ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Transcript

Eli ±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýGood morning, everyone, and welcome to another Mizzou chat. We've got transfer portals — plural! — open, so I'm sure we'll have plenty to discuss, as usual. Before your questions, one football portal nugget for y'all.

As PowerMizzou reported earlier this morning, Iowa tight end Gavin Hoffman is currently at MU for a visit today. He's from the Kansas side of the KC area. Hoffman's agent told me he's received quite a bit of interest from other SEC and Power Four schools since entering the portal, but the only visit he's set up is Missouri. Reading between the lines a bit there suggests Hoffman wants to be at Mizzou. It seems the interest is mutual. I'd think he slots in as a TE2/3, providing some valuable cover in the case of injuries — which have affected that position group during the last couple of seasons. He only spent one year at Iowa, so there's longer-term upside here too. Nothing done yet, but don't be surprised if this one comes together.

Now, your questions!

¸é³Ü²õ²õ:ÌýGood morning, Eli. This move by C.Y. Young to Miami looks like a lateral move at best. Especially when you consider the buyout. Is this a Blake Baker type move? Baker's move seemed like strategic move for career purposes. What are your thoughts?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýIt's fair to call it a lateral move. It might depend what you think of the SEC vs. ACC, but that's not really your point. Baker's move, at least in how it was presented, was about being closer to his roots (and his wife's) in Baton Rouge. That's very similar for C.Y., who's from Miami and has tons of ties there still. I haven't heard this from him directly, but taking the same role on a new staff where he can have lots of influence in his home territory must have been appealing.Ìý

He was very well-liked at Mizzou, and I always enjoyed talking to him. He's a good recruiter and great developer, so it's a loss for the MU staff. But this is what happens. Assistants move around. The player C.Y. had been instrumental in recruiting — Marcus Allen — left for the portal. I'll be interested to see the direction Dennis Gates goes with hiring a new associate HC.Ìý

Senior Scramble:ÌýMy new hobby is studying the portal everyday , I know strange. Looking at what the other mens SEC teams in basketball are doing I feel that Mizzou hasn't kept up with roster talent. What are your thoughts on that. With Mizzou I don't see the outside scoring that last years team had. I sure hope Barrett, pierce and Boating make huge strides because it seems like Gates is counting on that . I know he can get 2 more portal players I sure hope they are players that can shoot. Women's Basketball I am encouraged with Coach Harper's portal players so far. She still has more to get. Mizzou baseball , being a northern school playing against southern schools that has such better weather in Feb. and March it makes it very difficult for Mizzou to compete. This years team might not win an SEC. team. Softball has a huge series to try to get into the NCAA tournament that they haven't missed on numerous years. As always thanks for the chat.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThis is just one metric and one moment in time, but 247Sports has Mizzou's portal class 8th in the SEC. One school has five portal commits. Mizzou is among five schools with four. The other 10 SEC schools have three or fewer commits. I think that puts the Tigers in OK position relative to the rest of the league, especially when you consider they have an All-SEC player in Mark Mitchell returning and All-SEC defender in Ant Robinson coming back, too. A lot of other teams in this league turned over their stars in the offseason.

Does that mean this portal window is an automatic success? Not at all. Like you said, there's been no progress on adding shooting. MU has two spots left, and I wrote earlier in the week that it seems like those spots need to go to someone who can score from 3. But even with that, some developmental strides will be very helpful. You're right to pinpoint Pierce, Barrett and Boateng in that. Mizzou needs all of those players to be worthy of spots in the rotation, not by default but by merit — and probably more than that from Pierce and Barrett.Ìý

I'll round up Kellie Harper's additions in a piece this weekend or next week, I think, once it becomes a little clearer her vision. But so far, some solid moves there — including an Incarnate Word product. I don't pretend to know the preps scene incredibly well, but that program is where I'd start looking.

Mizzou baseball is in rough shape. It's not just the weather — money also matters. I don't know what the future looks like for that program as far as breaking out of this holding pattern.

It seems like Mizzou softball needs to be winning pretty much everything to make the postseason. No. 1 Texas A&M is in town, so that's another tough test. Just seems like they don't have the horses this season.

Florida Al:ÌýGood morning, Eli. As the basketball offseason grinds on, I'm becoming increasingly concerned about the Tiger's prospects for next season. The Marcus Allen departure was both surprising and difficult to replace. Will he resurface at Miami with CY going there...did he know something before CY made his intent to take the Miami job known? I also worry that the departure of two important assistants could adversely impact our ability to recruit this portal. As you've pointed out, we have only two roster spots open, and they both need to be adequate replacements for Grill and Bates...a very high bar! The only name I see connected to the Tigers is the Italian player (Assui?) and that one might be risky. Seeing how the Tigers offense stalled when the SEC adjusted to their style and Grill went cold, next season could be a struggle to make the tourney again.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI wouldn't be surprised a bit if Allen resurfaces at Miami, given that he's also from there and has known C.Y. since his middle school days — that recruitment was very much a longstanding relationship those two have had. That said, I don't think the assistant departures affect the portal all that much. A lot of high school recruiting involves assistants because it takes years and is geographically spread out. Mizzou will have its assistants be "primary contacts" so to speak with different recruits to build those relationships over the course of years, which is what it takes. The portal, however, comes together in a few days at most. It's speed dating, and the conversations take place on a higher level. It's a lot more business-like, and while assistants might be involved, the head coach has more of a role from the jump there. So I wouldn't be too concerned.Ìý

And yes, as you mention, On3 reported that Mizzou has shown interest in Elisée Assui, an Italian player in Serie A over there. I don't know anything beyond that — "interest" is a fickle term that can mean anything from legit conversations to merely testing the waters. But he's a 6-5 wing which is the type of player MU needs to add.Ìý

On making the tournament next year: I think the SEC will be a significant bit weaker. Let's look at the top 10 scorers, for example. Tre Johnson, Josh Hubbard, Mark Sears, Johni Broome, Walker Clayton Jr., Chaz Lanier, Jeremiah Fears, Collin Murray-Boyles and Cam Carter are NBA Draft bound. Jason Edwards, the only player in the top 10 not headed to the draft, entered the portal. Quite a few more of the top 20 guys will also be gone. Sure, the SEC will reload and still be quite good. But I don't think you're going to see the sheer level of top-end talent that the league had this year. That should make it easier, theoretically, to pick up SEC wins and make the tourney.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:ÌýIt Seems like CY went to a lower program. Is there some issue going on in men’s bball?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýNo issue that I'm aware of. Gates said proudly during the season his staff is full of head coaches. Rob Summers proved that's true by getting hired at Cleveland State. C.Y. went back home to Miami. Is it great to lose him? No, but there's an understandable reason for that kind of move.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:ÌýI haven’t been very impressed with our men’s bball portal additions. Is the quality lower or we having issues recruiting

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThe market is out of whack. Most of what I've seen from folks who track the portal in a macro/national sense is that there have been some exorbitant asks from players as far as compensation goes. There are more than 1,700 players in the portal. It's ridiculous. At some point, the market will flip and players will be looking for a spot more than a bag of cash. Mizzou sitting back to let things settle a bit before filling the last two spots could be a reflection of that process needing to play out a bit. Not saying it's a great class so far, but it's worth waiting until business is done before making a real judgment.

³¢²¹°ù°ù²â²Ñ:ÌýHow is it that the Spring practices tell individuals their pecking order for playing time in September? I assume that is the main reason for players to enter the portal. Is there more to the competition than what Drink infers by "player development" during Spring?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýPlayer development is the focus, but even then I'm sure the pecking order is to some degree pretty apparent during drills. Maybe it's more apparent, even when the emphasis is on individual skills more than scheme. Plus, a general sense of the depth chart is important for the spring window. Players want to know if they're going to have a path to snaps in the fall. Coaches want to know where they need reinforcement. Like there is the winter, they may even get together to have those conversations about where things stand. Most, if not all, of Mizzou's departures during the spring have been about pecking order and paths to playing time. Drew Pyne is a good example. He was working on getting better, but it was evident after a week that Beau Pribula and Sam Horn were on a different level. Once that was clear, Pyne decided to leave.

³¢²¹°ù°ù²â²Ñ:ÌýIt seems almost meaningless to follow HS signees to assess future players. If NWaneri who was touted as a physical speciman can't break into the lineup in his first year, than who can. If you get no playing time as a freshman and Drink brings in a 3/4 year player thru the portal for your position, that sends a message to leave in my opinion. What is your opinion on developing players.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI'll twist the scope here a little bit to the value of recruiting freshmen in general. That value is rapidly, rapidly waning. For both football and basketball.Ìý

First, it's hard for true freshmen to be meaningful contributors in their first seasons. In basketball, it's really only the NBA-bound one-and-done type who does that. And there are maybe 20-25 of them in a given season? In football, it takes both incredible athletes and the right positions. A wideout like Luther Burden can break through easier than a quarterback who needs time to get used to the processing speed or a lineman who needs time to adjust to the physicality. So often times a spot given to a freshman is a spot dedicated solely to development.

That's not automatically a bad thing. Developing players is good. But the odds that a player you sign as a freshman developing into a starter three years later are slimmer than they were. Some of that is because teams will bring in a transfer over giving a developmental guy a chance. That was Jahkai Lang, to an extent, at MU. He showed flashes last year and was in line for more this season, until Damon Wilson came in. You can't blame Mizzou for taking a top-end guy there, but you also can't blame Lang for thinking he's ready for a role and leaving.

It's even tougher when you sign a player out of high school, pay a good amount for him to do so, don't use him much and then see him leave after one year. Then you've received very little return and preserved a redshirt (and developed him) for some other school's benefit. It seems the recruiting paradigm is undergoing a big change related to the portal and development.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:Ìýlooks like women’s bball is adding some good recruits. Do they have a better record next season

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI mean, they went 14-18 overall last season and 3-13 in the SEC. Not to be too sarcastic here, but they kind of have to have a better record, right? For the amount of money Mizzou is spending on women's basketball now, this program cannot be back in the SEC basement.Ìý

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:ÌýI’m worried boateng may leave. It seems like we haven’t addressed replacing grill or bates. We need some scoring

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThe portal isn't settled until it closes, but I'm not expecting anymore departures at this moment in time. And yes, the 2-3 spots are the holes in the roster at this point in the window.

³¢²¹°ù°ù²â²Ñ:ÌýCongrats to MU on signing WBB coach Kellie Harper. I advocated for this hiring the day after she was fired at Tennessee. After watching WBB suffer with the prior coach year after year, anything she can do will be an improvement.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýLike I said in the response to the question above, it seems like it can only be up from here. She certainly brings tournament-making upside that has not been present at Mizzou since Sophie Cunningham was around. This first season will be interesting, but it'll really be Year 2 that will show what Harper can do at MU.

²ú¾±²µ°ù´Ç²Ô:ÌýEli, is the 7'5'' kid who redshirted last year going to get playing time this year? Is he going to be a low post type player or another 7 footer who wants to be a 3-point shooter?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýYes, Trent Burns should have a role next season. Right now, Mizzou has Shawn Phillips Jr. coming in from Arizona State to be the primary center. Burns would be second behind him. I don't know what kind of minutes he'll earn, but he should get some. And to be honest, I don't know what kind of style they want to see from him. He can shoot, but without having seen Burns in a game, I really don't know. My guess is that Mizzou wants him to be a multi-level presence, but I think rim protection is a big part of their vision for him contributing.

´³±ð°ù±ð³¾²â:ÌýHave you heard any affirmative statements from the other players about their commitment to Gates in the wake of the departures? It seems like business as usual, they just left because they didn't want to fight for minutes--this is the state of college basketball today. But that is an assumption, and I'm just wondering if anything has been stated by the others? Is everything "fine?"

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI haven't really heard anything, but I wouldn't read into it. Mizzou's not exactly making players available to the media in the offseason for us to ask their thoughts on returning, the roster build, etc. The only player to make a public statement about returning is Jacob Crews, whose agency put something out about it the other day — a month after he told me and other writers verbally he was returning. Some schools make a big deal of announcing when players have re-signed. That's never been Missouri's style. Business as usual at MU is business proceeding quietly.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:Ìýare we losing too many defensive lineman now ? Seems like a lot of them just left

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI'd say this is about the most Mizzou could lose and still be fine. The defensive ends room still has Zion Young, Darris Smith, Damon Wilson, Nate Johnson, Javion Hilson and Langden Kitchen. All six are playable right now, based on what Drinkwitz has said. That's still some great depth there — and that's with two departures. That edge rushers room wasÌýloaded.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:Ìýwho are potential replacements for men’s bball asst coaches. I’m hopeful one is a good recruiter and another is great at x/o’s. At times we have a lack of good coaching decisions or plays

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI don't have names for you, but expect at least one hire to be offensive-minded. Summers carried the offensive coordinator title and did a lot with re-working the offense (which produced some phenomenal results as the year went along). There'll need to be a replacement for that. And then sure, recruiting chops could be good for the other spot. But I'd add a frontcourt emphasis would also be helpful. That's what Summers brought to the staff. Development/tinkering chops are probably more important than recruiting ability at this stage.Ìý

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:Ìýwhat do you see as a need in the portal for the upcoming football season.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýDrinkwitz said he doesn't see any pressing needs. In priority order, I'd say the most helpful additions would be at left tackle, defensive tackle, a third-string quarterback, wide receiver and punter. I expanded on that more in this week's spring portal primer, which has analysis of departures and needs.

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:ÌýWho are your breakout players for football next season. I’m worried a bit about our wr room. Hard to replace burden and wease

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýTo your point, it would greatly help Mizzou if Joshua Manning or Marquis Johnson fell in that bucket. On offense, I'll say running back Ahmad Hardy. On defense, I'll say linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez.Ìý

µþ´Ç²õ³Ù´Ç²Ô.²Ñ¾±³ú³ú´Ç³Ü:ÌýHow is the stadium renovation going

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýIt's coming along. I haven't heard a "XX% along" update, but crews are out there just about every day and there are things happening. If you haven't been in Columbia to see, a good chunk of the north end zone has been dug out. It looks like there's some piping or foundation being placed in the excavated part. There are also a few cranes tall enough that you couldn't pay me to climb into them on a windy day.Ìý

For anyone interested, Mizzou does have . It's not the greatest angle to see what's going on down in there, but it shows the general activity.

Boston.Mizzou:ÌýCan you get a men’s bball game back at hearnes. That would be cool to see again

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýFunny you mention this. I've been trying to push for one there. I never got to see a hoops game in Hearnes, and while I understand all of that building's flaws, I think there's something really cool about its character. I've told multiple people in the athletics department that they should do one throwback game in there for old time's sake. Bring in K-State or Iowa State, load up an old-school graphics package, bring back alumni and sell out the place as a one-off source of nostalgia. I think it would be a ton of fun and people would come out to it. Great way to send that building off into the sunset.

Maybe if enough of us ask for it, Mizzou will make it happen.

DCG:ÌýI don't agree that it's hard for freshmen bb players to come in and be meaningful contributors right away. I'd agree that it's hard for them to come in a be stars, but if they have the right skill set and mentality, they can contribute. Robinson was a contributor as a frosh. I think Barrett could have played a lot more for Mizzou last year.. Barrett didn't flinch at all when in there. I think there's going to be a course correction with the portal s because 1) the demand is quickly outstripping the supply; 2) coaches will realize that going into the portal with regularity creates a never ending loop--you grab the transfer, give him the time that your HS recruit was in line for, HS recruit bolts for a new team, now you have more slots to fill--back to the portal. I think Gates needs to be more welcoming of playing frosh, better a recognizing what kind of HS kids can actually play at this level (stop with the unathletic big men and non-shooting athletes), and play them. PT will lessen the desire to look elsewhere. Otherwise, I think think every spring will be like this one--desperate to fill holes. In the past, those holes were filled by development. It can be again.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýFair point on the freshmen, but I'll add this to support my thinking. Robinson was a contributor on a team that lost 19 games in the SEC and had some injuries. Not saying he wasn't deserving, but in another world does he get the same kind of run? And with Barrett: I agree he could've played more. I think the same of Allen. But they didn't. It's just inherently difficult for 18-19 year olds to be better than 21-22 year olds. It can and does happen, it's just tougher is my point.Ìý

Your course correction thought there is interesting. I think a lot of folks would like to see that happen. But it requires players to stop viewing the grass in the portal as so much greener than where they are. And in the age of reloading your roster every year, opting to rely on development is accepting that there will be ebbs and flows when that's not the expectation anymore. Plus it takes players committing to that vision three-four times over the course of their career. That might sound great out of high school and OK after one year of college, but what about when they have a frustrating season and there's more money on the table elsewhere? I get the sense players maximize their value by transferring, not by staying in most instances. I hope it corrects like you outline. Maybe finally getting these extra eligibility years out of the window will help with that. I just don't share the same optimism as you here.

DCG:ÌýI'd add this to development--there was a time just a few years ago when high level (top 10) football teams would go into a season with a QB who had never played any meaningful downs, and you know what? The guy would perform and the team would still be great. Consider Mac Jones, just a few years ago. Got no snaps behind Hurts and then Tua. And then he is great for Bama. It seems like no one believes this can happen any more, but that's the way it always was before the portal and NIL. And coaches want the easy way out now.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýGreat point. The highest-profile recent case of that happening in football was, what, Nico at Tennessee? Obviously ended in a mess but on the field, it turned out alright for the Vols. It does seem like the tolerance for that approach has vanished. I mean, look at what the big question mark with this Mizzou team is: Pribula, purely because he's not experienced. Everyone thinks experience wins, and everyone wants experience every year now. Players still have to pick that up somewhere. Everyone just wants it to be somewhere else.Ìý

DCG:ÌýI think that's a bit of re-writing history. Robinson was a contributor from the outset, before the season went awry, and frankly, I think the team would have been better off playing him more early on than wasting minutes on someone like Nick Honor, who was just awful that last year. I thin Robinson would have earned similar minutes in better programs, and he might have gotten more in programs with more talent that would have made his job easier.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýMaybe it is. I agree on the Honor point, and yes, the quality around him would've been a factor too. I also think that Robinson doesn't play as well this past season without taking some lumps and getting that experience in 22-23 — which shows the value in playing young guys regardless of whether they're your quote-unquote best option.

Lu:ÌýApologies in advance for asking you to speculate, but c'mon its Spring. From Eliah's press conference last week it sounds like the QB battle is pretty neck and neck between Horn and Pribula. If its even do you expect Pribula to get the benefit of the doubt given his (assumed) portal price tag? Or does Horn get the benefit given he's been learning the offense the last couple years?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýHere's the thing with quarterback battles. They get so fluffed up with semantics. That's not just a Drinkwitz thing, it's everywhere. Everyone thinks a QB competition is so delicate that they don't want to accidentally add kindling to the fire. Right or wrong, that's what it is. I remain of the belief that if Pribula isn't the starter, something has not gone to plan. Maybe that's Horn showing an incredible knowledge of the offense and zero rust from not having played consistent meaningful football since high school. Without having seen him in any real practice reps, that would be surprising to me. I understand the merit of Pribula having to earn the starting job and of giving Horn a chance to battle for it. But Pribula should win it in the end.

Lu:Ìý7.5 on the vegas win total!? Am I crazy for thinking the over is a lock? roughly the same (relatively easy ) schedule with a more formidable front 7. I imagine my homer bias is doing a lot of the thinking here, but I imagine a 7 win season would be a pretty big disappointment to most everyone involved here. You have any thoughts on why the oddsmakers are so down on our guys? less star power in the WR room? bit of uncertainty at the QB and OL positions?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI had the same instant reaction to the line coming in at 7.5 too (and no, that's not betting advice). But think of the external view: Mizzou is replacing its QB, top two RBs, top three WRs, LT, RG, RT, a DE, a DT, its MLB and a safety spot. Maybe that's not exactly how Vegas sets its lines, but you can see where the question marks come in. If I were setting the line (and there are many reasons why I'm not) I'd probably put it at 8.5. But that's me thinking I know more than Vegas does, which never ends well!

DCG:ÌýI'll add that, as we have speculated before in this chat, if the ability to sign guys to multi-year deals comes about, that will be a game changer in terms of development. But I would add that the portal doesn't guarantee that there won't be ebbs and flows. Just look at Mizzou, which has been as portal heavy as anyone. Talk about ebbs and flows. In some ways, I think the portal makes the chance of volatility greater because it's hard to know how the pieces will fit. Calipari was essentially the test case for this, but his portal was just one and dones. But every season was a whole new cast, and for that last decade at UK, his teams were all over the place, from great to downright bad.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýTrue, true. Thinking of the portal as a consistent stream of production and talent with no ebbs or flows is a fallacy. And yes, multi-year deals would go a long way toward cutting all of this movement-for-movement's-sake down.Ìý

Groucho:Ìýif players are being reclassified as employees and they attend a public university, then wouldn't logic dictate that their salaries are subject to the same disclosure rules as other university employees?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI'd think, hope and make that argument if players do receive employee status. And I'm sure public schools around the country will find loopholes in designations to get around that. As we've talked about before in these chats, there's just no transparency around college sports deal-making. And I don't see incentive for that to change.

DCG:ÌýI'm a little (or maybe a lot depending on your perspective) older than you, and the Hearnes was the arena back then. Mizzou hoops was good when I was there, and man did that place get loud. Really good sight lines, too. A great place to attend a game. I've never been to the new arena

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýI've been fascinated by what the view would be from those upper-level corner sections at Hearnes. Regardless of where you are, it's so steep that I'd have to think there are lots of good views. And because it's so packed it, it must be quite loud on the floor. This just has me wanting it to happen even more.

Also, another portal nugget to bookend this chat with those for those who've stuck around/read this far: Illinois State transfer wide receiver Xaiver Loyd just let me know that he's headed to Columbia today for a visit to MU. He's another KCK area guy and had 66 catches for 912 yards and six TDs last season.

That's where we'll wrap up today's chat. A reminder for those of you looking for something to watch this afternoon: Mizzou gymnastics will be up in the NCAA semifinals at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.Ìý

-

-

-

-