2017 Tiger Mailbag: 46th 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: What Bowl and opponent would you pick for Mizzou?What Bowl and opponent do you think Tigers actually get?
GD: For the actual location, I'd pick Memphis because I can drive there and back and so can a lot of fans. But playing Iowa State or Kansas State doesn't really get my juices flowing. So the pick for me is the Texas Bowl against the Longhorns. A lot of good storylines there and like it or not, Texas is a big boy and you get some bounce by playing them. The Belk Bowl against North Carolina State and the Taxslayer against Iowa do next to nothing for my excitement meter. And I've got no indication the Music City is in the picture.
jrl3m8 asks: When will Rivals do a new round of rankings? Any of our commits looking at a bump?
GD: I don't know the exact date, but they've asked for some feedback, so I think we'll have another round prior to the early signing period. As far as how the commitments will be viewed, I've got no idea. I find out when you guys do for the most part.
SecondCityTiger asks: Will we see any meaningful additions from the all the coaching vacancies?
GD: Yeah, I think the coaching changes could impact not only the commitment list as far as recruiting, but potentially also an addition or two to Barry Odom's staff. Should be interesting.
OPTiger11 asks: One of you beat guys said a few games back that Brett Rau was unavailable for the game and he has been in the same track suit that Mitch Smith is wearing the last couple games, whereas Adam Wolf is in the same gear as the rest of the team. Not that he is a consequential part of the team but is he suspended?I've noticed that Cuonzo almost always was a towel in his hands during games. Sweaty hands? Nervous habit? Just curious as I watch games and notice it often.
GD: Brett Rau tore his groin. Apparently it was already torn when he played and hit a three against Wagner. So that impressed me.
As far as the towel, I can only assume that Cuonzo is somehow related to Jerry Tarkanian.
Austinalaiwat831 asks: Do you think The Ramey's have taken notice of our Guard issues and increased their interest in Mizzou?
GD: I think they're certainly aware of everything going on and that Missouri is in the picture and could get a visit in the spring. Can't say whether the interest has increased or not.
tigers68 asks: Isn't it quite apparent now that the press release by Mizzou regarding MPJr's injury being a 3-4 month recovery time and likely out for the season a ploy to get the media/fans to shut up for awhile and redirect the focus back on the players that were playing? If so, MPJr definitely just rolled a grenade into the middle of that plan with his social media posts yesterday.
GD: That's possible, yeah. I think it was probably a cautious estimate and I think the team and the program and the PR people were certainly tired of questions every day. Of course, when Porter goes on Instagram and posts what he did, it means the questions are going to be asked again. Social media is a blessing and a curse. Probably a curse mostly.
amtthew asks: Gonna be honest, I've kinda forgotten what it takes to get an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. Can you give us a rough look at what Mizzou's season probably looks like if we're: a) 12 seed, b) 8 seed, c) 4 seed?
GD: Here were the teams in those slots last year:
12: UNC Wilmington, Princeton, Nevada, Tennessee
8: Arkansas, Miami, Northwestern, Wisconsin
4: Butler, Purdue, West Virginia, Florida
You're not getting a 12 seed as a major conference team. If you're one of the last four in, you're probably an 11 seed in a play-in game. With this year's schedule, I'd say 10-3 non-con, .500 in SEC play might put you in that range, right on the bubble.
An eight seed means you're clearly a tournament team, but you're not in the top four or five of a major conference. If the SEC is a six-bid league, you were probably sixth with a blah non-conference season.
A four seed means you're one of the top three teams in a power conference. That would mean Mizzou would probably go 12-6 or a little better in the league along with 11-2 in the non-conference and a decent showing in St. Louis.
87Tiger14 asks: Do you expect any injured hoops players to return later in the season?
GD: I got about seven versions of this question, though this is the only one that didn't specifically mention Michael Porter Jr. So, yeah, I think Brett Rau will have a chance to play again.
Seriously, though, if you put a gun to my head, I'd say Porter plays for Missouri this season. I wouldn't bet any of my own money on it, though. I think it will come down to a few things: Does the rehab go well with no setbacks? Is he convinced there's no danger of reinjury? Is Missouri in a position to do something as a team?
I don't see Porter coming back to play for a team that's sitting 9-12 with nothing to play for. But if Missouri's got itself in a position where it can make the tournament, or improve its seed, I think there's a better than 50-50 chance he plays. Everyone I've spoken to on it tells me the kid really wants to come back. That said, I haven't talked to Michael or any other member of his family about it.
amhorrell asks: Would the NCAA tourney committee, In your opinion, put us in the tournament if we're a bubble team thats more on the outside looking in if MPJ returns late season to where they think maybe this team hasn't earned it up until this point but arguably an All American is healthy and about to take them to new heights we got to have them in.
GD: For those old enough to remember this, it's the anti Kenyon Martin situation. Cincinnati was a dominant team and Martin was its best player in 1992 (I think that's the year). He got hurt in the conference tournament and the Bearcats got dropped from a 1 to a 2 seed (then lost their second game I think). So, yes, injuries can impact seeding.
However, with a situation like this, the committee would have to see Porter on the floor and see a positive impact to help Mizzou out. I can see them going from first four out to last four in, or from a seven seed to a six seed, or something along those lines if he comes back and plays a handful of games and Missouri looks good with him. But let's say he plays ten games and Mizzou goes 5-5 it isn't going to help. And it won't work just to have him back and say he'll play in the NCAA Tournament. They wouldn't get in for that if the resume didn't justify it.
aholtmeyerMUTCB asks: With the early signing period in football this year, do you see Mizzou hiring a new coach soon? Or waiting till after the bowl game?
GD: I think it will wait till after the bowl game to see how things shake out. I can't imagine announcing a guy on December 10th is going to allow you to sign someone on December 20th honestly. Brick Haley wasn't announced until signing day. Neither was Jackie Shipp the year before that. (Damn, Missouri has had a lot of defensive line coaches in the last two years).
mexicojoe asks: When will you be given updates on the injury status of E Hall & Anthony Sherrils?
GD: Possibly as soon as Sunday at the bowl announcement. If not then, certainly at the first bowl practice, which I would imagine will be next week some time.
eatmyownboogs asks: What was the point of having a "big lineup" in during the stretch last night where they gave the game away? Dont you have to go small ball and get as many ball handlers in, West Vs starting center was on the bench and they had no height so its not like we needed it. It was more important to get the ball across the line.
GD: It's not like the big guys were responsible for all the turnovers. Jordan Geist and Terrence Phillips had their share. In fact, Jontay Porter had one turnover and Kevin Puryear had one. The other seven in the final eight minutes came from Geist (3), Phillips (2), Barnett (1) and Robertson (1). So your guards had six of the nine and Barnett, who you should be able to count on to handle the ball some, had another. It didn't matter who Cuonzo put out there. They were all giving the ball away.
GFinger13 asks: Hypothetical: MPJ comes back later in the season and the team (pre-MPJ return) had been used to playing without him and were playing well. He comes back and the players are all out of sorts having not played with him for the last 2 months. No rhythm, ball movement deteriorates offensive production (pts and assts) fall. Do you continue to play MPJ if you are Cuonzo? How do you work him back into the rotation having been out for so long?
GD: That's why Cuonzo Martin makes $3.5 million and I sit on my couch and post on the Internet. But for real, I don't see how adding a potential all-American makes you worse. You put him in there and you adjust.
ChuckRE asks: Will December bowl practices be more intense and win focused than perhaps they were in the GP era? Always seemed like about half the time we just kind of showed up. See Navy.
GD: Hard to say since I haven't seen Odom run a bowl practice before. You have to get work done, but you have to let them have fun too. This is a reward for the players. You can't just go run them into the ground for two weeks. I'd take exception with the idea that Missouri "just kind of showed up about half the time." The Navy game was bad. Other than that, Missouri played pretty well in bowl games under Pinkel. The 2003 Independence Bowl wasn't great, but the team wasn't great and it was their first one. They won the Independence in 05, the Cotton in 07, the Alamo in 08 (though they didn't play great), the Independence in 11, the Cotton in 13 and the Citrus in 14. They lost the Sun in 06 and the Insight in 10, but they didn't play poorly. So Missouri was 6-4 in bowl games under Pinkel and I would say they played pretty well in at least eight of them. I'd say they "just showed up" about 1/10th of the time, which is significantly different than 1/2.
gaterlep asks: After watching a handful more games, do you still think Tilmon and Jontay could potentially go pro after 1 year? They look good no doubt, but they're not exactly dominating against decent competition.
GD: When you're 6-foot-11 and you can move like those guys can, I'll never write off the possibility you could go pro after one year. Somebody would probably be willing to take a shot on both of them. I'm not sure either will really be ready to go pro, but being ready has never been the main factor anyway. Not saying I expect them to go, but I expect them to both have a decision to make.
Biker Bob asks: If the reaction to a Coach soon being hired happened exactly as it did at Tennessee, how would the different AD's you have covered at Mizzou handled it? Would they have gone through with the hiring or cancelled it?
GD: Similar things happened twice under Mike Alden. He'd been told not to hire a coach and then he hired Mike Anderson and the Curators met to talk about firing Alden. They didn't, ultimately. When he hired Frank Haith, you had Curators openly saying in the media they weren't sure they'd approve it. They did. If you're got Curators or regents or anybody other than the athletic director deciding if you should make a hire or not, you need to just get rid of the athletic director (or have people in those positions shut the hell up--I advocated for the latter both times it happened at Missouri). The only fan revolt at Mizzou was when they hired Haith and Missouri didn't back out of it. Tennessee shouldn't have either. They butchered that situation.
PinkelsVisor asks: Do you think Huepel stays or parlays this 6 game run into a HC job at a lower tier program? If Lock stays does that help keep Huepel around? If Lock goes NFL does that force Huepel to shop around?
GD: I think the two are tied. If one stays, the other stays. If one goes, the other might very well go (although it might be tough for Heupel to leave if Lock leaves first because the time table for hiring a head coach will have passed by the time that decision is made). I expect Drew Lock to be back next year at this point. And I also expect Josh Heupel to be back. If Heupel leaves, I think Lock leaves. I saw yesterday that Rice fired their head coach. That's the kind of head coaching job I think Heupel would have a shot at this year. But if he stays and this offense is as good as most assume it will be, I think he'll have a better shot at a better job next year. And I don't think Heupel is leaving for anything other than a head coaching job. He and Barry Odom talked for years about working together. I don't think Heupel is going to bolt after two seasons to be an OC somewhere else.
EuroTiger asks: Senior Quarterback Leadership is Key to a team like MU and breaking in a new QB is often painful. How many additional Wins does MU have with Lock next year vs. without him?
GD: If Lock is back, I think the expectation is an eight or nine win season with the possibility of more. If he leaves, I think you're talking about fighting to make a bowl game. I wouldn't normally say one player can make a three or four game difference, but I truly believe Lock would next year.
Christianmizzouguy asks: How close was your Football coaching hot board were it to have been needed to that of MSST and Tennessee? What recruits have offers from us but just lost a coach outside of Goodrich, Gooden, and Brown
GD: I never even started one. Didn't even think about who to put on one.
On the second question, there are quite a few and I'd have to go through every commitment list to list them all, but I think it's safe to say Mizzou will be checking out commitment lists especially at Arkansas, Texas A&M and Nebraska.
bson24 asks: 1. It feels like we have always had an heir to our Qb throne from Brad Smith-Chase Daniel-Blaine Gabbert- James Franklin-Maty Mauk- Drew Lock. It doesn't really feel like we have that heir to follow Drew yet. Do you think one will come from this recruiting class? Who is the heir to Powermizzou when you ride off into the sunset?2. Speaking of Blaine Gabbert it doesn't seem like he visits or talks about Mizzou ever when a lot of former players do. Did he not leave Mizzou on good terms?3. In your way to early prediction how do you see next football season playing out with a harder schedule, but a better prepared team?4. Do you think MPJ ends up playing for us?5. Do you think Jontay and Tilmon will stay past their sophomore seasons?
GD: 1. I wouldn't write off Micah Wilson or Taylor Powell yet. Way too soon to say they aren't the heir. As far as PowerMizzou, why would I ever leave? I work from home, set my own schedule and nobody ever tells me what to do. I'm good. When I'm too old to write anymore, I'll just collect paychecks and make somebody else do it.
2. I don't think Blaine left on bad terms. He's just not a rah-rah type of guy like some of the others.
3. Alabama and Georgia are likely losses. I'd say they probably lose at least one other. If I had to do a prediction today, I'd pick Mizzou to go 8-4 or 9-3 and be second in the East.
4. Yes
5. No
mizzou1971 asks: In reading this board it sounds like we have one or more silent commits...is this true?
GD: I believe it is. First off, silent commits are kind of silly to me. If you aren't saying it publicly, you aren't committed. That said, I know the next question will be "Who are they?" We let kids announce on their own timetable. We'd love for them to do it in an interview with us, but if they do it somewhere else, so be it. Our approach has always been to respect the wishes of the kids. It may cost us a story short-term, but it will help our relationships with recruits long-term.
jrl3m8 asks: Have you heard anything about Terry Petry? IIRC, he was a 4-star recruit at one point, and got bumped to 3. I would have thought with as shaky as the secondary was, it'd have been all hands on deck this year.
GD: Not really since fall camp. Ryan Walters seemed to indicate he wasn't quite ready to play at that time. We'll get more information on all the guys that redshirted during bowl practices.
mufootball1 asks: Defensive End seems like a position of need that could use some immediate help from a JUCO player.Currently, DE’s for 2018 with any significant playing time consist of Nate Anderson, Tre Williams and Chris Turner.Is Mizzou actively recruiting any JUCO DE’s? If not, is their a plan for 2018 within the current roster of DE’s?
GD: There was a teammate of Rashad Brandon's they were looking at for a while, Najee Stevens-McKenzie, but he committed to Kansas, which indicates to me Missouri wasn't super interested. Other than that, I don't know of any. I think they're counting on Turner and Williams along with some incoming help on the recruiting trail in the next couple of months there.
I_Hate_the_Cornhuskers asks: Thoughts on Clay Travis and his role in the Tenn/Schiano fiasco?
GD: Nah. All I'll say is it's our job to cover the story, not be part of it.
racerx401 asks: Next recruit to commit in fb
GD: Payne Durham
efilz4regit asks: Do you sense that basketball is being Officiated differently this year and more tightly in particular?
GD: Possible, but I've hardly watched any outside of Mizzou so I'm not qualified to say. It's really about Braggin' Rights before I get into full on hoops mode. College basketball officiating is pretty awful in general. But that's not a new development.
Gabberowski asks: What’s the most ridiculous collegiate sports story you have seen while on the beat? Some fan that’s just off their rocker type story....(eg whole TN fanbase).....
GD: A couple weeks ago I saw a story about an Auburn and Alabama fan arguing over which team was better and it ended up with one of them shooting the other. I'm not sure who shot who. In the end, I guess the Auburn fan won the argument.
rams721 asks: Will Jontay Porter be one of the best Tigers you seen by the time he done here?
GD: Depends how long he stays. If he's here for three years, it's quite possible. If not, no.
SouthCountyTiger asks: Favorite cheese?
GD: E-Z
Biker Bob asks: Will MIzzou FB be ranked at the end of the 2018 regular season?
GD: I don't think so. 8-5 will get you some votes and in certain years will get you in the back end of the top 25, but even if they win a bowl, it's possible they finish without a win over a team with a winning record. I think they might be one of the top 25 teams right now, but when you look at the whole season, they weren't.
cybertyger asks: Any word on Brooks leg injury?
GD: Not yet as we don't have any access to the team all week, but I saw him on crutches on the sideline after the game.
amhorrell asks: Not asking you to reveal your sources for when you tell us things.. but in basketball and football when you say i’m hearing x, y, or z.. is the who you’re hearing from in danger of being fired if their name were to come out along with what you tell us?
GD: Depends on the situation. Not all my information comes from someone at Mizzou. In fact, a lot of it doesn't. Sure, there are times I've been told some sensitive things. But if somebody's job is in danger, I'm going to be real careful about putting that information out there.
Crawdad man asks: Will Daron Davis be considered a redshirt freshman next year or true freshman?
GD: True. Same as any other kid that comes in a semester early for spring ball.