2017 Tiger Mailbag: 15th Edition

FOLLOW MIZZOU EVERY DAY WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION

GD: I'm dealing with them the same way I deal with fans of other schools all of the time. I'm ignoring them. Honestly, to me, part of what makes being a fan fun is the back and forth with fans of other teams. If everybody just liked the same teams you like, it would get really boring. And other people can think what they want.

As far as "people that matter," I don't know who that would be. The ultimate proof for Martin is going to be on the floor. He's going to get whatever talent he's going to get and then we'll see how many games he can win. I don't know how many it will be, but I'm relatively confident it will be more than eight. But I would spend exactly zero seconds being angry because fans of other teams don't seem to like him. If fans of other teams like your coach, he's probably terrible.

GD: Agbasimere missed all of spring with a leg injury. Want to say it was an ankle, but not 100% sure on that. As far as Downing, he had a great high school career and good for him for having a nice spring game and I don't write anybody off. That said, passing Strong is one thing, but Isaiah Miller and Larry Rountree are there too. That's five scholarship backs for a team that is really only going to play three (and two of them will probably get 85% of the carries). I could see Downing getting some mop-up time carries as a reward for working hard. But the only way he sees meaningful snaps (barring injuries) is probably if he passes Strong AND the staff decides there's absolutely no way they can put Miller or Rountree on the field as true freshmen.

GD: I honestly have absolutely no idea. We had pretty much quit making calls and worry about recruiting because we knew there was no way it was going to matter. Anybody that would have signed with Missouri if Anderson kept his job after 27 wins in three years likely wouldn't have had any other palatable options.

GD: If there is a game the night before the spring game it's definitely something we'll consider. However, not sure we're going to commit to footing the bill for 150 tickets every year. To be determined...

GD: I think it's pretty clearly one or two. We feel confident in the Tigers' chances of landing Jeremiah Tilmon. We don't see a lot of reason to believe they're going to get Mark Smith. So this question really comes down to this: Will they get Kevin Knox? And I don't know what to think. I mean, I think they've got a solid shot. They're in there. But I couldn't confidently give you a leader right now. I could legitimately see him at pretty much any of the five schools on his final list. So the answer is at least one and fewer than three.

GD: Offensively, I think I'd change my answer to Albert Okwuegbunam. The coaches have spoken highly of him and he looks like a versatile kid who's incredibly athletic for his size. On defense, Acy is still probably a solid pick, although Kaleb Prewett and Rashad Brandon look like they might be better ones.

GD: It's really my opinion that there's rarely a route tree that has no options short. You always have a safety valve. So the ultimate answer is I think Lock just throws it more than other guys. But I agree with your premise. Missouri went for far too many home runs last year. They had some big plays, but I'd like to see an offense capable of being a bit more methodical and not always needing to hit the big play.

GD: Maybe a few more, but I don't think it will be drastic. I think Heupel is a spread guy who goes up-tempo. That's him. As long as he's the OC, that's what you're going to get. We did see more two-back sets, H-backs, I-formations, etc, last year than we saw the last few under Pinkel. And I think you could see a little bit more of that. But not drastically so.

GD: Yeah, a little bit. Honestly, we're at the point now where nationally, Missouri is just a team nobody much pays attention to. Right now you're in with teams like Maryland and Virginia and Indiana and the like. Not that anybody's going to single you out for being a disaster, they just aren't much paying attention. Missouri has to give them a reason to. In the past down years, Gary Pinkel had an established track record so nationally people probably gave him a little more leash and assumed he'd get it turned around. At this point, Barry Odom doesn't have that track record. He's going to have to go earn that respect.

GD: My immediate reaction is Roberts. Missouri has Terrence Phillips coming back at point guard, who is a guy I think can be a capable starter there. When you say "who's the starting shooting guard?" I'm not sure I really have an answer (unless it's Phillips with Harris at the point). Both will see plenty of action. The roster needs a talent upgrade. Martin isn't bringing in anyone he doesn't expect to contribute.

GD: I'm sure they will some time. Never is a long time. The hurdles are pretty simple: Bill Self doesn't want to do it. That's really it. But yeah, they'll play somewhere along the way (when Mizzou gets back to the NCAA Tournament you're kidding yourself if you don't think the Tigers end up in the same bracket as the Jayhawks).

The question I have isn't "will they play?" It's "When they play, will it matter to people?" We're probably ten years away from a good chunk of Mizzou fans not knowing that's all that big a deal. So if you don't play in that time period, or if you play once or twice, is anybody going to view it as a big deal? Of course people my age and older will. But ten years from now, there is going to be a generation of Missouri fans who have grown up only knowing them as an SEC team who are going to view Georgia and Arkansas as bigger rivals than Kansas (I wan't to state that won't make it true, just that some will see it that way).

I've long said I wish it would come back. But even I'm losing a little steam every year on that argument. It would be fun. If it doesn't happen, they'll play other teams and we'll cover those games.

GD: Care to? Not sure I do. But you asked so I will. At least on football. Basketball, I don't know the roster yet so no. But I think that Porter kid will start.

OFFENSE:

QB-Drew Lock

RB-Damarea Crockett

WR-J'Mon Moore, Jonathon Johnson, Dimetrios Mason

TE-Kendall Blanton

OL-Paul Adams, Sam Bailey, Trystan Castillo, Kevin Pendleton, Tyler Howell

DEFENSE:

DL-Marcell Frazier, Terry Beckner, AJ Logan, Nate Howard

LB-Brandon Lee, Eric Beisel, Terez Hall

CB-Christian Holmes, DeMarkus Acy

S-Cam Hilton, Ronnell Perkins

WILD CARD-Kaleb Prewett. He's the nickel back, but I could easily see him starting, especially if the formation dictates it (I don't know what kind of offense Missouri State runs and very well might not know on game day either).

GD: Going back through the commitment lists, the last time Missouri didn't take a QB was 2007. The only other year in the Rivals era the Tigers didn't take one was 2003. But the list is largely guys who didn't play much or at all here. That's the nature of the position. You simply have to take a QB every year but it's the only position on the field where the second-string guy is ideally never going to play. You just take as many good quarterbacks as you can and you understand the ones that get a couple years in and don't see playing time in the future are going to leave. So be it. Quarterbacks transfer everywhere. They all want to play and most of them aren't going to.

GD: Decent, but probably not great. The Tigers are 7-8 in SEC play. I've got to believe .500 overall would absolutely get them in. The problem is the non-conference schedule. They won a ton of games, but they didn't play a lot of good teams. The RPI is somewhere in the mid-50s right now, which is squarely in bubble territory. They have Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Vandy, South Carolina and Tennessee left on the schedule in the league plus non-con games with Missouri State and Murray State. Win those two and find a way to go 8-7 in the league games, you'll enter the conference tournament 36-19 and 15-15 in league play and I'd have to think that would get you in. Less than that and you're probably playing with fire a little bit. The good news is every game the rest of the way will help the RPI outside of probably Murray State. But, again, you have to win some of them, not just play them.

GD: It's an impossible question to answer because we don't know what the bracket would be and the NCAA Tournament is a crapshoot no matter what. The vast majority of teams in the tournament are good enough to get to the Sweet 16 and bad enough to lose the opener depending on the day. But the goal with that group would clearly be to play on the second weekend. Here's how I view things in terms of goals:

If you add no one else: This is a bubble team, MAYBE in the tournament

If you add Tilmon: Your goal should be to get in the tournament

If you add Tilmon and Knox (and anyone else): You have to be in the tournament and let's start talking about seeding

Again, once you get there, it's a crapshoot. But the season is all about putting yourself in position to get there and have a chance to do something.

Who was your first celebrity crush? Nicole Eggert on Charles in Charge

What song would you sing at your American Idol audition? It doesn't matter because I'd get two words out and they'd know I can't sing

Harder to give up: coffee or alcohol? Coffee

At bat song: I'm not a music guy at all. I'd ask my son to pick one.

Which PMer had the highest BAC at the tailgate? It was morning. I didn't see anybody who looked to be having issues.

Paula Deen, Glenn Close & Meredith Baxter all turn 70 this year. F**k, Marry, Kill... GO! Zero chance I'm answering that

GD: We talked about the offense above. On defense, I think they'll run much more of what they ran in the second half of last season.

GD: Fans indicating they pleasure themselves over recruiting news is my least favorite Internet thing. Not even joking a little bit.

GD: Norm is doing all right as far as I know, but I don't see him much. I know Cuonzo said they talked a couple of weeks ago. As far as Pinkel, he's not really active in the AD. I think he and Odom are in regular contact, both of them mentioned he stops by the office and I know he was at the spring game, but Pinkel has been pretty clear that he wants to give Odom room and let him run the show. He'll help out and advise if he's asked, but I don't think he's pushing his way in to do so.

GD: Hopefully 2018 because Porter's kind of a big part of 2017. That's like saying "Take LeBron off the Cavs and how good are they?" Taking the best part of a team or a class away kind of hamstrings things. And I have no idea where this class would be ranked without Porter. Best case scenario maybe top 15?