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

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.

  • Happy MLB Opening Day if you choose to celebrate, Mizzou chatters. Hopefully you can spare a few hours with me first before turning your attention to the Cardinals or your team of choice. Let's get started.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:05:37 PM
  • I've been mostly off the grid this week to spend some much-needed time with my family while they're on spring break. So, be patient if I can't get to every question today.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:06:23 PM
  • I am disappointed in Mo Diarrah's portal decision. Thought he could be a big part of next years team. Did you think of his potential that way? Any insights on his decision to transfer. And any info on NIL $ for him? Thanks
    by Larry M 3/30/2023 4:06:37 PM
  • Dennis Gates and his staff certainly had high expectations for Diarra. Gates raved about him all season and how much he worked behind the scenes to add nearly 25 pounds to his frame so he could compete in the SEC. I can't pretend to know what Diarra was thinking all season. From what I recall, he only did one interview all year once the season started. He did not appear comfortable with his English when talking to reporters. At both the SEC and NCAA tournaments he would leave the locker room area when the media came in to interview his teammates and assistant coaches. I'm not sure it's a huge loss, but this could have been a huge offseason for him to get in the gym and sharpen his fundamentals so he can become a more reliable, consistent player on both ends of the floor. 
    The way NIL rules stand now, as an international player, I don't believe he's able to earn NIL revenue while on a student visa. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:12:03 PM
  • I have loosely tracked the top 25 Missouri HS football players the last couple of years and there is consistent trend with the exception of LB. The top 5 players always chose to attend OK or Notre Dame and now Tennessee rather than Missouri. I know you cannot get every player to attend the state school but it is hard to see 5 stars leave the state. Any thoughts on whether we are out bid in the NIL money.
    by Tom 3/30/2023 4:12:30 PM
  • There's no way to know how much players are earning in NIL money or or how much collectives are spending on recruits. The data isn't available publicly. In some cases, yes, it's reasonable to assume recruits are making more money at other schools, but it would be naive to assume that's the only factor. Oklahoma and Notre Dame have had far better football programs than Missouri over the last decade, half century, full century. It's one thing if Mizzou is consistently losing recruits to, say, Minnesota or Iowa State. But OU and Notre Dame are national brands that recruit at a national level. You're leaving Ohio State out of the equation. The Buckeyes recruit St. Louis very well. 
    Also, Mizzou signed three of the state's top five recruits in 2022 - four if include Burden as an in-state target. 
    But then again, Mizzou signed four of the top eight in 2021: two are backups with probably no shot at starting in 2023 and two transferred to LSU and Toledo. So, maybe signing a bunch of in-state players isn't always all that important in a state that doesn't produce a whole lot of future Power Five starters from year to year.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:19:13 PM
  • Dave, has an indication developed related to conference football scheduling re: divisions, pods, number of conference games, etc once Texas and Oklahoma join?
    by Enos Van Halen 3/30/2023 4:19:19 PM
  • Greg Sankey has said he wants the scheduling model sorted out before the SEC spring meetings in May. If not before by those meetings, the league absolutely has to settle on a format during those meetings. The nine-game model seems to be the top option with three fixed opponents and six rotating opponents, though the current eight-game model still has support within the league.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:21:26 PM
  • Is better play calling enough to get this offense to the middle of the pack? I don’t believe the offense has to be phenomenal to win 8 or 9 games, but they do have to be better. Can a Coordinator be the difference despite a lack of talent on the O line, at tight end, running back, and QB?
    by Kevin 3/30/2023 4:21:39 PM
  • Ask me in about seven months. There's really no way to know. I thought the offense was better against Tennessee, New Mexico State and Arkansas when Bush Hamdan took over the play-calling - but he also had the luxury of calling plays against Tennessee, New Mexico State and Arkansas. Not exactly defensive powerhouses. Kirby Moore doesn't have an expansive body of work of play-calling to really analyze. And he also called plays with an NFL quarterback running his offense at Fresno State last season. So, was play-calling the difference or personnel?
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:24:07 PM
  • Adding one transfer already to a full roster and pursuing others leads us to believe that HCDG has a pretty good idea already as to who is staying and who is going from the current roster, don’t you think?
    by arnezzi 3/30/2023 4:24:16 PM
  • Possibly, but in the end, the roster works itself out. You recruit who you want to recruit and then the pieces fall where there's room. The portal is open through May 11 so there's plenty of time for players to decide if they want to stay or go.
    As of today, here's who can return to Mizzou and what they're adding. You can only have 13 players on scholarship and only have 15 players dressed for a game.
    Can return (years of eligibility left)
    Kobe Brown (one)
    Isiaih Mosley (one)
    Noah Carter (one)
    Nick Honor (one)
    Sean East (one)
    Ronnie DeGray (two)
    Mabor Majak (two)
    Kaleb Brown (two)
    Aidan Shaw (three)
    Arriving for 2023-24
    Trent Pierce (freshman)
    Anthony Robinson (freshman)
    Jordan Butler (freshman)
    Curt Lewis (two years)
    John Tonje (one year)
    That's nine plus five equals 14. One scholarship over the roster limit. Majak initially came to Mizzou as a walk-on  but had a scholarship for this past season. If he returns to walk-on status, that's 13 scholarships. But the staff is clearly shopping for other transfers, which would require more roster turnover. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:32:02 PM
  • Diarra’s decision has me overthinking again. Even if Kobe stays, I would have thought he’d be in line to get about the minutes he was getting at the end of the season, and the chance to compete for more - that DeGray would be the odd man out. Now I’m wondering if either he was told, or thinks, that both Carter and Shaw would be clearly ahead of him, or that they are bringing in another big, eg, the WKy guy.
    by arnezzi 3/30/2023 4:32:22 PM
  • I'm not sure what he was told. Maybe as an international athlete, he wasn't happy being in the middle of Missouri. I'd be somewhat surprised if the staff talked him into leaving based on all the comments they made publicly about him just a couple weeks ago.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:33:31 PM
  • Good day to you Dave. Hope all is well your way. And thank you for your excellent coverage in Sacremento a couple of weeks ago.. Am still shaking off the loss that ended Mizzou's season. It's weird to think that only exactly two weeks ago at this time, Mizzou fans were watching the team handle favored(!) Utah St., and just a few hours later would be excited at the prospect of a potentially easier path to The Sweet 16 with Princetons' upset over AZ. Obviously, things didn't turn out that way. Thus ends my venting portion of this post--thank you for allowing me to do so--and actually leads to a question.
    I know in time I'll learn to appreciate Mizzou's season as a whole; my question is this: should I along with other Tiger fans learn to appreciate this season even more considering that for a good portion of the second half of the season the team had to play without 3 key scholarship players in Gomillion, Mosley, and Degray?
    by Tahart27 3/30/2023 4:34:01 PM
  • Sure, I can't tell people how to feel, but it's worth keeping in mind this team was essentially down to three available players off the bench - and two of them were incredibly inconsistent (Diarra, Shaw) when they got playing time. 
    But, look at this Final Four and take solace in knowing far bigger upsets have occurred than a No. 7 seed not making it to the Sweet 16. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:36:05 PM
  • Can a team have more walk-ons than it suits up? If 15 players in uniform is the limit, don’t we have too many?
    by arnezzi 3/30/2023 4:36:12 PM
  • I've read the rulebook on this a few times and can't find an answer to how it's stipulated, but the rule I've always known to be true is you can't have more than 15 players in uniform. Maybe you're allowed to have a few walk-ons beyond 15 if they're not dressed for games. I'll ask for a better answer.
    Mizzou has one walk-on returning (Francois) and two more joining the team next season. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:42:14 PM
  • I was THRILLED to hear MBB’s C.Y. Young is staying, but disappointed and surprised that Diarra is entering the portal. I know that usually the reasons for players leaving are never made public, but do you have intel on why he decided to enter the portal?
    by Questions 3/30/2023 4:42:24 PM
  • I reached out to Mohamed and have not heard back, so I'd rather hear it from him directly or someone on his behalf rather than guessing/assuming anything. 
    I've also learned to never be shocked when a player enters the portal. Mekhi Wingo played more snaps than any Mizzou D-lineman in 2021 and made the SEC All-Freshman Team - and still transferred. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:44:40 PM
  • What’s your take on the softball team’s start in SEC play? I know they’re young, but yikes!

    Do you have any sense of the worth of Phil Pressey to the MBB coaching staff? I was impressed that he was willing to start from the ground floor.

    Thanks.
    by Questions 3/30/2023 4:44:49 PM
  • With zero coaching experience Pressey really didn't have an option but to start at the bottom. Plus I believe he has to earn his undergraduate degree before becoming a full-time assistant coach at Mizzou or anywhere else. Part of the reason he came back to Mizzou was to finish his degree.
    As for softball, they're 1-8 in the SEC, last place. They're striking out a lot at the plate but offensive numbers are holding up compared to the rest of the league. Pitching has been a struggle: 11th in staff ERA, 13th in opponent  batting average. They also started slow last year and turned it up in April/May. We'll see if they can do the same this year.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:51:42 PM
  • Good Morning Dave - How do you think our offense will change, if any, with the new OC compared to ED and our quarterbacks coach (that left for Boise St.) last year. It seems that ED would throw a lot to the sidelines or quick passes to the receivers. We did see Brady Cook throw more vertical later in the year. By the way, thanks for all your insight in the world of Mizzou sports. Thank You.
    by Mizzou Fan - Dallas 3/30/2023 4:52:49 PM
  • I don't have a great feel for how different things will look. The players and coaches say there'll be differences but were incredibly vague. They're talking about being more explosive and taking better care of the ball. Does that mean more downfield passing? I'm not sure. The true answers will come in September.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 4:55:45 PM
  • Is it a bad sign for Drink and the football program as a whole that only 3 of his original 10 assistant coaches are now on staff?
    by Tahart27 3/30/2023 4:55:50 PM
  • Not necessarily. Assistant coaches move around a lot in college football. Eli Drinkwitz moved around a lot as an assistant coach. I'm not stunned Marcus Johnson left for Purdue. He gets a fresh start under a first-year coach who will get four years of security in the Big Ten. 
    Bush Hamdan wants to be a head coach and first he has to be a coordinator again - and he's getting that chance at Boise. Those moves make sense to me when you're working for a head coach who's two games under .500 heading into year four. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:02:16 PM
  • How slow of a process do you foresee for Mizzou basketball roster change, and how many more changes do you think will happen?
    by Steve A 3/30/2023 5:02:25 PM
  • Players can enter the portal until May 11 - and can continue to commit to other schools after that deadline as long as they're already in the portal. So, there's really no finish line until the fall semester begins. But the difference between this year and last year is Mizzou's roster is more complete with less room for tweaking. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:05:57 PM
  • Mizzou football lost OL coach Marcus Johnson to Purdue.
    Mizzou basketball lost Mo Diara to the Portal.
    In reality how much angst did that cause coaches Drinkwitz and Gates?
    by Tigerboz 3/30/2023 5:06:04 PM
  • Did you think Mizzou's O-line looked well coached last year? Johnson's departure is weird timing but I wouldn't say it's a major loss. 
    As for Diarra, if you get a better big out of the portal, it's not a major loss. But you getter add some size that's ready to contribute right away.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:08:26 PM
  • FYI, Dennis Gates is doing his first interview since the end of the season while at the Final Four in Houston with a KC radio station. Somehow he wasn't asked about Charlton Young or Mohamed Diarra. Asked about Kobe Brown's looming decision, he said, "The most important part is making sure a young man's dreams and aspirations come true. ... We're going to give Kobe Brown and his family the space and time to figure that out."
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:12:11 PM
  • Dave, do you have any idea as to who is planning to come back next year, hopefully Kobe Brown, also how does the staff recruit when they don't know who is returning, also do Bball staffs suggest to players not to return?
    by bigron 3/30/2023 5:13:02 PM
  • The only player we know who doesn't plan to return is Diarra. 
    Yes, some staffs will be transparent with players and tell them they have a better chance of playing more somewhere else.
    I would be surprised if East, Honor and Carter aren't on the roster next season. 
    I wouldn't be surprised if Mosley moves on - or if both sides move on mutually. For Mosley to return, he and Gates will have to be on the same page as for what's happening in his life off the court and whether he can be a contributor next season. Earlier this week, a source close to the program told me it'd be very surprising if Mosley is back next year. Obviously things can change over time. 
    Kobe will have to explore his NBA stock and then decide if there's more value in playing another year in college and making NIL money. If Kobe moves on, does Kaleb Brown stick at Mizzou? Not sure why he would if he's not playing.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:22:07 PM
  • Are there any uncommitted highly rated Missouri basketball recruits out of highschool?
    by DenTgrs 3/30/2023 5:22:12 PM
  • At this point, it's almost entirely about the transfer portal, unless a 2024 target reclassifies to the 2023 class. That's possible with five-star recruit Jarin Stevenson, who is considering Mizzou and also considering reclassification.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:24:41 PM
  • I keep hearing Honor, East and Carter are near locks to return. Have you heard the same? I also keep hearing that we will be very active in the portal. I don't see where where we are getting these open spots form if they all return.
    by Bill 3/30/2023 5:24:50 PM
  • The math isn't all that complicated. Mizzou has up to nine scholarship players who can return. They've got five players committed to joining next season. That's 14. You need one player to move on to get to 13. One more to move on to add another transfer. Two more to move on to add two more transfers.
    Mosley could move on. DeGray could move on. Kobe and Kaleb could move on. Majak could go back to walk-on status. There are plenty of ways for Mizzou to add a few more transfers without losing East, Honor and Carter. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:26:45 PM
  • It sure seems like Drink is going to need to make a bowl game (hopefully not a 6-6 one) and win it for this to be a successful season and to show that we’re on the right track. Do you agree?
    by DenTgrs 3/30/2023 5:27:16 PM
  • Another .500 regular season is not a success. I'd say going 6-6 with a win in a bowl nobody cares about isn't a successful season either. A 7-6 season would put his overall record at 24-25. Odom was 25-25 after four years and fired - and I don't recall many fans being too upset with that decision.
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:29:13 PM
  • I have been impressed with the baseball squad this year and that they made the rankings last week. When was the last time that happened? Also a simple way to improve the appearance of the program would be to put the players names on jerseys. Do you think that’s a reasonable ask? It seems like a simple not too expensive way to appeal to athletes.
    by DenTgrs 3/30/2023 5:29:29 PM
  • The baseball team has struggled to pay for outfield grass, so maybe they can't afford names on the jerseys. Or maybe that's a team decision. Not sure. 
    I believe they were last ranked in 2019. They're coming off a rough series sweep at South Carolina with two walk-off losses. The pitching depth has taken some early hits. Big series at Kentucky this weekend. before hosting Vandy next week. 
    by dmatter 3/30/2023 5:31:53 PM
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