This team is pretty damn good protecting the basket and getting blocks. 2nd in the nation in block percentage.

I would like them to work on the rebounding part of the game. That is a weakness. Good game otherwise.

I want to congratulate Mizzou on winning the game. Your pep band was lit.
https://x.com/wexboy_value/status/17...IqjX5OKa44XXvw

That was awesome. Found some more stuff of theirs.

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WSU is a a good rebounding team. Very long bigs.

Unfortunately the team has no Point Guard.

Seems to be worlds better than last year at rebounding.

2022 - 30.3 RPG and 2.7 blocks/gm
2023 - 34.0 RPG and 6.6 blocks/gm

We haven't hit conference play, so I'm guessing those numbers will go down.

Yeah WSU averages 45.3 RPG. You guys can get on the boards.

Sorry, meant to reply to this the other night but forgot.

Let me address your comment about "anything other than cynicism". First, we have a new coach that doesn't seem to have his head up his ass. Second, when this new coach was given the talent that was still around from the last regime, I thought that his way of getting those players to play together was quite impressive.

Now, to address losing to Jackson State. After last year's level of moderate success (especially compared to the previous few years), the team turned over a large number of players, essentially a big chunk of their starters. In my eyes, constructing a roster and building a decent team out of that takes some time. Carter and Honor were really the only starters coming back and neither of them were really ever the focus of the team. So I'm willing to overlook a shit loss like Jackson State as long as the team shows signs of potential, like they did in wins over Minnesota, Wichita State or Pitt. Those aren't all-world wins but this team just doesn't look that bad to my eye and they seem to have improved in several aspects, particularly rebounding. They've gone cold a couple of nights but that happens to everyone.

Missouri has also started to have some sustained success on the recruiting trail so couple that with what I've already said and then one can see why I'm not ready to nuke the program or completely shit on them because of one shitty loss. There's reason to believe their trajectory is on an upward path.

Now, last, and this deals explicitly with the cynicism comment. Being a Chiefs fan was ****ing miserable for a lot of years. Even during the 90s and the early 2000s when we had a shot. Now, with Pat at the helm, it's taken a little bit of the sting away. Not all of it is gone, but some of it is. Accordingly so, I've decided to just watch the games and enjoy the experience, as opposed to tying up any of my mental health or happiness in the results of a ****ing game. If the Chiefs/Missouri do well, cool. If not, no biggie. The world certainly isn't ending either way.

Good effort

Gates passes a big test. Keeping a top in-state recruit in Missouri.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MIZ! Big get for the Tigers! ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/toltonbball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@toltonbball</a>⁩ standout Aaron Rowe picks <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mizzou?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mizzou</a>! Tigers get the number 18 ranked player in the Class of 2025. <a href="https://t.co/Bt1HgmkdjJ">pic.twitter.com/Bt1HgmkdjJ</a></p>&mdash; Rod Smith (@RodKRCG13) <a href="https://twitter.com/RodKRCG13/status/1734700864915300710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Big ass get

Missouri has enough basketball talent that if you could close the borders, you're a perennial top 25 team. Maybe not a Final 4 squad with just in-state talent, but a team that should be in consideration for the Sweet 16 most years.

Then again, we've been saying that for...what...30 years?

Nobody's managed the trick yet...

Are we entering a golden age for Mizzou sports?

I don't ever remember both the FB and men's BB programs on the verge of this much success at the same time.

If we keep all these hoops recruits, that team could be a force in a couple years.

One thing that seems to help is that these kids seem to love Gates and Eli. Maybe that'll keep kids from transferring out.

Seton Hall sure put some tarnish on that crown you are putting on MizzouMBB