I think the answer should be...Mizzou fans don't need basketball to make themselves feel good about themselves.

Finals week.

And again - we're 2 hours away from the major alumni bases in KC and STL. They're not going to travel 2 hours to get to a game against a shit team.

So when the students aren't coming out as much and it's a mid-week game against a lousy team, there's just not going to be much turnout.

Maybe the best part about the game was Green getting solid minutes and putting up excellent numbers. If he can give us 10 solid minutes a night along with 20-25 from Moore, this team is going to be in great shape once the conference season rolls around.

I've heard a lot of people worried that Withey is going to be a huge matchup problem for us when we play the beaks, but Moore and Green might be up to the task. I think Ratliffe can hold his own against Robinson. He isn't going to win the battle, he just needs to keep him from taking over the game. If we can just keep a body on Withey, I like us at every matchup other than than Robinson.

Silock, you're mostly right on this. It's pathetic. But, season ticket holders often don't make the drive for lower-level opponents. It's a much easier trip from KC to Lawrence than it is from KC or StL to Columbia, especially if you're playing Kennessaw State. I wouldn't argue with you, though, if you thought those people were kinda crappy fans, because if I had season tickets, I'd show up or at least ensure those seats were filled each game.

Also, consider that Mizzou basketball fans-- or at least myself and many I know-- are a fanbase that are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. We had a great thing going, then Quin ****ed it up. Our 2012 class was going to be STELLAR, but the recruits saw CMA as a liar well before the rest of the fanbase caught on. Frank Haith was the definition of an underwhelming hire. We've got something good going, and the seats will fill- they always do- but, much like Royals fans, I give the "fairweather fan" bit a break, as they've earned the right to be reluctant.

Moore's emergence has helped lessen the blow of Bowers. That said, now Andrew Jones needs to help lessen the blow of losing Moore. Moore was a guy you could send out there to body up and absorb some fouls. Now that we actually need him on the floor and productive, Green has to be our big-man depth. Okay - so who's our throwaway big man? Jones, if he can get even a little up to speed, would be a nice big body to put in the post and just bang with guys when Green needs a breather or when Moore inevitably gets into foul trouble.

I'd actually like to see what they can do to incorporate Jones. He's a nice fit as a scrapping bench-big (too bad he's not about 3 inches taller, but oh well).

You look at this team and imagine how good it could have been with Bowers and Mitchell...then you try to immediately forget how good it could have been with Bowers and Mitchell (because folks, that's a National Championship caliber squad....{sigh})

Very true and its very embarassing.

While the fan base commute arguement is valid, its beyond PATHETIC that the students and locals aren't coming out to support this team.

Not to sound like an old man here, but I just don't understand it. When I was a student at Mizzou (1996-2000) we went to almost every hoops game, despite the team being down. Is sitting in your dorm room playing Worlds of Warcraft that much more compelling than watching a top 10 team?

Also - its a disgraceful that the AD continues to let boosters like Claire McCaskil have 2 - 4 seats at mid-court, only to have her show up for the kU game and none of the others. Cut them a deal on one of the vacant suites and put someone in those seats who will actually attend games / appreciate them.

Here's the other problem - options.

I could have gone last night. However, the Blues hadn't played in 5 days and were taking on a hell of a good Rangers squad. So rather than go to the game against a team knew was going to get rolled, we went to CJ's, ate a ton of buffalo wings, downed a few pitchers and watched both the Blues and Tigers games on the big screens.

It doesn't make us bad fans; we just made a choice. Had that been MU vs. A&M or an equally compelling matchup (let alone MU/KU), we'd have gone to the game. But the game truly didn't matter so to say that we're bad fans because we didn't skip on catching a damn intriguing hockey game to go watch a blowout is just nonsense.

The Blues game was sold out again in STL, so I'm guessing there was more than a handful of fans in STL that made the same choice we made. There are a bunch of options that are simply more compelling than watching MU roll an inferior opponent in person.

Losing that kind of talent really sucks, but it is what it is. My goal for this season is to send a message to the state of Missouri that Mizzou is a big-time program under Haith.

My #1 goal for Haith is the same as my #1 goal for Pinkel. Lock down the Missouri talent. If you can just do that, you're a top 10 program in both sports.

CJ's was OPEN?!

WOW........:)

Moreso for basketball than football.

MU football can't make a living off locking down its borders. We have good talent, but not a lot in the way of truly elite talent.

Basketball, OTOH, has top 15 guys emerge every year. We could've put together one of the best recruiting classes in the nation (if not THE best) just by getting the 4 highly rated Missouri kids this year.

Yup...still threw us out at 9:15 though.

Oh well, they only close up when they run out of chicken and they only run out of chicken because they won't use the frozen stuff. So ultimately, they have the best wings I've ever had because they're willing to shut the doors on you.

I got one foot firm in the water....once I see this team continue to perform at a high level in conference play I will be all in.

There has been plenty of talent in football in the state. This year alone, there is a 5-star, three 4-stars, and fourteen 3-stars. We will be lucky to get 1 of the top 5 this year.

Right - however, I've found it very difficult to give them my $$$ on more than one occasion.

I was refused service after the Western Illinois football game, because they weren't accepting any new orders......at 8pm.....after they'd been pimping on FB and Twitter they were going to be open late after the game.....

I mean, if business is THAT good, God Bless 'Em - but I've never had that happen at any other establishment.

Yeah. Locking down the borders, and trying to raid talent throughout Texas and the south, would make for a high-quality team. We missed on Montee Ball, Adrian Clayborne, and Trey Millard, but also found gems in Sheldon, Moe, Gabbert, Coffman, Aldon, WillyMo, and Marcus Lucas. I'd say probably 7 or 8 of those will play (or, of course, are playing) in the NFL. That's in the past four years alone, except Moore.