At halftime Tuesday at Mizzou Arena, the here and now offered little to recommend. Outside, sleet had begun to fall, the latest unwanted gift from above in the dreariest of winters. Inside, Missouri trailed Kentucky by 18 points. The odds of breaking a hip on the walk back to the car were better than witnessing an upset on this night.
The real halftime action was in the past and future … and in figuring out how the latter could be more like the former.
The image of Norm Stewart appeared on the scoreboard, from a golf course in sunny California, delivering a taped message of support for Derrick Chievous, whose No. 3 was finally retired three decades after his career ended. Chievous finished his playing days in 1988 as Missouri’s leading scorer. He remains Missouri’s leading scorer. He will always be Missouri’s leading scorer. Even if someone comes along good enough to average 20 points over a four-year career, which is what it would take to surpass Chievous’ 2,580 points, that magical future savior won’t stay in school for four years.
