2015 Tiger Mailbag: Second Edition
Advertisement
Click Here to view this Link.
The Tiger Mailbag is sponsored each week by Duke's on Grand. To find out more about a loyal Mizzou bar in Kansas City, click on the logo above.
From time to time, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond will answer questions from subscribers in our Tiger Mailbag. This feature will allow for longer, more in-depth answers than you may get on the message board on a daily basis. To have your question in the next mailbag, send an email to Gabe at powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries:
mizzouforlife asks: Big if's kind of question... If all underclassmen from this year's basketball team come back next year and mizzou adds Bryant or Kapita along with the pg TP (and they contribute to reasonable expectations) , what is the ceiling for the 15-16 team? What would you think is a fair expectation for the team's success? Thanks.
GD: Obviously the key "what if" wasn't mentioned. And that is, do the current freshmen and sophomores get a better? Because Missouri has a core of guys that I think can be pretty good players and can be the base for a very good team (if the right pieces are added), but if they don't improve, it won't happen. But if all of the things you're talking about happen, I think it is a team that we expect to be in the NCAA Tournament, or at least very close. The ceiling? I'll say second in the SEC because, honestly, I don't think that's a real high platform to reach these days. And then once you're in the tournament, everybody can win a couple games. So I guess the ceiling would be like a 24-win team that is second in the SEC and playing on the second weekend of the tournament. Not the expectation, mind you, but the ceiling. My expectation would be a team that is definitely playing in the postseason and is in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid. The 2016-17 season is the one I will expect Missouri to return to the Big Dance. If it doesn't happen by then, you start wondering if you're going to have to change coaches again before it does.
Zona Tiger asks: Just looking at Oregon and the impact that Phil Knight has had got me wondering if a donor of that nature can actually have that big of an impact on a program. Seems to me like they can. T Boone Pickens is another name that comes to mind with his donation a few years back. How much of an impact does a donor of that stature make? Who currently are our big donors at Mizzou? Kroenke, and Laurie seem like they are/have been in that league, but do they still support our program? What gives with Kroenke? Has there been a falling out with him and Mizzou?
GD: There's no question the impact Knight has had on Oregon or T. Boone Pickens has had on Oklahoma State. Those guys gave those programs a chance, made them relevant. Obviously you still have to hire the right guys, recruit well, etc, and Oregon has done a better job of that than OSU. As far as the big donors at Mizzou, I know some of their names, but it's really not my place to share them (and honestly, I don't think a ton of people would recognize them anyway). Missouri doesn't have anyone that donates like Knight or Pickens, but they've got some guys that give substantial amounts of money. I don't really know what the deal with Kroenke and Missouri is if you want the truth. I don't have any idea how much money he gives (if any) or how much (if any) that has fallen off in the last few years.
FraterPerdurabo asks: Do you think Bud Sasser has a chance to get drafted? What Missouri Tigers are possible draft picks in your mind, from what you've been hearing, or is it too early yet? In a dream scenario, Missouri pulls off the upset against the Kentucky cats, name the player that stepped up and had the game of their life to secure the victory? Who will be our leading receiver next year? Will Mauk be able to develop trust in more than just one or two guys? How many drops until we replace Culkin? i'm sorry, i was a big Culkin proponent when is saw his HS film, i have to admit, when i pictured him and DGB lining up on the same field, i knew that there would be a plethora of successful jump balls, however, that doesn't seem to be the case for him.. do you think Reese or Blanton has a chance to step up and maybe take some PT away from Culkin, or do you think he will get the majority of the snaps because he has already earned Gary's trust?
GD: Lots of questions, but you caught me on a good day. Does Sasser have a chance to get drafted? Sure. But I don't think he will. He'll get a shot in someone's camp, but I don't see him being drafted. I think Ray, Golden, Murphy and possibly Morse get drafted. I think that's probably it for this year, but plenty of others will get chances as free agents. The leading receiver next year, I'm sticking with J'Mon Moore, who I've been saying is going to break out for about a year now. As far as Culkin, he's the starter, but I like Jason Reese and I think Kendall Blanton has a chance to be better than a lot of people expect, so Culkin's going to have to play well to keep the job.
Back to the hoops question, if Missouri beats Kentucky, EVERYONE will have played as well as they have all year...and Kentucky will have been a little bit off.
eyeofthetiger24 asks: Gabe, not that you would know the answer to this question, but ESPN has our current 2015 football recruiting class ranked at #30 after signing Doherty while Rivals has us at #44. I understand how the Rivals point system works but do you know how the ESPN ranking/point system works and how it differs from Rivals? Also for basketball, if we were to somehow land Bryant AND Kapita, who's scholarship do you think we would take away if no one on the current team is planning on transferring after the season?
GD: I don't have a clue how other services do their rankings and I never pay any attention to them. I work for Rivals and that's what I follow and go by. As far as hoops, that's not a question I'm ever going to answer. They'll have as many scholarships as they need, like teams always do, but I don't speculate on who might leave.
mexicojoe asks: Would it surprise you to see Brantley line up as a DE in certain situations next year?
GD: It would surprise me NOT to see it.
pbtigerfan asks: What, if anything, are you hearing on timing for the South end zone improvements? What, if anything, are you hearing on other sports improvements (Hearnes, softball facility, etc.)?
GD: I think Alden said it would be a couple years before they'd be ready to break ground on the south end zone. As far as everything else, honestly, those are spring/summer stories that we focus on when there's not a lot of stuff on the field and recruiting trail going on. This time of year, I just don't really mess with it unless something lands in my lap. Hopefully we'll have a chance to get Mike Alden for an interview some time after National Signing Day and I'll be sure to get a comprehensive update.
drbrhc asks: Can Hansbrough handle 250+ carries next year, plus the added touches in the passing game? He seemed a little beaten up by the end of the year, and that was with him splitting carries with Murph. Chances he gets to 1,500 rushing yards next year? 2.) You think they move Kenya Dennis moves back to the slot CB when we go to the nickel package next year? IIRC he backed up Singleton at that spot last Spring/Fall camp, and we have some proven depth at CB (unlike at safety).
GD: Just going off memory, I think it's been a while since Mizzou had a guy carry the ball 250 times (that's 20 a game or so). I think Hansbrough could handle it if necessary, but I think Witter and Walters and Abbington are all going to contribute in the running game and he won't have to. As far as Dennis goes, I wouldn't move him. He played very well as a corner. In the nickel, he could be the guy that plays Singleton's spot, but I think Thomas Wilson and Tavon Ross, maybe even Anthony Sherrills, could as well.
TigerKQ asks: Have you ever heard a current player or prospect say MIZZOU will win a National Championship in Football? If so, who and when was it said?
GD: Oh, yeah. Kim English said it to me the day he committed. Plenty of other guys have said it too. Everybody believes they're going to win one. If you don't, you aren't competitive enough to play at this level.
TigerScott2369 asks: Gut feeling on Beckner.. Gut feeling on Davis twins.. actually gut feeling on say the final 7 commits (assume we take 7 more)
GD: Terry Beckner Jr. signs with Missouri and the twins stick with the Huskers. Using seven as the number, I'll go with Beckner, Keith Washington, Justin Smith, Jared Pinkney, Tyrell Jacobs, Derrick Baity and an unknown guy that we don't have scheduled to visit yet. And I'm sure I'm missing someone who will be immediately pointed out to me that I should include on this list.
FraterPerdurabo asks: Lots of questions here, they're copied below
GD: what have been some of your favorite stories to cover since you got the job?: Conference realignment, the 2007 football season and the 2009 hoops season.
how many teams should be in the college football payoffs? I don't have a huge problem with four, but I like eight. Four 16-team conferences with division champs playing in the quarterfinals, winners in the semis, winners in the title game.
how many wins to win the east again next year? I think 6-2 and a tiebreaker wins it.
i doubt that we'll ever know what it feels like to win a title in our lifetime... do you? Given that it's never happened, safe money says no. But you don't stop trying.
who will have better nfl production: DGB or D. Bowe? are you a fan of D. Bowe? are you a fan of DGB? Bowe because he's got a five-year head start. Too much could happen with DGB before he gets even to where Bowe is now. I am a fan of Bowe as a No. 2 wideout, not as a No. 1. I hope Dorial has great success in the league. I think he's had infinitely more difficulty in his 20 years than I've had in almost 40 and I want him to succeed. It would have been great if he could have finished his career at Missouri, but it wasn't to be.
is it more challenging to get these young athletes to work in front of the mic or camera with you now more so than five years ago? Just depends on the kid. Some of them love it, some of them hate it, most of them just view it as something they have to do.
how many games do you perceive as winnable on our remaining basketball schedule? Everything except the two against Kentucky and at Arkansas are winnable. Obviously they won't win them all. I'd say they beat Tennessee, Ole Miss here, A&M here, Mississippi State here, Auburn here and at Mississippi State. So that puts them 7-11 in the SEC which actually isn't horrible considering what most people think.
do you really think we'll get beat by 38 points tonight? or is this your egomaniacal way of systematically lowering our expectations? No I don't think they'll get beat by 38. I only picked them to lose by 33.
why do you care about us so much? how do you do it? Because you pay me and my wife likes having a house and my kids like being able to eat.