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.
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Good morning, Mr. Matter. Thank you for the chat and your outstanding coverage of Mizzou sports. It's one of the main reasons I have a digital subscription to the Post-Dispatch. I enjoyed your story on the new offensive line coach. As good as he may be, though, Coach Drink's team isn't going anywhere until he starts getting better offensive linemen. I know they had a lot of injuries last year, but that unit performed more like a mid-major team. They are a long way from being a respectable SEC line. -
Thank you for subscribing and joining the chat today. I agree on the O-line. Mizzou's two really good SEC teams had NFL players on the offensive line - guys who are still earning millions of dollars in the NFL. Britt. McGovern. Morse. Mizzou's had one O-linemen drafted in the last six drafts - Larry Borom in 2021 - and won't have one again this year. Javon Foster is a solid SEC left tackle but they need more high-level linemen around him. Center is a concern going into the summer.
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Incorrect. As long as a player is already in the portal, he can announce his commitment whenever he wants. Former Houston left guard Cam’Ron Johnson entered the portal a month ago. He can commit whenever he'd like. If you're not currently in the portal, you can't enter until May.
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He hasn't pitched in a game since he came out with the forearm soreness back on Feb. 25. At the time Steve Bieser said he probably would be sidelined about six weeks. That was nearly six weeks ago. I don't know if he'll get any work this weekend against Vanderbilt. The baseball doesn't really do any media availability other than postgame interviews. Calum McAndrew had a nice story yesterday on Hank Zeisler, but as you saw if you read it, no quotes from the player or anyone from MU.
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I know of no schism. I was told by a trusted source that it would be surprising if he's back for next year. That doesn't mean he can't or won't return. These situations are incredibly fluid.Here's the truth about Mosley: Any prediction or suspicion or opinion on his future plans is fairly worthless in April. There were nights this season people within and close to the program expected him to play the next day and he wasn't even at the arena by tip-off. We're about six months out from the start of preseason practices. A lot can change between now and then.
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I wouldn't say Mizzou's first 5 games of the 2023 football season are easy but they're certainly not as difficult as the next 7. As a fan, I worry that with new parts - possibly a new QB, new OC and OL coach, a slow start could send this team spiralling into a less-than-their-talent-would-suggest overall record.
That K-State game, in particular, looks daunting. Chris Klieman is, in my opinion, an excellent coach and even with KSU needing to replace some key elements like Deuce Vaughn (but they have the Florida State transfer in that spot) and Anudike-Uzomah on defense but I have to figure they're the favorite in that game, even in Columbia and that Memphis game, the following week, won't be easy even in St. Louis. A fast start is essential for this team, it seems to me. -
It's essential Mizzou has a winning season this year and I don't see how that's possible with a bad start. That doesn't mean they have to beat K-State and open 5-0 before the LSU game, but I'm not sure how you get to 7-5 if you start 3-2.Outside expectations for this team aren't going to be very high. Missouri will be picked sixth in the SEC East ahead of only Vanderbilt, I would imagine.
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Missouri has announced a one-year contract extension for Desiree Reed-Francois through June 2028. No word yet on a raise.“When Desireé was hired, we wanted someone who had a vision of Mizzou Athletics as a place where fans and student-athletes have an amazing experience, citizens are proud of the program, and we compete for championships. She is making that happen,” said Michael Williams, chair of the UM Board of Curators. “In less than two years, Mizzou’s fans are excited and breaking attendance records in many of our sports. It’s amazing to see how her leadership has brought our student-athletes, our fans and our broader university community together.”
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I read recently that Mabor Majak has been put on scholarship. Was that a one year thing or is he expected to eat a scholarship for next season. Would he be the first scholarship pulled if we get a commitment from someone like Caleb Love or Jamarion Sharp? What other players would be at risk of having a scholarshiph pulled. Would Gates not welcome back some of the seniors to make it work?
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He came to Mizzou as a walk-on unless there was an open scholarship available. There wasn't so he had a scholarship this year. When walk-ons go on scholarship it's usually with the understanding that's only a year-by-year status. I don't know if they've told him explicitly that he'll go back to being a walk-on for next season.I get that everyone wants to play roster math this time of year, but ultimately the 13 scholarships will go to the 13 players the staff believes gives them the best team. It'll work itself out.
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Dave, As a former journalist (who was a TV assignment editor), I felt like I was always "on the clock" to ensure we didn't miss a story. And this was before Twitter, Instagram, etc. I'm curious, do you feel like you're always "on the clock," and regardless if you feel that way, do you have any blocks of time where you're off-limits for family or other needs? (P.S. I don't know how guys like you and Gabe do this in a portal era.)
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I'm on the clock 24 hours a day, seven days a week unless I'm on vacation. That's the reality of the job. I try to put my phone down when I'm eating a meal with my family or at one of my kids' games, but it's not always possible. I had to file a Mizzou story this week from the bleachers at my boys' track meet. I tried to unplug for a few days last week while the rest of my family was on spring break, but the phone and laptop were always nearby. It's a small price to pay if you want to be relevant in this industry. And you need an understanding family to make it work - but that doesn't mean they're always happy to see my phone out. I'm better at unplugging at 44 then I was at 34 but it's still difficult at times.
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Carter is the only current player who has publicly stated his plans to return next year. That doesn't mean others don't plan to return also. We've gotten to a weird place in college sports now where there's so much roster turnover that it becomes newsworthy to announce you're not going anywhere.Missouri is recruiting bigs for the roster. They're reaching out to guards. But just because there's a report the staff has reached out to a transfer doesn't mean they'd offer him a scholarship immediately. Smart staffs do their homework early and carpet bomb the market. They might reach out to a transfer in March knowing in May they might need a player at that position because of unforeseen circumstances. And just because a player tweets that he's deciding between School A, B and C doesn't mean all three schools would take him. I've seen a handful of recruits over the years confuse a team's interest with an offer.
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In discussions of the MBB roster, I've hear some comment that more transfers could be brought on and then creative solutions found for the roster numbers. But there are still only 13 scholarships as far as I know, so I don't know what that could mean other than not suggesting one or two current players transfer out, at least if Kobe and Isiaih return. Has NIL opened other possibilities, maybe the opportunity for NIL earnings even if not on scholarship?
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That possible loophole just isn't realistic for every player. For one, you can only have 15 players in uniform on your roster. You can't have a football roster for your basketball team. Mizzou already has a minimum of three walk-ons on board for next season.Also, current out-of-state cost of attendance at Mizzou is around $48K per year. An athlete can certainly make that much from an NIL collective, but you're not going to write a college kid a check for $50K and mandate that they use that on tuition and books. That plan might work for some athletes you can trust will pay the right bills with their earnings but not all of them. And, legally, university/athletic department employees can't be working on that micro of a level with the collectives on the amount of payments and how the athletes spend that money.
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A pleasant good morning to you Dave and hope all is well your way. Those annual non-con college basketball Tournaments in the early part of the year that often feature elite competition such as the one in Hawaii, the Bahamas, New York City, Kansas City, etc. How exactly does that work, say, if a school like Mizzou wants to be in one of them? Does Mizzou have to contact them, or do they have to contact Mizzou? As you might be aware, it's been quite a few years since Mizzou has been in any of those aforementioned prestigious holiday tournaments.
-Furthermore regarding MU non-con schedule for next year, correct me if I'm wrong, but the KU game will be played in Kansas CityI think? Also of course, Illinois in STL. Wondering if you are aware of any other decent teams they might play in non-conference next season and/or if they might finally play in a holiday tournament of some sort. -
Mizzou played in a multi-team event last season in Jacksonville, Florida. The year before COVID threw off plans to play in a couple of those events. The year before they played Oklahoma and Butler in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. In Martin's first two years they played in tournaments in Orlando and the Virgin Islands.I'm not aware of any games that have been already agreed upon for next season. Mizzou was initially set to play in the Hall of Fame Classic this fall but it was reported a few months ago that they'll play there in the fall of 2024 instead. I'm not certain which multi-team event they'll play in this season but hoping to find out.Teams communicate and negotiate with these events all the time. A coaching change can disrupt those plans sometimes because the new head coach isn't in favor of playing in an event his predecessor agreed to play.
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We've heard Mizzou connected with a bunch of people but the bigs are the ones I find intriguing. It appears we've already missed out on TCU's Eddie Lampkin but I've heard whispers about Marshall's Handlogten and even maybe Michigan's Hunter Dickenson ... my question is, with HCDG running a very NBA-like, spread-the-court and we don't need a big, do you think Mizzou would play differently, at least on offense if they had a 7-1 five with a little mobility? It would definitely be a different offense from what they ran, this past year, without an established 7-foot+ five.
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Gates never said they didn't need a 7-footer. He tried hard to get 7-5 Jamarion Sharp last year. But without an experienced big man this season, they adapted with the five-out offense , which you can still play to some degree with a traditional big man as long as that guy can run in transition and handle the ball in some situations on the perimeter.I suspect they'll do more of the same if they land one of the bigs on their radar, though the staff can always adapt. They clearly need rebounding help and some rim protection.
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Really hard to compare the different eras, especially the Alden years, which were pre-SEC, pre-NIL, pre-transfer portal. For one, Reed-Francois has mostly avoided any kind of major controversy/crisis management on the scale of things that Alden, Rhoades and Sterk all experienced. Some of that is just due to luck. At some point she'll have to react to some ugly headlines. But like Alden did 25 years ago, she has cleaned house in the department in terms of many long-time staffers. It took time to surround herself with people she hired, but there's a different vibe and energy around the place now.While Alden really attacked facility enhancement when he first took over - Sterk, too, with football's south end zone complex - she's been really innovative in terms of game-day policies and attractions in terms of boosting fan engagement. She's done a lot to build MU's NIL infrastructure with what the school can do to enhance those opportunities for the athletes.She's overseen major increases in home attendance for men's basketball. Football saw a big jump this year, too, though those figures are still in line with pre-pandemic figures of 2019 in Barry Odom's final season as head coach.
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I've seen the 3 freshman and Curt Lewis have all signed. I assume that would mean they aren't going anywhere if we can find better transfers? Has Tonje actually signed. Is there any chance the staff would ask him to leave if they want to use the scholarship spot on someone else. I ask because I am curious why we would offer someone so early in the process when so many top transfers have entered the portal after his commitment.
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Tonje hasn't officially signed, but I'd consider him a really good addition. Veteran, versatile guard. Very good shooter from all three areas of the floor. Just because there might be some high-major transfers available who were bigger prospects coming out of high school doesn't make them better fits for what Mizzou needs. On paper, he's a better addition than what I thought MU was getting in Gholston, Carter and Honor last year.
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Because if recruiting rankings guaranteed success then Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M would have a bunch of championships over the last 20 years.Let's take a closer look at Drinkwitz's two highly ranked classes.2021's 4 and 5 starsQB Tyler Macon: one start, transferred to Alcorn StateDE Travion Ford: no starts, transferred to ToledoDB Daylan Carnell: one year as contributor, likely 2023 starterDL Kyran Montgomery: injuredWR Dominic Lovett: two-year starter, All-SEC in 2022, transferred to Georgia2022 4 and 5 starsWR Luther Burden: 2022 starter, will start in 2023DB Isaac Thompson: 2022 backup, in the mix for 2023QB Sam Horn: played one series in 2022, in the mix for 2023DL Marquis Gracial: 2022 backup, in the mix for 2023DB Marcus Scott: injuredLB DJ Wesolak: illness in 2022, in the mix for 2023RB Tavorus Jones: 16 snaps in 2022, in the mix for 2023So, you've basically got one class of four stars that mostly transferred with just one returning rotation player (Carnell) and one class of four/five stars that produced one freshman starter. The rest of that class will need some time to come along.
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If this team goes 6-6 this year due to just not being good enough - as opposed to a string of major injuries or unforeseen and unavoidable bad breaks - then I think the newly re-signed AD will make a change. A 6-6 record would give him four years without a winning record. In the last 25 years, do you know how many SEC head coaches have kept their jobs after four straight non-winning seasons? Since the 1940s - if you don't count Vanderbilt, because it's had several - there are only six: Auburn's Carl Voyes (1940s), Florida's Bob Woodruff (1940s-50s), Georgia's Wally Butts (1950s), Kentucky's Jerry Claiborne (1980s) and Bill Curry (1990s) and Ole Miss' Steve Sloan (1980s.)For current SEC teams that weren't in the SEC at the time, Missouri (Bob Stull) and South Carolina (Marvin Bass) both made it past four straight non-winning seasons.But going back more than 60 years, that's the list.
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-Ku always claims they have SIX national Championships even though they've really only won 4 official NCAA Titles. The other two were back in the freaking 1920s with no NCAA(or NIT) in existence yet and sounds like they shouldn't count as National Championships for bleeping KU! However, I noticed on Mizzou basketball Wikipedia page we also have two Championships of some sort back in the 20s! I say Mizzou should claim two National titles rather than 0 if KU is gonna do the same thing! And I don't care how long ago it was; the Athletic Department at MU should hold a ceremony during a home game next season with however many descendents of the players and coaches from those teams who would like to choose to attend for them to witness TWO National Championship banners raised to the rafters! Also, again I don't care how long ago it was, but it would have a positive psychological effect on Mizzou fans and perhaps the Athletic Department itself to say we overall have FOUR National Championships instead of TWO! Thanks for letting me vent at the very least about the sleazy antics of KU basketball.
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Hypothetically, if the football team disappoints this year and Drinkwitz is let go, does Mizzou have the ability with its financial resources and affiliation with the SEC to go get an established up and coming coach from the Pac 12, Big 12 or ACC? Would Mizzou be able to lure a Chris Klieman or Matt Campbell for example? If not, is it because Mizzou is hampered by the perception that it will never be able to compete with the upper echelon of the SEC?
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Mizzou is paying Drinkwitz $6 million this year, paying Gates $4 million and DRF now $1.25 million. It will have the money to pay a decent candidate in either sport, especially once the new SEC media deal kicks into gear. Campbell and Kleiman both make $4 million. Mizzou has money to pay coaches in that tier.
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Defense should be solid. Offense has decent skill players, needs to improve O-Line play, and new coaches need to make a big impact. How about special teams outlook for this coming year? Burden impact? I'm hoping for a Maclin-ish all-purpose player breakout season from LB.
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Burden has to clean up his ball-handling and decison-making on punt returns. Overall, Mizzou needs to be cleaner and more productive in special teams. Drinkwitz has talked about having more oversight with the kicking game now that he's not calling plays on offense. Not that he'll take over special teams, but he can spend more time with those areas now that he's delegated the play-calling to Kirby Moore.
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OK, folks. That's all for today. Be sure to check out the latest Eye on the Tigers podcast, just recorded today:
