2017 Tiger Mailbag: 10th Edition
Every week, PowerMizzou.com publisher Gabe DeArmond answers questions from Tiger fans in the mailbag. This format allows for a more expansive answer than a message board post. Keep your eye out each week to submit your question for the mailbag or send them to powermizzou@gmail.com. On to this week's inquiries.
mexicojoe asks: It was mentioned last week by the Graphic Edge Guy I think, but what about a Break Time event at Simmons Field, the night of the Spring Football Game? Or is that too much action on one day?
GD: The night of the spring game is too much for that day as we'll have a full day. But we're looking at doing something for a home game this year. Perhaps the night before is an option.
Jay0864 asks: How truly realistic is it to land in-state prospects in basketball and football? I can see it with all the other sports but for these two sports how much tougher is it? Several decades ago it could be sold more easily to stay home so family could see games. With every game on TV, that selling point is gone. In fact, does it work more against a home state keeping talent that wants to go for new experiences? (this may may a question worthy of a story.... what percentage of top players from each state stay home?)
GD: Landing all of them isn't realistic in any given year. I think if you get half of them, it's solid. Getting up to 70% or so is great. And as you get more elite kids, they have more options and are tougher to land. The "sealing the borders" concept simply is outdated. More and more programs recruit nationally. Just look at Mizzou's 2017 class. They got kids from all over the place. Like you said, every game is on TV. It is a selling point to stay close to home so your friends and family can come see you in person, but not the selling point it used to be.
dsnice27 asks: Who aren't they going to hire?
GD: You. And probably me.
jrl3m8 asks: IF Crean is on the border of being retained for a year, would a deciding factor for the IU side be if they can get their guy or not? Similar to LSU going after Jimbo two years ago? Or is Indiana the kind of job that won't have a problem pulling off a home run hire even if it isn't their first choice, they're just that attractive.
GD: I can't say really as I don't have a lot of insight into Indiana's administration. The difference between this and the LSU situation is that Tom Crean has another logical place to go that he seems to have some interest in. Les Miles wasn't looking to go coach somewhere else (although maybe he should have been). That could factor into the discussion. But I've always been of the mind that if you're seriously considering firing your coach, you should probably just do it. Going into a year where everyone knows he's coaching for his job generally doesn't work out all that well. As far as Indiana's next hire, to me, it's Gregg Marshall. It's a no-brainer in my opinion, which counts for nothing.
Coke4Quin asks: 1)KA said he had the talk with Sterk the morning of the Ole Miss game, then delayed a week and a half before making the announcement. Had you heard any whispers that the discussion had already taken place that long before it was announced?2) Scantlebury said on twitter you've had a hot board ready since he was still under your wing 7 months ago... how much different was the one posted Sunday compared to your first draft?
GD: I had no inkling it was happening Sunday. Everyone expected it to be after the tournament. That caught us off guard. Kudos to Missouri for keeping it quiet. On the second question, I did the first draft of the hot board last March when we thought Anderson might be on his way out. I updated it a number of times. The bulk of the names were the same but I probably added five or six and subtracted about the same number.
mexicojoe asks: You get to assemble your "best ever" Mizzou football team and your "best ever" Mizzou basketball team, complete with top subs, and head coaches too.Also, they had to have played for Mizzou in the last 50 years.Which of your teams, football or basketball, is best suited to win the national championship and why?
GD: Basketball because it's easier to win one there in my opinion and because Missouri has had more great basketball players in the last 50 years than football players. My hoops team would be as follows:
Jon Sundvold
Melvin Booker
Willie Smith
Larry Drew
Anthony Peeler
Derrick Chievous
Doug Smith
DeMarre Carrol
Linas Kleiza
Marcus Denmon
Steve Stipanovich
John Brown
Jason Sutherland (I need an enforcer--in no way am I arguing he's one of the 13 best of the last 50 years)
Norm Stewart would obviously be the coach.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some people.
SidneyMan: What do you know about the status of the money Mack Rhoades owes MU for his departure?
GD: Nothing. Honestly I'd forgotten about it. I'll ask around.
SouthCountyTiger asks: Who is your favorite Harlem Globetrotter of all time? Also... general thoughts on Muggsy Bogues?
GD: I have no idea on the Globetrotters. I'll say Curly Neal because that's one of two names I can think of. I love Muggsy Bogues. Anyone who is shorter than me and can play in the NBA has my respect.
UCM Tiger asks: rank these 3 hire results in the order of what you think would most benefit you and Power Mizzou:A. A guy that stays for 10 years, makes the Tourney 7 times and 3 Sweet SixteensB. A guy that stays for 6 years, and is an annual bubble team. C. A guy that flames out hardcore with scandals, bad basketball results and leaves in 2 years, therefore causing another search.
GD: A then C then B. This isn't even a tough discussion. Good basketball is good for business. Coaching searches are good for business. Mediocrity sucks.
TigerJRS1 asks: What was the straw that broke the camel's back? I noticed you switched during the season from "how many wins are needed" to "this isn't good" to "doesn't matter things are happening behind the scenes." So was there a point when all you sources started saying the same thing where you knew this season was Anderson's last?
GD: It really wasn't what my sources were saying. It was what I was hearing. By mid-January, I'd quit asking anyone if he could save his job and started asking when it would happen. The tipping point was the Bermuda Triangle of North Carolina Central, Eastern Illinois and Lipscomb. It was all over after that and anybody that couldn't see it simply didn't want to. I had heard coming into the season if he could win one more game than he lost he would come back. By the Illinois game, it was very obvious that wasn't happening.
mutigerscott asks: Since many of us have not traveled for to see Mizzou play basketball in the last 5 years, what is your favorite SEC arena to see a game and why? Or can you give us your top three?
GD: The only road games I've gone to are in Fayetteville and Lexington. Haven't been to any of the others. If they get good again, that will change to some degree. We'd cover some games in Knoxville and Nashville. Maybe a couple others if they were big games. But the finances and time commitment of going to every road game generally don't make a ton of sense in basketball.
Chilly_Tiger asks: When Crean gets here does he bring any recruits currently committed to IU with him?
GD: I see what you did there, but obviously nothing's done yet. I would imagine the kids who are going to Indiana will remain there unless a new coach tells them he doesn't want them. Indiana is a pretty good program. I'd expect the kids to stick.
I_Hate_The_Cornhuskers asks: In your mind, what is priority #1 for the new basketball coach? What would you want to see the new coach do in the first 90 days?
GD: The obvious answer is win games, which he can't do in 90 days. The first priority is always to assess the roster. Figure out who you want to stay, make sure those you want to stay do and then fill in the holes as best you can in recruiting this spring.
eatmyownboogs asks: Who hit the side of the backboard more on outside shots. Walton or Geist?
GD: Missouri missed a lot of shots by a stunning margin this year. I don't think it's fair to single out one or two guys. Nobody on this team could shoot well consistently.
I_Hate_the_Cornhuskers asks: If the NCAA approves the hiring of a 10th coach for football, what are the odds of BO promoting someone currently on the administrative staff to that position? If so, who would it likely be?
GD: I would expect it to be an outside hire. Odom even said when we talked to him last week that they'd make a hire and it would probably be someone off another staff. It would be the Wild West in coaching movement. If it were internal, I'd think AJ Ofodile and Jon Cooper would be possibilities. But I think Mizzou would go outside.
MoDude21 asks: In his interview with Mike Kelly ADJS stated that the coaching search could take us through the Final Four which is almost 4 weeks away. Do you believe that this process will play out that long? What factors do you think could make the search take that long?
GD: No, I don't think it takes that long. I'm guessing Missouri hires someone the week of the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Just a guess. But setting a longer deadline is always good. If he says he thinks it will be wrapped up next week and it isn't, people panic. If it does take that long, it's one of two reasons: Missouri is chasing a big fish that is still coaching or it has been told know by a whole bunch of guys.
sharpwp asks: Do you know much about Fred Thatch out of Sikeston? He is verbally committed to SLU, but do you think with the right hire could he end up at Mizzou. Is he good enough for the next Mizzou coach to go after?
GD: He's good enough for sure. I don't know a ton about his game, but he can play at this level. I think all of those guys are still gettable with the right hire. Especially if Travis Ford is looking around as hard as he is rumored to be.
GowerTiger asks: I know this is a bit of a stretch, but could the hire of Crean generate even more money for the SEZ? I think it would be a huge confidence boost in Sterk's already good start as AD. Especially if the big $ donors see how he handles the coaching search
GD: I agree, it's a stretch. I don't think it would have any real impact.
crzy4mu asks: What are the odds the new coach lands 2018 PF Zion Williamson?
GD: I have absolutely no idea. Let's figure out who the new coach is first.
tkbmu asks: How far down the list of candidates on your hot board do you think would get 90%+ support as a hire (fans in general, not just the message board cesspool here)? By that I mean even if you may like Crean best you most likely would be fine with Martin once you looked objectively. I ask because I would argue the last two candidates started with a sizeable percentage that were convinced they could never be successful.
GD: I don't think anyone is going to get 90% approval rate unless they hire someone from the Marshall/Miller/Mack level or above. So no one would get that kind of approval. Maybe 75% is more of a goal and I think that would be the case with Crean and Holtmann. Keatts and Cuonzo probably would be just slightly below that. I'd guess the last two coaches were met with about 10% approval for Haith and 25% for Anderson.
mizzou1971 asks: Is there any chance AD Jim Sterk already has his man and we're just waiting on formalities?
GD: There's always a chance. I don't think that's the case, but it is possible. However, I learned with Matt Painter, until it's done and done publicly, it's not done. I will say that I'm positive Sterk has it narrowed down to no more than a handful of guys. He's had two or three months to be working on this. He knows who's interested and who isn't. Now it's about sorting through that short list and figuring out who he likes the best and who likes him back.
drew98 asks: how do you evaluate spring practices? When we compete against each other, when someone wins, someone loses.
GD: I really try not to evaluate them. I've always said when you're watching camp, for every player that makes a good play, it means someone probably made a bad one. Gary Pinkel always said that you look for the No. 1 offense and defense to be good and stand out. So ideally I guess you want to see good performances from the guys you expect to top the depth chart.
tiger1973 asks: Just out of curiosity what is the breakdown of salary to revenue of the mens basketball to football coach? If Odom makes $2.35 million and football generate X dollars is that 2% of total football revenue? If we are going to be willing (lets assume) pay $3 mil for a high value coach is that more like 5 or 10% of total money from Bball?
GD: This story from the Kansas City Star listed football ticket revenue at $13.3 million and basketball ticket revenue as $3.7 million. It listed the overall basketball revenue at $3.38 million (including a loss of $1.3 million due to not playing in the postseason), but didn't have the corresponding number for football. The overall department revenue was $97,275,839. Just using those numbers, it appears that the basketball hire would be a significant amount higher in terms of total percentage of revenue.
Graphic Edge Guy asks: Do you really think Crean might choose to leave Indiana to come to Mizzou on his own if he is not fired?
GD: I do.
tef54 asks: SIAP--Do you expect any current players on the BB team to leave?
GD: Yes. How many and who I don't know, but some will leave. I can say with certainty Russell Woods won't be back.
TheZouKeeper asks: How do you develop sources when a new AD/coach is hired?
GD: The same way you develop sources any time. You're just there all the time and you do your job respectfully and professionally. Work hard and don't be an idiot. And if they hire someone where I know someone who has covered him, I'll reach out and ask that person to put in a good word for me.
mizzou-naic asks: With the news from spring practice number 1 - what are your thoughts on the safeties? Very surprising news on the depth chart and the numbers 1 - is this the coaching staff fostering competition or them just stating a fresh start? This has to change the thoughts of Caleb P and the incoming freshman also, doesn't it?
GD: I wasn't at practice so I can't say from the standpoint of anything that happened yesterday. My thoughts on the safeties are that Missouri has a lot of guys, but none who have really consistently proven themselves. The depth chart didn't surprise me at all there. I would have been surprised if Cam Hilton and Ronnell Perkins weren't the starters. Not sure who you were expecting, but that would have been my guess. I don't think it changes anything at all for Prewett and the incoming freshmen. They'll have to start and the bottom and work their way up and prove themselves. Nothing about that depth chart changes anything to me.
jrl3m8 asks: When a new coach starts, do you just walk up to him after a press conference and introduce yourself? Or do you just let it happen organically? It would seem strange to start asking him all these questions before he knows who you are, but I'm not a journo.
GD: At the introductory press conference, we'll be asked to say who we are prior to asking a question. Afterward, I'll hang around and make sure to introduce myself personally. Then we'll do our best to set up a one-on-one shortly afterward. At the least, I would imagine we'll get a small group setting to talk to him. At Kim Anderson's presser, about 10 of us went into a separate room after the big to do in front of fans and got to talk to him for about half an hour. Obviously that one was a little different because most of us already knew Kim.
GovernorPinkel asks: More likely to happen: the players and Kim come out super motivated and play the game of the season to take down mighty Auburn tonight? Or everyone enjoys Nashville to the fullest and they barely show up at all for the game and Mizzou gets blown out. I ask because Auburn -6 seems a good investment to me.
GD: I'm expecting the latter. I mean, if they were going to come out inspired and play for their coach, wouldn't they have been doing that all year? Everyone in America knew he was coaching for his job this season. The time to make a statement you want him to come back and to leave it all out there for him was the previous four months, not tonight.
leopard_forest asks: Looking back at the KA regime, there was a thought and some articles written that bringing in Kim would unite the fan base around the "True Son" however it seemed to only further divide it as there was a lot of skepticism about the hire, and empty seats from the beginning. Were you surprised by how divisive the hire was, and do you think the administration realized it would be such a controversial hire at the time?
GD: I was not surprised that it was divisive. I was surprised at how divisive. Your assessment is spot on. This divided the fanbase from the beginning and it got worse with every single loss. I truly believe probably 99% of Missouri fans wanted desperately for him to do well. Even the most vocal opponents of the hire wanted that. I think there is a very, very small minority that rooted against him and there is always the faction that roots for their opinion to be right over anything else, but largely Missouri fans wanted it to work. It just didn't. At all.