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Join Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter for his live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday

Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Dave Matter in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

3rd & 7 37yd

I understand the angst with the transfer portal, but shouldn't NIL and transfer portal give Mizzou a better chance of competing not worse? If 1-2 dozen teams are competitive in the portal doesn't that spread the talent around a lot more than 3-5 schools getting 85% of 5-star recruits and it being hard for them to leave for better situations?

by Billy 12/1/2022 7:26:59 PM
In theory, yes. NIL and the transfer portal doesn't change the fact that there are still only 131 FBS teams and only 85 scholarships per team. The math doesn't change. Elite players won't want to ride the bench for four years at Alabama. Elite players who slip through the recruiting cracks and end up at Colorado State or Western Michigan will transfer up to Power Five teams. It just means there's more pressure on coaches to recruit the portal - and their own players - and unfortunately puts more of a burden on fans to help pay for NIL deals. That's the one downside, in my mind, more than the roster musical chairs.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:30:38 PM
Dave, A what if question for you...if Mizzou had won a couple of the close games where the outcome was decided due to their own mistakes, and their record would have been 8-4 or even 9-3, would you think that they were as they say, "they are what their record says they are", or a flawed team who benefitted from some good fortune

by Dennis62 12/1/2022 7:30:56 PM
If that were the case I'd say they were good enough to win their close games.
But there's the reality: You can say they're a couple plays away from 8-4 (Auburn, Kentucky). They're also a couple plays away from 4-8 (Vandy, Arkansas).
But they made a few plays at the end of those wins they didn't make in the two losses. That's what you call a 6-6 team.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:34:06 PM
For the record, on one of our preseason podcasts, I picked Mizzou 6-6 with wins over Louisiana Tech, Abilene Christian, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State, Arkansas and ... Kentucky. Swap out UK for South Carolina and I went 12 for 12.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:35:53 PM
Bence Polgar and Chance Luper. Are they expected to be part of the team’s off season preparations?

by Enos Van Halen 12/1/2022 7:35:59 PM
Last I checked Luper is doing better physically and I got the indication he'll play next year.
Polgar is still with the team. I haven't heard anything to suggest he won't be here next season.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:36:49 PM
I'm going to offer slight different fan-perspective on the portal. Fans complain that players can just leave and this works against the non-blue bloods and it's terrible and players don't want to stick it out and develop and earn playing time, etc.. Yes, it hurts when a player like Lovett decides to jump ship, and certainly programs like Mizzou will continue to lose top players seeking even better situations. That said, schools like the Georgias and Alabamas who have such depth of talent are going to find, I believe, that it's going to be a lot harder to keep that second or third string WR who was a four-star talent out of HS. Those kinds of players will be less likely to wait around until they are juniors or seniors to get their shot since they don't have to sit out a year, and programs like Mizzou can be the beneficiary if they recruit the portal well. So, I think the new rules will actually be the thing that helps elevate a lot of programs who benefit from Alabama and the like from not being able to hoard talent four-deep at every position.

by Dave G 12/1/2022 7:37:12 PM
Excellent points

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:37:18 PM
what's Cuonzo Martin doing these days?

by moe 12/1/2022 7:37:22 PM
He moved to Florida, just outside of Orlando. Taking some time off.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:37:43 PM
How much longer until the NCAA puts better rules in place around the Transfer portal. One thing that seems to make sense, you shouldnt be able to transfer to another school in the same conference. seems logical?

by Craig 12/1/2022 7:37:52 PM
Why is that logical? The conferences can set up their own rules - and they used to have those rules until logical folks convinced the conferences those rules didn't make sense. I'm pretty sure Mizzou fans like Ty'Ron Hopper transferring from Florida.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:39:12 PM
You mentioned bowl games being a flawed system. With transfer portal, early signing period, bowl games all happening between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, the lesser bowls take a huge back seat. Is there a fix to make bowl games relevant again?

by LetsGoGers314 12/1/2022 7:39:22 PM
Have less of them? I like watching bowls, but maybe they'd mean more if there were 25 instead of 41?

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:39:46 PM
Dave: Maybe I'm reading too much into your phrasing in a chat, but you wrote earlier, re: Lovett, "There were NIL opportunities had he stayed." That phrasing suggests he is definitely going to leave and that Mizzou doesn't have a chance to re-recruit him and convince him to stay. I assumed, when I saw Miami as reported on a list of schools that he might be interested in, that this must be NIL-related as that program is a mess right now, and Mario Cristobal does not run a WR-friendly offense with his grind-it-out offensive mentality (though they are desperate for WR talent). So, I thought that if Mizzou boosters bucked up, he might stay. Is it your understanding that he is definitely gone, then?

by DCG 12/1/2022 7:40:08 PM
I would be very surprised if Lovett returns.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:40:19 PM
The BB Tigers have attempted 233 3 point FGs and ave been successful 35% of the time. This is a better percentage than the last couple of seasons, but given the higher level of competition coming in December, is 30 3 point attempts per game the plan or is still to be determined? Their offense seems to be ahead of their defense right now. It will be an interesting December with Kansas, UCF and Illinois on the schedule before the conference season starts.

by Fred 12/1/2022 7:40:35 PM
They jack a lot of 3s. That's fine if you're making them.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:40:48 PM
I know you don't cover Mizzou womens sports, but have you heard anything about the volleyball coaching search? And do you know of any plans to upgrade or replace Hearnes? I think it may be hard to attract a good coach or good players with how horrible Hearnes is. I have to hope the facilities for the players are better than the bathrooms and seats the fans have to put up with.

by Martie 12/1/2022 7:40:59 PM
No plans to upgrade Hearnes as far as I know. They did a study a few years ago and determined it would cost far more to knock it down and build something new than to maintain the current building.
I'm not really in the loop on the volleyball coaching search. Not sure there is a loop. It's one of the sports at Mizzou that has proven to be nationally competitive since moving to the SEC, so it makes sense that they have higher standards in place there.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:42:29 PM
If you had to bet, who do you think starts at QB the first game next year. Like it or not, my bet is Cook.

by aetiger 12/1/2022 7:42:34 PM
He's the safest bet right now based on how he finished the season. But I'm not betting my house on it.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:42:58 PM
What are the chances a bowl game would line up Mizzou vs KU? It would make too much sense financially for a bowl not to do it. Would administration at either school get in the way?

by Da Relldawg 12/1/2022 7:43:04 PM
I'm told Mizzou isn't wild about that possible matchup. Yes, it's a rivalry, but ... KU is going to treat any bowl game like the Super Bowl; Mizzou is going to have opt-outs, plus fewer players with all the backups who are in the portal. And I suspect if it's Memphis in December, there could be more opt-outs than they might have if it's Florida or Vegas in December.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:51:25 PM
Its a couple days before bowl selection. Does the team have a pretty good idea of who they may be playing? Narrow down bowl prep?

by bubba21 12/1/2022 7:51:32 PM
Not really

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:51:38 PM
Rexrod brought up a good point that I ,and likely others, agree with. Hard to build an affinity for a team when their first 8 games aren’t more accessibly televised. ESPN+ isn’t hacking it.
Shortsighted money move by AD and athletic dept?

by Sid 12/1/2022 7:51:54 PM
The schools don't pick what channel the game is on. Gates wanted a softer schedule for a rebuilt roster.
I understand not everyone has ESPN-Plus, but if's pretty accessible if you can also access this online chat.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:54:34 PM
Has Dominic Lovett actually said he is definitely transferring or only that he is entering the portal? Could this be a ploy for more NIL money? Words matter. Thanks, Dave.

by Roy Earl 12/1/2022 7:54:41 PM
He hasn't said anything publicly, but he's given the staff every indication he's transferring somewhere else.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:55:06 PM
All I gotta say, sports journalists are so much more important now in college athletics. These leaders in the NCAA, broadcast networks, athletic admins, and wealthy donors need to be held to account for the mess they’ve created by allowing this new era of transfers and dark money to arise without guardrails. Keep doin your thing! Ask the tough questions

by Will 12/1/2022 7:55:27 PM
Dave,
Manuel, McGuire, Lovett, Williams and perhaps others will not be playing again for the Tigers. Who is likely replacing them in the bowl game ?

by Enos Van Halen 12/1/2022 7:55:45 PM
Manuel: Carnell
McGuire: Arden or Johnny Walker
Lovett: Cooper and Miller can play in the slot
Williams: He only played major snaps once Charleston was hurt. If Charleston is healthy, he'll play those snaps

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:56:53 PM
When a player goes on scholarship at a D1 school is it a one year commitment or longer. If longer why is the NCAA allowing players to break what could be considered a contractual obligation. That's not how it works in pro sports.

by MStock 12/1/2022 7:57:06 PM
Scholarships are year to year and athletes can transfer once without penalty.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:57:28 PM
Hi Dave,

I understand why some people are mad at Lovett for going to transfer portal, but coaches move every year for higher paying positions. I'm glad to see that the ridiculously high paid coaches are now having to work to keep their players. I just hope Lovett goes to play somewhere like USC (Trojans).

Thanks for your time Dave

by Larry 12/1/2022 7:57:39 PM
Agreed.
Guess who else leaves their jobs all the time for more money: assistant coaches, athletic directors, sportswriters, radio broadcasters ....

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:58:43 PM
The QB position continues to look unsettled despite Cook's late season improvement. I can't imagine a coach looking to impress after a contact extension and raise feeling overly comfortable with Cook returning as the starter, especially with the likely loss of Lovett. I will assume Horn will get a chance to compete for the position although I would feel better about that had he "forced" himself onto the field this season. He apparently didn't do or show enough in practice to earn time despite Cook's struggles.
In a perfect world the QB position would be solidified and a strength of the program. Drink has to get this right his future at MU depends on it. If given truth serum how do you think he really feels about the position?

by Tigerboz 12/1/2022 7:59:06 PM
He'd love for someone to challenge Cook for the job. But he's not going to put a player on the field as an SEC starting quarterback who hasn't earned it in practice. Like I said earlier, crucial, crucial, crucial offseason at that position.

by dmatter 12/1/2022 7:59:54 PM