second round loss, showing why Barnes never lost faith in him. And, Oden lead Ohio State to the title game, before turning in his best-all-around performance of the season, proving he will be a force in the NBA, especially with two good hands.
It all added up to the most memorable moment of the 2006-07 college season, and almost made me forget about Joakim Noah. Almost.
Michael Atchison: I’m a basketball guy first, but from a purely objective point of view, the most exciting thing I’ve seen in the past twelve months – maybe ever – was Boise State pulling off the Statue of Liberty play to beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. That wasn’t a football game, it was a Rocky movie, with the teams throwing and landing haymaker after haymaker, just unbelievable to watch. And that game only reinforced my view that if we ever get to an eight-team playoff, at least one spot (probably two) should be reserved for non-BCS teams. There’s no point in having non-BCS Division I football unless we’re going to give those schools the chance to play for a title. In a system that’s already stacked against the little guy, Boise State (like Utah a few years back) proved that all those Davids should get their shots against college football’s Goliaths.
From a Mizzou perspective, watching as Ben Askren – the most dominant Tiger athlete ever – made a scorched earth march to another NCAA wrestling title is something I’ll not soon forget, though I only saw that on television. Of all the events I witnessed personally (and there were many), I’ll take the basketball Tigers’ win over Arkansas during the great blizzard of ought-six. I ended up being stranded at the Stoney Creek Inn (along with Senator Kit Bond) for a couple of days, but it was worth it. For me, that was the day Missouri basketball was reborn. Coach Mike Anderson’s team made believers out of a small but exuberant crowd that ringed the court tightly after Randy Wright invited everyone down into the prime seats. We saw a sort of pride, effort and enthusiasm on the floor that had been absent in recent years, and the defense was so hellacious that with about fifteen minutes left in the game, the Razorbacks’ body language unmistakably said “we’ve had enough of this $#!*.” The rest of the season went in fits and starts, but the seeds of future success were certainly planted that night.
The Beef: I will follow Atch’s lead here in a couple of ways. I will include overall college and then a Mizzou sports moment in my answer.
I should have offered to go first since people have already taken my answer, especially on Boise St. I have the highlights of that game DVR’ed and cued up so I can just sit down and watch the last two minutes of regulation and the overtime. And screw Chris Myers for RUINING Ian Johnson’s plan to ask his girlfriend to marry him. Don’t know what I am talking about? Go back and watch his interview with Johnson again post-game. With the cheerleader clearly within ear-shot, he says to Johnson something about planning to ask his girlfriend. The give-away is her reaction to over-hearing Myers saying this….all that planning…out the window.
Anyway, yeah, Rocky movie, haymakers, david and goliath….
For me in Mizzou Sports, it would have to be the Homecoming game against K-state. Mizzou, like the offense was relentless (like the rain) and it completed the tour of the Big XII for me, as Mizzou finally beat the Wildcats as a Big XII team. I had seen every other team lose to us at some point in my Mizzou career, this was the last one to fall. I think they showed a mean streak in that game which they are going to need to have all season this year. I know Coach Pinkel does not like to run it up on teams, and I am with him on that, but the offense needs to be balls to the wall until he calls off the dogs each game. Mizzou needs to carry that intensity all year to make our attainable goals of the North and major step on the national scene.
ZouDave: I'll start out by saying my favorite college moment this year is NOT the past 2 days at work (and it works since I work at a University). Losing the HD of the DHCP server, that is also acting as DNS for about 1/4 of the computers in the system and all of those computers happen to be a minimum of 200 miles away (and up to about 2000 miles away) from where I am is not fun. And it explains the lateness of my reply.
But, once I get done whining like a girl...
My favorite moment of the college season is going to be completely anti-climactic to everyone else's answer, and is based solely on my blind homerism to Mizzou and caring about that above and beyond whatever else might happen in college athletics. My favorite moment of the year was the 1st quarter of the Ole Miss game. The win over Murray State in our first game of '06 meant absolutely nothing, and while it was nice to see Chase tear them in half it was really the only thing that could have happened. There was still PLENTY of doubt about what we had in him and in this team. No more Brad Smith, an offense that we hadn't even seen run properly yet, a QB starting as a true Soph that everyone was calling "sawed off" and we're getting ready to face a SEC team that had just beaten Memphis the week before and had this highly touted QB and this coaching staff coming in from Miami and other places and Ole Miss was supposed to be a team we shouldn't overlook.
Well we didn't overlook them. We overpowered them. We kicked the living crap out of them. And it all started in the 1st quarter, with Mizzou taking the ball first, and this little sawed off QB (last time I will EVER call him that) led his team on an efficient and eye-opening drive that resulted in a Chase Daniel TD run and took less than 4 minutes off of the clock. Mizzou didn't look back until well into October, and it all started with that opening drive against Ole Miss. In an instant, Mizzou fans breathed a sigh of relief that the post-Brad Smith era was in good hands and that there wouldn't be another Corby Jones hangover that leads us into the toilet once again. And in that same instant, other schools had to sit up and pay a little more attention because even though Mizzou graduated something like 71% of its yardage from the year before (named Brad Smith) somehow their offense actually improved. Tony Temple was ripping off 5 yards per carry, the ball was all over the field (7 different receivers on the day), and these 2 newbies named Jared Perry and Danario Alexander showed up immediately to play alongside an already veteran receiving corps of Ekwerekwu, Franklin, and the TE combo from Heaven: T-Ruck and Coffman. And this is weird, but some diver named Wolfert put every single PAT right down the middle and also hit 2 field goals? Oh my.
Even the defense was amazing that day, and in that first quarter. The first play from scrimmage for Ole Miss resulted in a sack. They would be backpedaling against our defensive pressure all day. It was about as big a statement as we could have made in that game. We won 34-7 and it was never that close. Ole Miss' only TD was a gift and we took our foot off the gas in the 4th quarter, even giving Brandon Coleman some time. And congrats to him, he got a rushing TD on the day. That day was the best moment of the year, because my fears were erased and I started to believe this program of ours could actually be going somewhere, and that it was okay to believe that and not always be waiting for and expecting the shoe to drop and Mizzou to mess it all up. Some would argue we did, but I said before the season that if we went 8-4 on the year, winning all of our non-cons and getting out of Texas with 1 win, plus sweeping the kansas schools that I would be a believer. Well, I'm a believer. And it all started on the opening drive against Ole Miss.
Trripleplay: So far no one has identified a favorite college sports moment from 2006-07, so I will.
Without a doubt, the greatest moment this past season for me was on Friday evening on June 1st at Taylor Stadium, just before the first Missouri-Louisville game started, and I found myself standing in Section E, next to Row 4, Seat 1, looking around me and above me at an incredible mass of people - more than I had ever seen at Simmons Field. The sight of over 3,000 people squeezed in there to watch the Mizzou Baseball team in their first Columbmia Regional - i was like a little boy from a poor family waking up on Christmas morning to find the living room crammed full of presents, all with my name on them.
The rest of the weekend was fantastic (except for the final outcome). But that moment is what I will never forget.
The Boy: Duly admonished by trrip, I shall stick to specific moments. From a Mizzou perspective, that moment was when William Moore picked off a Graham Harrell pass and returned it for a TD, making it a) 24-0 Missouri in Lubbock, b) the second straight Harrell pass INT’d for a TD, and c) the exact moment where I thought “This could be a really special season!” Granted, it was only a somewhat special season, one in which Mizzou raced to a 7-1 start and limped to a 1-4 finish—no one can exceed expectations in a more disappointing fashion than Mizzou, huh? But, watching that game at home (and eating Smokin’ Chicks BBQ, I might add), Moore’s INT had me standing on my sofa for a few seconds. No other moment of 2006-07 earned that honor.
On a non-Mizzou level, the best moment had to be the Boise State hook-and-ladder against OU, or as Billy Bob from Varsity Blues called it, “Is this the play where I run down field and act like I’m lost? That play never works!” Granted, it wouldn’t have worked if Billy Bob were catching the pitch, but...seriously, the last five minutes (and OT) of that game were just unparalleled. OU makes a dramatic comeback, capped by a 2-point conversion that took about 16 attempts (and 10 minutes in real time) after penalties. Marcus Walker picks off the next Zabransky pass for the TD, giving OU a sudden, shocking lead. The hook-and-ladder ties it. Peterson rips off a 25-yard TD to start the OT. BSU uses a halfback pass for a TD on their possession, then the Statue of Liberty Play (which I’d never seen work at any level) for the win. Bob Stoops damn near runs off the field, looking like he was escaping a hornet’s nest. Then Ian Johnson proposes. This would have been deemed too unrealistic in a movie script.
What are you most looking forward to for 2007-08?
The Beef: For me, as much as I hate to say it, I am most looking forward to football season. I hate saying that because football impacts me physically, emotionally, psychologically more than any other Mizzou sport. It just gets in me. I will forever remember the ’97 NU game more for what did not happen than the ’03 game for what did happen. So for me, to have a year where the expectations are higher than they have ever been since my arrival to Mizzou (1995) is scary and great. But let’s be honest…it is why I drink before games…I cannot take them sober just because I get so nervous. However, if we make it KC in November with the chance to wrap up the Big XII north (or hopefully wrapped up already)…needless to say, that is going to be SOME afternoon for me.
A close second will be the continued improvement of the Olympic Sports. How will volleyball react to losing the seniors they did, but bringing in the talent on the other side? Wrestling losing Ben Askren from the lineup? What will baseball do (especially given how well Crow and Gibson are DOMINATING the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer)? Softball? Gymnastics? Honestly, the amount of pride those sports generate for me is really high.
Doug: What am I looking forward to the most in 2007-08?
Well, I don't know that I'm looking forward to it, but I'm certainly anticipating what should be a showdown between Mark Mangino and Lew Perkins. Perkins has already gone on record that he expects more out of the KU Football team than a 6 and 6 season. When you consider the amount of capital that's been sunk into the program since Perkins arrived, and he vastly expanded the trend started by Al Bohl, it is quite apparent Perkins is going to be demanding bigger and better results this season and next.
Also, few can not notice KU has an extremely easy non-conference schedule and is still set with the slightly "easier" rotation with the Big 12 South. Plus, K-State is still in a re-building process. If KU Football is going to make a comeback in the state of Kansas, these next two years are cruicial. If a bowl victory is not achieved this season, and the bottom falls out next year (quite likely), Kansas could be back on the market for a head football coach in as little as two year.
Trripleplay: I'm most looking forward to the maturing of the Tiger Baseball pitching staff. Aaron (The) Crow and Kyle (Bob Jr) Gibson are dominating the renowned Cape Cod League this summer. I expect Crow to be in contention for the big XII Pitcher of the Year. Gibson could very well move into the weekend rotation. And then you still have Rick (expect a no-hitter)Zagone, Ian (Throw the Cheese...)Berger, Greg (2-position) Folgia, Scooter(aka Never-Say-Quit) Hicks, et al. I expect a better season than last year.
ZouDave: October 6. I'm looking forward to October 6.
I am pretty confident that Mizzou is going to be 4-0 going into this game against Nebraska (in fact I'll be quite upset if we're not). We have 2 pretty good non-con games to start the year off, but unfortunately both are away from Columbia and I'm going to be unable to attend either of them. Then we get 2 patsies at home (and I'm sure someone will remind me that Western Michigan is not to be taken lightly, blah blah blah, I can take lightly whomever I want. I'm a fan, not a player or coach. They'll do their jobs, I'm going to sit here and expect a walk.) So we really don't get to see any fireworks in Columbia until October 6, and it's the biggest game of the year. There's not another game in the Big XII this year that I'd rather see in person, and that includes Texas vs Oklahoma. I already admitted I'm a homer.
But this game is going to mean SO much to both teams involved, because the loser of this game has such an incredibly steep uphill battle to fight to try and regain the division that it's likely they drop another game they shouldn't because they're so dejected. This matchup has turned into a pretty nasty, feisty little rivalry over the past 4 years. Make no mistake about it, Nebraska and its fans realize that Mizzou is their competition right now. We absolutely MUST win the North immediately if we aim to stay with them, and possibly move ahead of them. It's so crucial it's hard to even think about what it will be like if we don't win. If we don't win that game, I fear the door will be almost shut. If we don't win that game, Missouri is likely going to simply be another Texas Tech. They'll be exciting, they'll be capable of winning 7-9 games in a year, but they'll never really be a threat to win the ones that matter all the time. And while it wouldn't be the worst thing ever to be a perennial Top 30 team that goes to bowls every year, I know that Mizzou fans want more. People from other Big XII schools laugh because Mizzou considers itself a football school, despite not finishing first in the conference since the 60s. Our success and/or lack of it on the football field has absolutely nothing to do with Mizzou being a football school. Mizzou is a football school because of how rabid our fanbase is. There's 50-60,000 people out there every Saturday just DYING for a win. Like Beef said, it's the reason he has to drink before the game because he gets so nervous and can't handle it sober. That's our fanbase. We want it SO badly but it keeps getting yanked away from us when we think it's so close.
Well it will never be closer than October 6, 2007. The atmosphere should top the 2003 game. The intensity should top the 2003 game. The meaning of the outcome certainly tops the 2003 game, and that was the single greatest sporting event I've ever attended. Running into Okie and Beef at midfield after the game and making "snow angels" on the Tiger logo, like we said we would, was just the culmination of the perfect day. We can top it this year. And when we win, there will be no storming the field. That will be a slap in the face to Nebraska; a way to kick them when they're down. A message that beating them has become so common, it's not worth making a big deal out of. Make no mistake, we'll make a big deal out of it, but it will be the 3rd time 5 seasons. Frankly, it will start to get old ;-)
Michael Atchison: Most of the rest of the distinguished panel have focused on football, and, of course, I’m looking forward to September 1 in St. Louis, October 6 in Columbia, November 24 in Kansas City and December 1 in San Antonio, with plenty of Chase to Chase, Chase to Tee, Chase to the ‘Copter, Chase (handing) to Tony, Chase to Tommy, Chase to Maclin, Chase to Danario, Chase to Perry, Chase to Bracey and Chase to JRay (that’s not an offense, it’s an arsenal) mixed in. I’m also looking forward to enough defensive stops so that not every game reminds me of the BYU/San Diego State score-o-ramas of my youth.
But I wouldn’t be me if I weren’t looking ahead to hoops, and I’m excited to see Norm Stewart’s induction into the Hall of Fame, the Tigers cracking the seal on the sensational new Sprint Center, DeMarre’s debut, Keon’s maturation, and just how many minutes of Hell we can expect (30? 35?) each night. Despite the loss of Kalen Grimes, I think this team can exceed some expectations. The Tigers should be fluent in Mike Anderson’s game by now, and there’s a lot of experience and a fair amount of talent and depth on this club. A top four finish and an NCAA bid are realistic goals for this team, and once you get that far, all things are possible. I’m a believer.
I’m also looking forward to one or two pre- or post-game Oil Change Stouts at Flat Branch Saloon.
ZouDave: Distinguished?
The Beef: Yeah…I don’t know who the hell he is talking about….but I think in return, he owes us all Oil Change Stouts post game at some point this year.
The Boy: I’ll take Brown Ale. And meanwhile, I have to give the same predictable answer as most others. The volleyball team could be very impressive this year, as could wrestling, baseball, softball, and about eight other sports. But all my life, football has been #1, and now Mizzou’s football team can be #1 as well...in the Big 12 North, anyway. We’ve reached the point in Gary Pinkel’s tenure where 8-4 will be considered disappointing. It’s full-speed ahead, no turning back, et cetera, et cetera. This year shapes up in the most tense way possible—2-3 gimmes, 1 likely loss, and 8-9 ‘should win’ games. The past has not been kind to Mizzou in the ‘should win’ category, but this is a brand new day, a fresh start, clean slate...et cetera. To the extent that I can, being that I post football links on a daily basis, I’ve tried to avoid discussing actually predictions or projections. My brain just can’t handle it right now. I just want to close my eyes and wake up on September 1. Granted, I’ll be at a wedding in Minnesota on September 1, and not at the Edward Jones/TWA/Ted Drewes Dome, but still...just take me to that day.
I also can’t wait to play Hawaii in the Fiesta Bowl. Yeah, I said it.
Brian Smith and Mizzou Wrestling have put together the #2 recruiting class in the country according to intermat.com, a class that includes four high school All-Americans. First place? Ohio State. Really? Ohio State? Not Minnesota, Oklahoma State, et cetera? Weird. Oh, and speaking of wrestling, Ben Askren says thank you.
Speaking of recruiting, here's Mizzou's Defensive Hot Board according to PowerMizzou.
Very cool article about Roger Wehrli's August 4 College Football Hall of Fame induction. What's just as cool? Wehrli will also be Homecoming Grand Marshal this fall.
Thomas Gardner scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting (over a team-high 31 minutes) at the Rocky Mountain Revue on Tuesday. It was his fourth double-digit output in five games, though I'm thinking he'd have to do a little more to merit a serious chance of making the Bulls in '07-08. Plus, the Bulls need outside scoring, and Gardner hasn't had much of a 3-point shot this summer.
Dave Matter continues his look at the Top 25 for the upcoming football season...here's #19-17.
Finally, since I haven't said it on this blog yet, Michael Vick is a disgusting human being. Jason Whitlock can say that Vick's problems are due to 'hip hop culture' if he really wants to, but I just say that, until proven otherwise, Vick is a disgusting human being.
Okay. I know that ESPN is as much about entertainment as sports. And I know that July is the slowest month of the year. I accept that a lot of people are enjoying this "Who's Now?" thing. But...Jessica Biel? Really? You want me to take this at least somewhat seriously, and you have Jessica Biel and Kevin James telling me who's more 'Now' in the second round? Come on. I'll never complain about Jessica Biel being on my TV, mind you, but still...this is just silly.
Obviously the bigMizzounewsfor theday isKalen Grimes' dismissal from the basketball team. Knowing the drama that has been Mizzou Basketball over the last five years, I think this was a solid move. I'm a little uncomfortable about the fact that he hasn't actually been charged with anything yet, but not enough to question the move.
As for how this hurts Mizzou in '07-08...well...I realize that Mike Anderson likes his players lean and fast, but the team's biggest player is now Leo Lyons. Yikes. DeMarre Carroll and Justin Safford, you better be ready to play a lot of minutes this year.
Thomas Gardner had a huge game in something called the Rocky Mountain Revue, scoring 18 points Monday evening. He doesn't seem to have done all too well from the 3-point line in these summer league games, but he seems to be developing his mid-range game, and that's huge for him.
So my laptop crashed yesterday morning, but fear not, Sanity Readers! A replacement is on the way...oh, and what a replacement it will be...once you go mac, you never go back...
Dave Matter has an interesting article about Mizzou and its lack of StL recruiting success. It's a good article from top to bottom, but here are the two juiciest bits. First, from DeSmet coach Pat Mahoney:
"We’ve had an outstanding relationship," he said of Ford, who has recruited St. Louis since Pinkel’s staff came to MU after the 2000 season. "Coach Pinkel and Cornell Ford do it by the rules. They’re honest. They tell you where things stand. And sometimes, that’s an unusual quality, unfortunately. But they don’t pull any punches, and they’ve done a great job not only with Robert, but every recruit we’ve had."
Mahoney said he’s heard similar comments from most of his coaching peers in St. Louis.
"Now, there are some hard heads out there that are never going to change," he said. "Even if Vince Lombardi were coaching" at Missouri "some of the hard heads would say, ‘Well, I don’t know about them.’ But anyone who’s been open to" Pinkel’s staff "has said the same thing I am."
And then from Danny Heitert...
"Missouri has been victimized by their fast start in Gary’s first year. It gave the perception that they were the hare and not the tortoise," said Heitert, a veteran recruiting analyst from St. Louis who publishes the annual recruiting guide, the STC Grid Report. "These guys are not quick-change artists. It’s very rare that you find these turnaround coaches, like" Nick Saban "at Alabama. When you find one, you cherish them because they’re precious. And that’s why they make the big seven-figure dollars.
"Gary’s group is not that. That’s not bad because those are very few. Early on, he gave the impression that he may be a turnaround artist. But he’s not. He’s an incrementalist. That is where they’re at in St. Louis. They’ve got a good foundation. They’re very rarely, with a few exceptions, out of the game altogether with a single recruit."
...
"Missouri just can’t seem to make any headway there, and I’m not sure why that is," Heitert said. "Coaches from schools like that will deny under oath that they steer anyone away or have any bias toward Missouri. But I kind of go on behavior and by what I see, not what people say. What I see is there are pockets where Missouri just can’t get into the recruiting game. Why that is? I’m not certain."
Nobody seems to have any answers, which is the weirdest part. A lot of StL folks view Mizzou as bass-ackwards, and it doesn't seem there's anything in the world Mizzou can do to change that...other than go 11-1 this season.
Now that Mizzou Basketball is back in the headlines (and for the record, what the hell is Club Tropicana? Never heard of the place...), mutigers.com thought it would be a good time to look back on the 2006-07 season and look ahead to 07-08.
The Post-Dispatch has an interesting story about sickle cell collapse. Nine athletes--including our own Aaron O'Neal--had the sickle cell trait and collapsed and died during workouts in the last seven years.
And finally, no great way to segway into this, but former Mizzou gymnast and All-Big XII balance beamer Miranda Boeckman died on June 9 at 22. Here's a discussion about her on Tigerboard. I guess I'm old enough now that I look back with regret on any life that ends that early...bad deal...
Ben Askren has been nominated for the "Best Male College Athlete" ESPY. I've never even once watched the ESPYs, and there's no way in hell he beats out Oden, Durant, or Troy Smith (not if fans are voting online), but that's pretty awesome if you ask me. Vote here.
Not surprisingly, Chase Daniel has made the Maxwell Award Watch List. He and half the QB's in Division 1.
In case you were wondering (and I'm sure you were), Martin Rucker is faster than Chase Coffman.
Bill Simmons takes a day off from calling the Blazers chickens to write an epically (yes, I just made that word up) good and for-the-hell-of-it NHL Draft Diary. My favorite entry: "5:54: Bettman announces another trade: Anaheim deals the No. 16 to Minnesota for the No. 19 and No. 42. Also, he announces new corporate sponsorships for the NHL with Enron, Betamax, CMGI, Conseco, Free FM, Pan Am Airlines and ESPN Mobile."
I took yesterday off as a sort of "high school reunion recovery day", and can I just say...Wimbledon looks amazing in HD. Now if only the US had more than 2 good tennis players...
And finally, I feel weird mentioning pro wrestling here, but I should note that a decade ago, when I was entering college at Mizzou, I bonded with some dormmates by watching WCW Nitro each week...we even ordered some Pay-Per-Views and attended a Nitro in Kansas City. It was fun. I haven't watched a wrestling event in probably 7 years, but the one wrestler who still stands out in my memory is Chris Benoit. He was amazing. He wrestled like it was real. He lacked the Hogan-esque charisma, but he was just so technically sound and dedicated to his craft that he enjoyed top-notch success in WCW, ECW, and WWF/WWE. He was great to watch, but it's sounding like he succumbed to the same thing that so many other pro wrestlers and former pro wrestlers have. The more you injure yourself to further your career, and the more pain-killers you end up having to take to get through the day, the less you find yourself relating to reality, and eventually you revolt against it. My condolences to his family.
Interesting thread over at Dave Matter's blog. Not interesting for the post itself, but interesting for the comments to the post and for Dave's responses. Dave tackles the issue of recruiting and why Mizzou is still lacking much success in StL, among other topics.
And in non-NCAA news...US Soccer wins again! They move to the next round of the 2007 Gold Cup. I'm sure this interests only me, but they've been doing pretty well lately under Bob Bradley, the former interim coach who was recently given the job full-time. If they're ever going to move to the next level at the World Cup, it's looking like 2010 is going to be the year. Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Oguchi Onyewu will be 28, Eddie Johnson 26, Tim Howard 31, et cetera. They'll all be at peak age, so hopefully they'll put it together.
(Here is a quick exchange I had with Mizzou Sports Information Director Chad Moller last week about the state of Mizzou athletics. Hopefully I will be having a short discussion like this with him at the beginning of each season of sports. Enjoy.)
The Boy: Baseball earned a #1 NCAA seed a year after making the Super Regionals. With a new brand new coach, Softball went from losing record to playing for the Big XII title on the last day of the season. Wrestling finished #3 in the nation. In a rebuilding year, Volleyball came within one game of back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances. Football's been to three bowl games in four years. Men's basketball made giant strides in their new coach's first year at the helm. A Mizzou golfer qualified for the Masters. It's too much of a softball to ask how you think things are going, but instead I'll ask a) what's been the biggest surprise for you in the last year or so, and b) what's made the biggest difference for the continued improvement of the athletic department as a whole?
Chad Moller: We have had a lot of high-level successes by individual sports over the past few years, so while every accomplishment is something we’re all excited about, for me personally, I’d have to say the biggest thing I’m most pleasantly surprised with has been the ascension of wrestling. I’ll digress a little bit first and tell you that when I got my start in the business (in 1992 as a graduate assistant in this office – which back then was known as the Sports Information Office, for what it’s worth), the sport I first handled was wrestling. My first year working with the sport, the great Shaon Fry made it to the title match at 167-pounds, and that was the most thrilling thing I’d ever experienced. I got totally ingrained with the program, hanging out with the guys on road trips (lots of stories I could tell there but probably better not – if you’ve never traveled with wrestlers, let me just say it’s a cultural experienceJ), getting to know them, getting geeked about wins and feeling really depressed about losses. I fell in love with the sport right away and the amount of hard work and dedication and sacrifice that I saw those kids make day after day was really impressive. I continue to say to this day that I don’t believe any sport takes more discipline and dedication than wrestling, and I don’t say that to demean the efforts of any of our other 19 sports, but that’s just how I see it.
Anyway, back when I was working with the sport, we were a top-30 to top-25 team nationally, which was good, but we were not competitive in the Big 8 – fifth out of five teams, and very far behind the fourth-best team. With all of that, the program kind of backslid over the next few years and had some character issues with some of the kids, and when the decision was made to change coaches in 1998 or so, there definitely was the consideration for dropping the sport altogether. I wasn’t part of the decision-making team at all, but I do know that it was a very big potential (maybe as much as 50-50) that we’d drop the sport because it wasn’t in such good shape, and then we’d be more in compliance with Title IX and it would help the budget, so on and so on. There were definitely some compelling reasons to do just that, but thankfully, we found Brian Smith and he was someone that was given a chance and he’s obviously taken the ball and run with it.
Coach Smith had some challenges, and I know he’s said before that while he always believed he could do it, that there were times when he wondered if it would be able to happen. Our facilities were just awful for wrestling when he took over, but when Mizzou Arena opened up, that allowed wrestling to take over the 4th-floor practice gym (where Kelly Thames and myself both tore our knees up playing basketball, doh!!), and they have converted that into one of the best wrestling rooms in the nation. It’s an absolute recruiting tool for the program, and Coach Smith has done such a great job of eliciting financial support for his program with his support club and other program benefactors, that he’s just a master to watch at that, in addition to his coaching.
So to get back to the more specific answer, I’d say that because of the state of the program – both competitively, and how bad the facilities were at the time he took over – I’d say that how wrestling has grown has been the most surprising. If you would have told me in 1998 that in 2007 we’d be maybe just a handful wins at the national meet away from winning a team national championship, I’d have thought you were crazy. It’s been fun to watch for certain, and it will definitely be interesting to see how they can keep it going with the loss of Ben Askren and Matt Pell, but with the recruiting class that Coach Smith has coming in, the future is definitely bright.
In terms of answering your second question, I’d say the biggest thing that has helped us step up overall is the development of our facilities. You can’t do those things without money of course, so you could argue that the money overall has been responsible, but the most tangible aspect of the money has been the facilities that we’ve been able to build because of the financial support. There hasn’t been one sport that hasn’t benefited immensely over the past 5-6 years from facility improvements, and that does nothing but help them in the recruiting battles out there. We used to get negatively impacted in recruiting because of our facilities, but now that is not the case. I remember back before the Mizzou Aquatic Center came online, Brian Hoffer wouldn’t take recruits over to see our old pool at the Natatorium because that was so awful that anyone who saw it would never come here. And not too far in the past, we didn’t have a softball, track, soccer or tennis facility, so I have no idea how we could have had any success in those sports (imagine the recruiting pitch – ‘well, we sure want you to come to Mizzou, we don’t have a track, but we want you to come run track for us’!!).
On an aside, we just had our annual Senior Staff Retreat, where the senior team sequesters itself for a couple of days and does the team-building and planning thing, and maybe the most interesting thing I took out of it was some thoughts that Pat Ivey, our strength coach, threw out there. He was talking about how we’re trying to build a championship-caliber program for all of our kids, and that he felt the new dining hall and all the other aspects of the newly-opened Mizzou Athletics Training Complex (MATC) has been the single-most important thing he’s seen. The dining hall, specifically, he feels is the best thing we’ve ever done for our kids. It might seem like a little thing, but in our previous facility, the dining hall wasn’t big enough to serve all of our sports, and really only football and maybe 3-4 other sports were able to eat there – the rest had to fend for themselves on campus or elsewhere. That created kind of a “class” system, where the sports who ate there felt privileged, while the sports that didn’t eat there felt second class, if you will. Coach Ivey really feels that since the new hall opened up, and every night now all of our kids get to eat there and interact, that it is a huge intangible for the mindset of our kids. It obviously is a positive for the sports who previously couldn’t eat there, but interestingly, he felt that the biggest benefit might be for the sports that could eat there before. He said that he felt that “brought them down a notch” so that they realized they’re not above anyone else, and kind of has helped instill a greater sense of community and things of that nature that he feels are really important to building a championship mentality.
So with all of that excitement, it’s time for us to finally break through and get some championships! It’s been absolutely amazing how we haven’t been able to win anything for so long – you would have thought that one would have washed up on the beach by now, but luck just hasn’t been on our side. This past year was a prime example – we had the best wrestling team we’ve ever had in our history, and a team that was the third-best in the nation. Unfortunately, it just happened to be the second-best in the Big 12 Conference, so no team title. If we had only won two or three matches that didn’t go our way at the Big 12 Championships, the title drought would be over, but that’s how it goes. I really believe that we will break that door down this next year somewhere, and hopefully it will open the floodgates.
I know I can’t wait for football to get started, I just feel like we’re on the verge of a special season. I hope that our fans will have something to rally behind and feel good about, because they deserve it, and our kids deserve it too...
Thanks for the chat, look forward to more of this anytime...
New Rivals NCAA Baseball projections are out, and they have as a 1-seed AND hosting a regional (against TCU, Minnesota, and Troy). I'll believe it when I see it, but that would be frickin' fantastic. For that to happen, I'd say they need to win 3 of 4 to end the year (against Illinois and Oklahoma State) and play well at the Big XII tourney.
Tonight's baseball game against Illinois hasn't been rained out yet! 'Yet' being the operative word there. It's supposed to rain again tonight. Amazing. If the game does take place, Mizzou will face a pretty hot team. The Illini are coming off of a home sweep of Indiana and a 4-game split at 1st-place Michigan, and they've won 8 of 10 overall. In all, they're 14-12/28-22, good for a tie for 5th in the Big Ten.
And this is one heckuva "oh by the way", but...oh by the way, Mizzou Wrestling coach Brian Smith was named Dan Gable Coach of the Year yesterday. Congrats, coach. Oh, and Ben Askren won yet another national award. Ho hum.
And would the correct grammar there be "heckuva" or "heckuvan"? It preceded a word starting with a vowel sound, you know...I don't want to screw up the grammar on fake words...
I try not to play the homer card too much, but this list is ridiculous. Andre Woodson, Matt Ryan, and Graham “I got destroyed at home by Chase Daniel and might not start this season” Harrell make the list, but Chase Daniel does not. Okie dokie.
Via Dave Matter’s blog...Joe Tiller closes practices because of bloggers. I think it’s safe to say that said bloggers (and I assume he’s talking about the Dave Matter-style bloggers, not the pseudonymous ones like, well, me) weren’t all that fond of what they were seeing in said open practices, eh?
Here are some notes from yesterday's scrimmage. Chase Daniel: 9-for-9, 145 yards, 2 TD's. Not bad...you know...for a QB's who's not one of the best in the nation...
Mizzou locks up wrestling coach Brian Smith for another five years. Lovely.
And now that Julian Wright has declared for the NBA draft (but hasn't hired an agent)...Doug? Thoughts? I realize he could still come back, but he's got that "upside" that scouts love, and they'll probably all be telling him that he's a Top 5 guy...I can't really see him saying no to that...
Just so this post won't be entirely out of place....BOB HUGGINS
Alright, the long awaited Mizzou Wrestling wrap-up and preview for next year. I am going to try to break down what we have returning, what we have coming in and how it may all break down to start the season next year. Needless to say, wrestling recruiting news is not quite as abundant as basketball or football, so it will be tougher for me to guess as to what may happen next year, but I will give it my best shot.
First things first, our lineup and their records (approx, taken from after UNI meet) from this past year.
125 - John Olanowski (FR) 18-13 133 - Tyler McCormick (JR) 12-6 141 - Ashtin Primus (FR) 30-11 149 - Josh Wagner (JR) 24-7 157 - Mike Chandler (SO) 18-7 165 - Matt Pell (SR) 15-3 174 - Ben Askren (SR) NCAA Champ-0 184 - Raymond Jordan (SO) 22-4 197 - Ben Askren (FR) 28-2 HWY - Mark Ellis (RS FR) 12-7
Well...only 2 seniors in the starting lineup....that was a shocking thing to me when I first really got into this team. What was even more shocking was the amount of talent coming back next year, and the years to come. Certainly, we lose a 2-time national champion/4-time All-American in Ben Askren. We will also lose Matt Pell, a 2-time All-American, but at two, non-consecutive weight classes. That is a lot of points we lose from our 3rd place national team.
So....what do I see for next year?
125 - Tony Pescaglia (SO) 133 - Tyler McCormick (SR) 141 - Ashtin Primus (SO) 149 - Josh Wagner (SR) 157 and 165 - Mike Chandler (JR) and Nick Marable (SO) 174 - Joey Garrity (JR) 184 - Raymond Jordan (JR) 197 - Max Askren (SO) HWY - Mark Ellis (SO)
So...this lineup might disappoint some in my guessing, but I will lay that out in what I would LIKE to see us do in just a second.
Basically, not too much change. I believe Olanoski did not improve at all as the season went on, and Tony Pescaglia red shirted this year. He was a highly rated wrestler coming into this season, but what I have seen Coach Brian Smith do is redshirt the wrestler with the greater potential (see Sean Connole vs. Mark Ellis at HWY). I think Pescaglia wins the job in the...well...whatever you call the wrestling preseason and should serve as a decent upgrade in the Big XII. This is going to be a YOUNG weight class next year in the Big XII, as everyone but OU's Hazewinkel was a frosh or soph. I think Pescaglia is a step up from Olanowski and should give us a decent chance to send someone to STL in this weight class.
At 133...well...I think a 2-time All-American is pretty cemented there. Nice job by Coach Smith this year to get Tyler McCormick peaking at the right time, and look for Tyler to start next year top 5 in the country as five of the top 10 graduate. Tyler will likely start the year behind Frey of Cornell, Scott of OSU and perhaps Reiter of MN.
Mizzou got a really nice effort from Ashtin Primus this past season at 141, but unfortunately Primus seemed to peak a little too soon (more on this to come) and did not make the NCAA's after being ranked during the season. Nathan Morgan of OSU will return as the lone senior and the class of this bunch, and Primus is going to need to improve upon his showing within the Big XII last year. Hopefully another year of maturity will get him to STL next season.
Josh Wagner will likely be the only other senior starter on the team next year. And to correct a mistake from a previous post of mine, Storniolo of OU was a SENIOR, not a SOPH. This has bearing because it likely vaults Wagner to a solid #2 in the conference with Cyler Sanderson. And if anyone saw their match at the Big XII's, you should know it should be a good battle between the two all season long for bragging rights in the conference. Needless to say, I see Wagner making the NCAA's, and a potential AA candidate to finish his career.
I combined 157 and 165 because I simply do not know who will fall where. Mike Chandler had a solid year going, climbing into the national rankings before he got hurt. Enter Nick Marable, who filled in VERY well for Chandler, even getting ranked nationally in some polls. Chandler returned to the lineup for post season action. Marable also filled in at times for Matt Pell at 165 when was being strategically rested, and showed quite well then too, taking 3rd in the prestigious Southern Scuffle. Either way, I expect these two to fill these slots, assuming Marable at 165. The only reason I did not put him here is because Chandler is REALLY big for 157, and I did not want to rule out a step up for him.
At 174, the biggest shoes to fill in the country will likely fall to Joey Garrity. Garrity has been an important cog for Mizzou the last two seasons, filling in at three different weights (174 through 197). In the end, I believe he has the most experience over any other wrestler on the roster, and will likely take the spot. Garrity also potentially lucks out, because the Big XII will turn over 3 of the 5 wrestlers in this class, returning only Weitzel and Mason (the #2 and #3 wrestlers in the bunch). Because of this, Garrity could see his way into making the NCAA's next spring, but will certainly have to prove it on the mat.
The single biggest proponent of Mizzou NOT joining the Big 10 HAS to be Raymond Jordan. Jordan was perfect in the Big XII this season, all the way through the Big XII Championships. However, Big 10 wrestlers were his bugaboo, and most matches he lost were to Big 10 wrestlers. This is a young class in the Big XII, with all wrestlers returning, and only one senior starting next season. Jordan can look forward to some great battles with Jake Varner of Iowa State, and once again nationally, the top 4 wrestlers will all likely be from the Big 10 (Herbert, Kish, Pucillo and Todd). Jordan will NEED to AA next year to silence some critics, and will need to be a leader of this team next season.
At 197, there was no more a disappointing ended to a season ANYWHERE than Max Askren. Squeaking his way to a Big XII title in two VERY tight matches, Askren returned to the #1 spot in the land heading into the NCAA's. However, I am guessing Max just ran out of gas and lost his first two matches in Detroit. We will NOT go into what would have happened for Mizzou had he held his seed (I think if he won 197 and Jordan AA'ed we would have won....alright....so I did get into it, oh well). All I can hope for (and assume) is that Coach Smith now knows when and how to properly peak Askren and that will allow for better end results next season. LOTS of juniors and seniors in this weight class next year, so if Max can get through next year, he should stand to own it from here on out. And his nemesis Kurt Backes graduates too....
Heavyweight will be interesting to watch. Mark Ellis was redshirted last year, and that move paid off with an NCAA appearance and 3rd place finish at the Big XII's. The weight class in conference next year is still very young, so Ellis will continue to have his work cut out for him. What makes this class interesting will be discussed here in a moment, but I believe that Ellis can certainly repeat on his performance this season, and even improve upon it if healthy all the way through the season.
So...what would I LIKE to maybe see next year? Assuming the lowest 6 weights are set....starting at 174
174 - Raymond Jordan 184 - Max Askren 197 - Joey Garrity 275 - Dom Bradley
Yeah....I said it....I want to move the #5 rated and #1 rated wrestler at their classes out of their classes.
Here is my thinking. Jordan does not quite have the physique to tell me he is a FULL 184 pounder. I really do believe he could get down to 174 and do even better in a weight class which will have 3 of the top 6 graduating.
I believe Max could move down to 184 for the same reason Raymond could move to 174. Max is not filled out physically at 197, and his style is not a power style, meaning he needs as much size as he can get. Moving down to 184 will give him a size advantage over those wrestlers, and a matchup of Askren and Herbert would just be funny.
At 197....well...I don't know if we have anyone else, but Garrity has wrestled here before and really does deserve a spot somewhere. Bulk him up and see if he can upset anyone along the way.
At 275, Dom Bradley is the #1 rated recruit at this weight. I would like to think that the highest rated recruit at this weight should be able to come in and do quite well right off of the bat. However, please know I have NEVER seen this young man wrestle or even a picture of him.
Speaking of recruiting, I believe this has to be the highest rated class on the way in for Mizzou, with Bradley not even being the highest rated nationally (#29 overall). Picking up Max Shanaman (#19 nationally) at 135 (likely to wrestle 141) is not only important because...well...he is quite good but also because he is from Blair Academy. Just an idea of what Blair Academy puts out in a year, they had 6 ranked nationally, including a junior at 140 and a FROSH at 112. Needless to say, getting some recruiting hooks in there is REALLY important. Added to that, Troy Dolan is rated #43 and defeated the #1 kid in the country earlier this year (expected to wrestle at 125 or 133, I say 133 since we have two Pecaglia's at 125). Mike Schmitz (160, to wrestle 165) is also rated in the top 100 this year, giving us at least five in this group.
So...what does it all mean?
I do not believe we WILL win the Big XII next year, but boy it could be tight. Iowa State does not lose much, but they do lose some in Backes, Paulson and Turner. Not sure how Okie State will do losing Hendricks, and OU and NU still have some room to grow, though NU should eclipse OU this season. No matter what, Mizzou should look to have a great showing in St. Louis in March.
I'm sure you're eagerly awaiting The Beef's wrestling season wrap-up, so in the meantime here's something to tide you over: a Ben Askren Q&A in the Trib. Not only is he likely the best athlete in Mizzou history...the dude's got personality.
Q: You’ve got the T-shirt with your picture that says "Funky," and I understand you’ve got a new one. Can you describe it?
A: It says, "Askren Labs," and it has me in a science coat. I’m holding a beaker that says, "Funk." On it, it says, "Doing to wrestling what BALCO did to baseball: making it interesting."
Q: How are the T-shirt sales going?
A: We sold quite a few in Detroit, but then my salesman got kicked out of the building. It would have went better had that not happened. He actually got kicked all the way out of the parking lot.
Q: How do you plan to sell them?
A: I’ve been ridiculously busy, but I’m going to sell them on the Internet. I’m going to get hooked up with a few wrestling Web sites and a wrestling catalog or two.
I only say quick now because I plan to break the season down (next season that is) a little more in a couple of weeks. But for now...here are my thoughts.
Was anyone else intrigued just a little when Ben Askren's match was 2-2 to start the 3rd period? Even just a little nervous? :-)
What a tremendous way for Matt Pell to finish his career. I would have never guessed he had that much left in the tank (considering how I believe he had none left). To be an All-American at two different weights (never mind the fact the weight classes are not consecutive) is just impressive and belies a greater message that he gave up everything (his own weight class especially) for the betterment of the team.
Anyone else REALLY happy to see Hendricks lose last night?
Another nice finish for Tyler McCormick, who will be one of the leaders next year. Four of the top seven in 133 will move on, and I can potentially see where Adam Frey of Cornell moves up to 141 (since he could not make weight at 133 against Tyler). That means that Tyler could be right there with Coleman Scott of Okie State and Mack Reiter of MN for leader of that class. And considering he has wins over both this year....well...should be exciting for him and us.
Brian Smith, continued kudos to you. Here's hoping the administration shows you the respect you deserve for what you have been able to accomplish.
As I said...more thoughts to come with a breakdown of each class and expectations for next year. But for now, I have laundry to do and the NCAA tourney to watch.
Twice he placed second in the nation. Twice, now, he has been a national champion. He has one national wrestler of the year award in the bag, and seems a safe bet to take a second. Moments ago, he finished his career with his 87th consecutive victory.
Ben Askren. The greatest athlete in Mizzou history.
Don't have much time to dedicate to this one, as it is 6:40 a.m., and I am already at work...where I should be working :-)
* Ben Askren seems to be just toying people. This coming from a person who truly believes at this point he can slap his cradle on anyone at any time....but being in position to tech fall someone (beat them by more than 15) and then pin them is just mean. It means you dominated them in such a win that you just wanted to be out there longer with them.
* Mizzou sits in 2nd place....don't believe they will finish there as we have already lost two wrestlers (including a #1 seed, more on that in a minute). However, top 5 is still my goal and I think it is obtainable. For them to do that though, they will need big days from McCormick, Wagner and Ellis out of the losers bracket. And unfortunately, all take on higher ranked wrestlers in their first bouts later this morning.
* Matt Pell is wrestling like a man possessed right now, and it is about time. Of course, he runs into Johny Hendricks AGAIN today. Do you think anyone in the room will be rooting for Pell (they are wrestling in Detroit where Hendricks is enemy #1 because of how he beat Churella of Michigan last year in the finals)
* Big day for Raymond Jordan....starts with #4 Tyrell Todd and then would be #1 Jake Herbert...Ray worked his way up to #5 this year...this would be the next step. His wins are never terribly impressive, but they are wins.
* I have said it before, and I will stick with it. I believe Max Askren plain ran out of gas at the end of the year. Terrible time to do so obviously, especially getting the #1 seed and going 0-2 against two non-ranked wrestlers. Hopefully it is something he (and Coach Smith) learn from and he uses to motivate him for the next three years.
* Totally non-sequitor, but the NCAA thing on cbs.sportsline.com kills me. The boss's button is hilarious (for those who don't know, there is a button on the video player that when pressed will take the screen and turn it into a spread sheet with graphs. The content on the graphs is the breakdown of what people consumed while watching sports in 2006, and not even true at that)
That's it...big day for Mizzou. Still have the chance for a champ (a great chance at that) and then some AA's. Wins in the first session by Pell and Jordan will guarantee them nothing worse than 5th. However, McCormick, Wagner and Ellis will need to rip off three in a row in the wrestlebacks to get into a position to place...tough road for sure.
Oh yeah....and Minnesota will win...they still have SEVEN in the winners' bracket.
Alright….so it is a TAD out of context, but the sentiment was correct. David Zabriskie of Iowa State and Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State took the mat for the last match of the Big XII Wrestling Championships with the fate and finish of THREE teams still to be decided. If Rosholt, the #2 seed could defeat his opponent, Oklahoma State would collect their ninth Big XII title, likely by one half point. Iowa State would be 2nd place, and Mizzou would finish in third, and two and a half points would separate the top three. As it turned out, Zabriskie used a take down and an escape to take the Heavyweight title, giving Iowa State their first Big XII wrestling title, and giving MU a second place finish, one half point over Oklahoma State in third.
Let’s take a look at my weight class prediction vs. results and see how I did. I think I did pretty well, but I could be wrong. I will finish with some overall thoughts and what I think MU will do in the NCAA tournament in two weeks.
125 pounds:
I chose Sam Hazewinkel (who if you attended on Saturday noticed he went by Hazelwinkel and Hazenwinkel….morons) to take his third Big XII title, and he did not make me out a liar, winning wrestler of the tournament honors on the way to his easy victory. Also predicted was not much from John Olanowski of Mizzou, and that is exactly what Mizzou got with two early losses and exit.
133 pounds:
When I wrote the first column, I did not realize Tyler McCormick and Coleman Scott had actually split on the year, with each winning low-scoring, one point matches. I took Scott because I was just not sure about the health of McCormick coming in. McCormick looked healthy and appears to have gas left in the tank, and lost a VERY tough 6-5 finals against Scott. VERY tough because it appeared McCormick had erased a 6-2 deficit in the third period when he had Scott rolled on his back. The refs felt differently however, not awarding McCormick the back points which would have put him over the top.
141 pounds:
AshtinPrimus will have better days than the one he had on Saturday. He fell early in the 4/5 match-up, and then was shut out in his consolation bout. In the end, my prediction about MU sending nine wrestlers and Primus making an appearance in Detroit was off…oh well. At the same time, I picked Moyer of NU to upset Morgan of Okie State….oh well again. I was correct about the bout, wrong about the finish, as Morgan won his second straight title.
149 pounds:
“but the semi final match in this class between Wagner and Sanderson should be one of the best of the entire day.”
Well…chalk up another one for me…what a wonderful match their semi-final tussle was. Unfortunately, Wagner came out on the short end after a late and toss-up call. Wagner did not quite recover, falling in the 3rd place match after defeating Jackson in OT in the consolation. Rightly so, Wagner did receive one of the eight conference wild cards, and will head to Detroit in two weeks. In the end, Matt Storniolo showed his dominance and won the finals easily over Sanderson from Iowa State.
157 pounds:
Nick Marable did not wrestle, so I suppose that answered that question. Mike Chandler returned from a long lay off and made a very decent showing, coming in 3rd and automatically advancing to the NCAA Championships, where he will be a tough out. Trent Paulson capped a great Big XII career with his win in the finals over Oliver of Nebraska, and will move to Detroit as one of the favorites to take the national title home at the 157 weight class.
165 pounds:
Say what you will about Johny Hendricks (and I have a lot to say), but he figures out a way to win….even if it means getting clocked by an open-handed slap by his opponent. Hendricks was considered lucky to even get out of the semis, as it appeared Stephen Dwyer of NU had him dead to rights during their match. The hold was deemed illegal (perhaps accentuated by Hendricks rather loud choking noise) and Hendricks came back to win. In the finals, after some early and tough hand-fighting, Hendricks appeared to tag ISU’s Travis Paulson in the face. Paulson rose up and CRUSHED Hendricks with an open-handed slap that brought the already pro-Paulson crowd alive. The referee assessed a one point penalty, and Hendricks went on to win the bout 4-3. As for MU’s representative, we will have a little more on Matt Pell later, but he had a disappointing fourth place finish after falling in OT to Dwyer (but not before it appeared Pell should have been awarded a take down which obviously would have taken OT out of the equation).
174 pounds:
Ben Askren won the last home match in his Missouri career in very anti-climactic fashion. His 13-4 defeat of Mason of Okie State was marred by the fact that Mason was clearly wrestling to be able to say he did not get pinned by Askren, but had no interest in doing anything to actually try to win the match. Askren will head to Detroit as the odds on favorite to win his second consecutive NCAA title, and is on the short list of favorites to win the Hodge Trophy (again).
184 pounds:
Raymond Jordan continued his fantastic season by winning his first Big XII title. Jordan had something of a walk-over in his first match against OU’s Josh Hinton. As Jordan took Hinton down early in the first period, time was called and the Hearnes Center crowd was treating to seeing exactly what happens when a kneecap dislocates. Hinton took his one minute and 30 seconds of injury time, and then did the unthinkable as he remained on the mat to continue the match. Jordan, after getting over the initial shock, crushed Hinton 20-4 to advance to a rematch with Jake Varner. In that rematch, Jordan used a gorgeous take down in the third period to provide the needed cushion to take it 3-2. Jordan has lost four matches on the season by a total of five points, and he should head to Detroit full of confidence.
197 pounds:
Maybe Max Askren does not match up all that well with ISU’s Kurt Backes. Backes used a “defensive pin” to defeat Askren at the MU/ISU dual, ending the freshman’s undefeated season and knocking him down to #2 in the national polls. Askren did gain a measure of revenge in the semis, finishing off Backes 8-7. In the finals, taking on Bester of NU (who scored the upset of the day knocking off #2 seed Joel Flaggert 17-2), Askren hung on to take his first title 3-2, giving MU three straight champs for a nice moment in the Hearnes Center.
Heavyweight:
As mentioned previously, heavyweight held the key to the entire team tournament finish. Mark Ellis of MU was shut out by #2 seed Jared Rosholt in the semis, but recovered nicely winning two matches and earning a ticket to Detroit off of his third place finish. And as predicted, Zabriskie continued his dominance of Rosholt in the finals, and it was enough to propel Iowa State to the title.
Wrap-up and Thoughts:
I took something of a chance picking #2 Moyer over #1 Morgan at 141 because I did not want to be accused of chalking the bracket. Well…I went 9-1…I lost that one. All ten #1 seeds came away with wins yesterday, and why shouldn’t they have. After all, the Big XII had at least one person in the top five of each weight class except HWY coming in.
All told, ISU will send TEN to Detroit, and immediately have to be considered the biggest threat to the eminent coronation of Minnesota as the NCAA champ. MU and Okie State (including NEWLY MCSPADDEN!!) will each send eight wrestlers, and will need some BIG efforts from lesser known people to have a chance to raise the NCAA piece of wood.
As for MU’s chances, there is no reason to believe that Ben Askren will NOT win at 174. At 197, Max Askren should actually enter the NCAA’s as the #1 seed (since Phillip Davis of Penn State fell in the Big 10 Championships). I am not sold on Max’s ability this season to win the title, as I feel he is running out of gas on the year. I hope I am wrong, and maybe it is just his style, but he does not seem to have the explosion at this part of the year. He should definitely still make AA though, as should Raymond Jordan, who stands to enter the tourney as a top four seed because the Big 10 had the top four ranked players and three of them will lose this weekend.
Beyond that, Tyler McCormick was seventh last year, and appears to have been rested properly this season, as he looked fresh this past weekend. I believe that will pay off with another AA finish for him. Beyond that, I think Matt Pell is out of gas. He could benefit from a good seed in the tourney and a good draw, and will be dangerous, but I do not think he simply has enough energy to get deep enough to place. I think Josh Wagner will be a tough out and likely win a couple of matches, as should Mike Chandler. Mark Ellis could be the surprise, since the HWY division in the NCAA is not a “power conference” heavy class, so you never quite know what the west coast and smaller schools will bring to the table. Not a favorite to make AA, I believe he has the best shot out of the bunch to be a “surprise”.
One champ and three other All-Americans will give MU their best finish ever (10th was the previous high, and that was achieved last year with Askren’s #1 and McCormick’s #7). I believe Minnesota will run away with the team title. Iowa State will show VERY well, and Oklahoma State will do the same as they should expect at least one more champ. For Mizzou to have a chance to win, they will need both Askrens to win their class, and for Jordan, McCormick and likely two others to place All-American with the other two wrestlers winning at least a few matches before bowing out. Is it possible? Sure….likely? Not quite as much, but overall it will be a step in the right direction for this growing program.
If every one wreslted to seed, the final standings would be
#1 ISU #2 MU #3 OSU
For Mizzou to win, all of our higher seeds need to win, and we need some of our #3 seeds to advance to the finals. In particular Wagner vs Sanderson at 149 and Paulson vs Pell at 165 may be the pivotal matches of the tourney.
Mizzou ends up with 3 #1 seeds, 1 #2, 4 #3 and 2 #5 seeds ISU with 2 #1's, 4 #2, 2 #3, 1 #4 and 1 #5 OSU with 2 #1's, 3 #2, 1 #3, 2 #4, and 2 #5's
125: (1) Hazewinkel, OU vs [(4) Shinn, OSU vs (5) Olanowski, MU] (2) Fanthorpe, ISU vs (3) Donahoe, NU
133:(1) Scott, OSU vs [(4) Shelton, OU vs (5) Rowe, NU] (2) McCormick, MU vs (3) Gallick, ISU
141:(1) Moyer, NU vs [(4) Terry, OU vs (5) Primus, MU] (2) Morgan, OSU vs (3) Mueller, ISU
149:(1) Storniolo, OU vs [(4) Burroughs, NU vs (5) Jackson, OSU] (2) Sanderson, ISU vs (3) Wagner, MU
157:(1) Paulson, ISU vs [(4) McSpadden, OSU vs (5) Rowe, OU] (2) Oliver, NU vs (3) Chandler, MU
165:(1) Hendricks, OSU vs [(4) Dwyer, NU vs (5) Siebert, OU] (2) Paulson, ISU vs (3) Pell, MU
174:(1) Askren, MU vs [(4) Harwood, NU vs (5) Turner, ISU] (2) Mason, OSU vs (3) Weitzel, OU
184:(1) Jordan, MU vs [(4) Hinton, OU vs (5) Wofford, NU] (2) Varner, ISU vs (3) Jensen, OSU
197:(1) Askren, MU vs [(4) Backes, ISU vs (5) Shelton, OSU] (2) Flaggert, OU vs (3) Brester, NU
285:(1) Zabriskie, ISU vs [(4) Browne, NU vs (5) Farmer, OU] (2) Rosholt, OSU vs (3) Ellis, MU
