最新杏吧原创

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Missouri football signed 17 high school players to its 2025 recruiting class Wednesday, including the top two in-state prospects, one of the nation鈥檚 top rising quarterbacks and an edge rusher who committed on signing day.

In total, Mizzou’s 2025 class ranks No. 19, according to team recruiting rankings, trailing Georgia Tech and Penn State but ahead of Nebraska and Florida State. MU’s class sits 11th in the Southeastern Conference, sandwiched between Oklahoma and South Carolina.

For the second consecutive cycle, Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz secured the top in-state recruit. Last year, that was five-star edge rusher Williams Nwaneri. This time, it鈥檚 Eureka offensive lineman Jack Lange.

Getting the best in-state talent 鈥渋s always important to us,鈥� Drinkwitz said.

Four of Missouri鈥檚 signees committed between Sunday and Wednesday, which marks the start of the early signing period. The Tigers flipped those recruits from other schools 鈥� but lost out on two commits, too.

Mizzou signed five players from the 最新杏吧原创 area:

• Lange, a four-star offensive lineman from Eureka, ranked as the top in-state recruit.
• Daeden Hopkins, a four-star edge rusher from Hermann, ranked as the No. 2 in-state recruit.
• Jason Dowell, a three-star defensive lineman from Belleville who recently won a state title with Althoff Catholic.
• CJ Bass III, a three-star athlete from East 最新杏吧原创 expected to play safety for Mizzou.
• Jason King, a three-star linebacker from De Smet.

And from the rest of the nation:

• Matt Zollers, a four-star quarterback from Royersford, Pennsylvania. He’s ranked as the No. 7 quarterback prospect in the class but suffered a lower-leg injury that took away a significant portion of his senior season.
• Marquise Davis, a four-star running back from Cleveland who kicked off a wave of flips in the Tigers’ favor this week by swapping his Kentucky commitment for a signature with Missouri.
• Brendon Haygood, a three-star running back from Sachse, Texas, who was also a flip, having been previously committed to Boise State.
• Donovan Olugbode, a four-star wide receiver from the Chicago area who plays at national preps powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida. He’s ranked as the No. 11 wideout in the 2025 class.
• DaMarion Fowlkes, a four-star wide receiver from Olney, Maryland, who flipped his commitment from Pittsburgh to MU earlier this week.
• Shaun Terry, a three-star wide receiver from Ironton, Ohio, who was one of the earliest commits of the class.
• Dakotah Terrell, a three-star tight end from Pocola, Oklahoma.
• Keiton Jones, a four-star interior offensive lineman from Coffeyville, Kansas, who is ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the nation at that position.
• Henry Fenuku, a three-star offensive tackle from Fort Worth, Texas.
• Javion Hilson, a four-star edge rusher from Cocoa, Florida, who was once committed to Florida State. Hilson is a consensus top 77 prospect in the class regardless of position, and tabs him as the best edge rusher in the class.
• Dante McClellan, a three-star linebacker from Canton, Ohio.
• Mark Manfred, a three-star cornerback from Marietta, Georgia.

Zollers has been Mizzou鈥檚 highest-profile commit of the cycle. He competed at the Elite 11 quarterback competition finals in California over the summer but suffered a leg injury during his high school season. The MU coaching staff has seemed quite excited about Zollers鈥� ceiling with the Tigers.

鈥淲e evaluate quarterbacks on toughness, preparation, decision-making, accuracy and leadership,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭hose are the traits that we feel like make up elite quarterbacks. Then you just go through the list.

鈥淵ou look at Matt鈥檚 ... toughness, both physical and mental: Obviously, he鈥檚 dealing with an injury right now and has dealt with injuries before to be able to come back. Preparation, the amount of time he puts into knowing offense, learning offense and studying offense. Decision-making with the ball in his hands, constantly makes good decisions. He鈥檚 got the ability to extend plays with his feet and his arm, and that was a really good asset that we felt like he had as an accurate thrower of the football. And he鈥檚 a leader.鈥�

The last addition to the class was Hilson, who committed live Wednesday afternoon on ESPN2. He didn鈥檛 even have an offer from Missouri until a couple of weeks ago and made his official visit over the weekend as the Tigers played Arkansas in a snowy regular-season finale.

Securing a signature from the former Florida State commit was a win for first-year defensive ends coach Brian Early.

鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 like speed dating,鈥� Drinkwitz said of the late rush to sign Hilson. 鈥淲e had a relationship there, too ... but it really became real because of some connections that (defensive line) coach (Brian) Early had to some of the mentors. And when he got on campus, I think Coach Early did an excellent job of showing him the depth chart, the opportunity to play.鈥�

And Drinkwitz, putting a bow on his fifth full recruiting cycle in Columbia, was eager to praise Lange, whom he鈥檇 seen play live during a Eureka-Kirkwood matchup that the MU coach attended this season.

鈥淰ery good pad level, knee bend, hands inside,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to have to learn the other side of pass protection, but with (offensive line) coach (Brandon) Jones, his ability to teach, feel very confident that鈥檒l be good. I think Jack鈥檚 very excited about going against the best.鈥�

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If not Illinois, which bowl opponent would become most compelling for Mizzou?

• Ben Frederickson

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Missouri will soon find out its bowl game assignment, with details regarding the Tigers鈥� final game of the 2024 season set for a Sunday afternoon announcement. And while the 鈥渨here鈥� of that matchup is half of the intrigue, it鈥檚 the 鈥渨ho鈥� Mizzou will play that might be the most important.

MU, which finished the regular season 9-3 overall and 5-3 against Southeastern Conference opponents, will almost certainly participate in one of the 鈥淧ool of Six鈥� bowl games. The Tigers are out of the College Football Playoff race and unlikely to have the requisite stature for the SEC鈥檚 spot in the Citrus Bowl, which will go to the conference鈥檚 best non-playoff team.

That means Mizzou will learn its bowl destination Sunday afternoon after the 12-team playoff field has been set. Once those teams are unveiled by the CFP鈥檚 selection committee, the Citrus Bowl will grab its SEC representative, and then the behind-the-scenes scheming begins.

Conferences and TV networks do most of the programming, trying to create matchups that will draw eyeballs and ticket sales 鈥� in Missouri鈥檚 case, that means the SEC and ESPN. Bowl-eligible schools and the bowl games themselves have rather limited say in where they go or what teams they get, respectively.

The programming process is expected to wrap up around mid-afternoon Sunday and lacks a specific time. The announcement is likely to come around the end of Missouri men鈥檚 basketball鈥檚 Border War showdown with Kansas, which tips off at noon that day inside Mizzou Arena.

Given the Tigers鈥� stature in both the SEC and national rankings, they have six bowl game options:

• Liberty Bowl: 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27 in Memphis, Tennessee, vs. Big 12.
• Las Vegas Bowl: 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27 in Las Vegas, vs. current or former Pac-12.
• Music City Bowl: 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee, vs. Big Ten.
• ReliaQuest Bowl: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida, vs. Big Ten or ACC.
• Texas Bowl: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 in Houston, vs. Big 12.
• Gator Bowl: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Jacksonville, Florida, vs. Atlantic Coast Conference.

All are considered equal in prestige 鈥� there鈥檚 no defined pecking order among them. That鈥檚 part of why the game isn鈥檛 the most important part of what鈥檒l be announced on Sunday, at least in MU administration鈥檚 eyes.

鈥淭o me, the bowl experience is, first of all, about who you鈥檙e playing,鈥� athletics director Laird Veatch said over the weekend, 鈥渟o it can be a meaningful game against a brand that you want to play against. And ideally could be a place and a location that our fans want to get to, and something warm is always nice. But in the end, it鈥檚 about the opponent and the matchup.鈥�

When the final CFP rankings come out following this weekend鈥檚 conference championship games, Missouri is likely to land around No. 20. Theoretically, its bowl game opponent will also come from that range 鈥� a team that missed the playoffs but still put together a solid season.

Two bowl options put Mizzou against a Big Ten club, two would see a date with a Big 12 team, one would pair the Tigers with an ACC program and one would see them get one of the Pac-12鈥檚 former teams, now spread across the other three leagues.

In terms of opponent quality, the Big Ten 鈥� in the Music City or Reliaquest Bowls 鈥� would probably be the best bet.

Illinois is an immediate eye-catcher as a possible opponent, but the strength of the Big Ten may actually keep that matchup from happening. If that conference gets its expected four teams into the playoff, Illinois would be the best Big Ten team left out and then go to the Citrus Bowl, which picks before these six games.

The next tier within the Big Ten would be programs like Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Rutgers 鈥� all of which notched at least seven wins. Out of that bunch, the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3) would probably be the most competitive pairing for Mizzou. But the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4), as the defending national champions, would present the strongest brand for Missouri to face.

And after beating a Big Ten powerhouse in Ohio State during last year鈥檚 Cotton Bowl, the Tigers could relish a chance to play the other half of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

As far as former Pac-12 and Big 12 programs go 鈥� because that pot overlaps these days 鈥� Colorado could be an option in the Liberty, Texas or Vegas Bowls. The Buffs (9-3, 7-2) finished in a four-way tie atop the Big 12 this season and have a media machine coach in Deion Sanders. A bowl game reunion between the former conference foes would lack some of the potential star power, though, because of NFL-related opt-outs.

The losing team from the Big 12 championship game, which will be between Arizona State and Iowa State, could also be a possible Missouri bowl opponent.

There鈥檚 only one game in which MU could play an ACC team that didn鈥檛 just move over from a different conference 鈥� the Gator Bowl 鈥� but that could be another matchup with a traditionally big brand in college football: Clemson.

The orange-and-purple Tigers might be off the table as a potential opponent given that they鈥檒l make the playoff with a win over Southern Methodist in the ACC title game, but should they lose, they鈥檒l be in the right tier for a competitive fixture against a team like Missouri.

Ahead of championship games, the range of possible teams for Mizzou is still rather wide. Firming up the playoff field, for starters, will create more clarity heading into Sunday鈥檚 programming.

鈥淚t鈥檒l start to narrow down,鈥� Veatch said.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Entering halftime trailing California by 16 points, Missouri men鈥檚 basketball was in the kind of game where it was about to learn something.

The Tigers had ended the first half of Tuesday鈥檚 Southeastern Conference-Atlantic Coast Challenge game about as poorly as a team can: by giving up a 17-0 run to the visiting Golden Bears. A competitive back-and-forth threatened to yield to a blowout.

In the locker room and down 51-35, coach Dennis Gates didn鈥檛 say much. Mizzou players did.

鈥淚 would love to take all the credit, and sometimes head coaches sit here and take all the credit,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚 credit our players. They challenged themselves. They knew what we had to do.鈥�

At a base level, the Tigers needed a run to start the second half. They got one, outscoring Cal 34-13 during the first 10 minutes of the second half, flipping the deficit into a lead. Missouri held on to win 98-93, moving to 7-1 on the season.

The MU team that took to the floor in the second half seemed the polar opposite of the one that had been bleeding points just a little bit earlier.

鈥淭hey came out with much more energy and tenacity than us,鈥� Cal coach Mark Madsen said. 鈥淭hey got every loose ball. They got us on our heels. We had some untimely turnovers that they converted into layups in the second half. They also ran down our throat after a couple of made baskets.鈥�

Stylistically, Missouri deviated strongly from how it has played under Gates. The Tigers finished with just nine 3-pointers attempted, the second-fewest attempted from beyond the arc during his tenure in Columbia. MU tried only eight once against South Carolina last season.

With just three 3s tried 鈥� and only one made 鈥� in a 63-point second half, Mizzou relied almost exclusively on looks around the rim and generating free throws. That came back to one tweak that Gates did make during halftime.

鈥淭he one thing I did do was simplify offensively and just go right into high ball screens,鈥� he said.

In Missouri鈥檚 previous seven games, the Tigers had seen 50 pick-and-roll possessions end with the ball handler recording a shot, foul or turnover. On Tuesday, they had 38, according to Synergy tracking data 鈥� more than double the most logged in any other game this season.

Two key factors helped MU pick and roll so merrily.

Second-year point guard Anthony Robinson II continued his breakout season by setting a new career high in points with 29 on efficient shooting 鈥� 8 for 11 from the field, 13 for 15 at the charity stripe. He also notched six assists, two steals and 11 fouls drawn across both ends of the floor.

Robinson was, in many ways, Mizzou鈥檚 engine. The first-half collapse aligned with him coming out of the game due to some early foul trouble.

鈥淲e just couldn鈥檛 play as aggressive as we wanted to,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淥bviously, it just showed how much we miss Ant out there on the court.鈥�

And Robinson had seen something with Cal鈥檚 ball screen coverage on film that he wanted to exploit.

鈥淚 knew they were going to be in drop coverage, so you know that area is going to be open,鈥� the point guard said.

With defenders sagging toward the rim as he dribbled past screens, the mid-range opened up for Robinson. He scored Missouri鈥檚 first nine points of the game, thanks in part to three middy jumpers bagged early on.

The other part of MU鈥檚 pick-and-roll success was, well, the other part of the play: the screens set by centers Josh Gray and Peyton Marshall.

鈥淚 thought those guys set some great ball screens for Ant,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing for Ant to be able to do those things. He doesn鈥檛 do them without Josh and Peyton.鈥�

鈥淪houtout to Peyton and Josh,鈥� Robinson added. 鈥淭hey set great screens and allowed me to see the floor better. My guy was in drop, so I鈥檓 just reading the game and it was just all coming together.鈥�

Marshall played 14 minutes, tied for the most the freshman has played in a game this season. He only appeared in the second half, posting six points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist. MU outscored Cal by 11 with Marshall on the floor.

His strength showed in the low post, where Marshall 鈥� listed at 7 feet tall and 300 pounds 鈥� played enough bully ball to fight through help defenders and heavy contact.

鈥淗igh school, I feel like any sign of physicality or aggression, they would penalize my size 鈥� like, 鈥極h, you too big to be hitting on those kids like that,鈥欌�� Marshall said. 鈥淲hereas now, it鈥檚 like everyone is the same size. It鈥檚 normal. You got to tell them, 鈥楪et in the weight room.鈥� You can鈥檛 penalize somebody for being strong no more.鈥�

The Tigers got 54 points out of pick-and-roll plays compared with just 24 for the Golden Bears.

The bigger-picture implication of Mizzou鈥檚 ball-screen success: MU leads the nation with 1.163 points per possession on pick-and-roll possessions that end with the ballhandler.

Sitting 10th on that list is No. 1 Kansas, which comes to town for the Border War at noon Sunday.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� This time of year, football recruiting doesn't rest.聽

Missouri's recruiting efforts saw a turbulent start to the week with several changes to its 2025 recruiting class ahead of Wednesday's start to the early signing period.

Two players who'd been wavering in their verbal commitments to Mizzou backed out of their pledges and instead chose Texas A&M, while MU coach Eli Drinkwitz poached a recruit from another program to add to his list of recent flips.

Lamont Rogers, a five-star offensive tackle, flipped from the Tigers to the Aggies on Monday. Three-star running back Jamarion Morrow followed suit on Tuesday.

Neither decommitment was especially surprising: Both players' waning interest in Missouri had been evident in recent weeks.

A flip-heavy week will end up being a net positive for MU at running back, though. The Tigers added three-star tailback Brendon Haygood to their class Tuesday night.

Haygood who hails from Wylie, Texas, in the Dallas area, committed to Mizzou after visiting for the weekend's regular-season finale against Arkansas. He'd been verbally committed to Boise State but announced his decommitment from the Broncos while on his visit to Missouri 鈥� graphics posted to social media from inside another school's stadium are how the recruiting sausage is made these days.

The late addition of Haygood will give the Tigers 16 verbal commitments heading into the start of the early signing period on Wednesday. There remains a chance that Mizzou isn't done yet, though, and swings another prospect or two its way at the last moment.聽

Drinkwitz's recruiting efforts to bolster his 2025 class have gone down to the buzzer, but he's been effective down the stretch. Haygood was his third flip of the week after adding four-star running back Marquise Davis on Sunday and four-star wide receiver DaMarion Fowlkes on Monday.

Purdue O-lineman to visit next week

Missouri will get one of its first transfer-portal targets of the offseason on campus next week.

Former Purdue offensive lineman Mahamane Moussa 鈥� in the portal after the Boilermakers fired former MU defensive coordinator Ryan Walters as head coach 鈥� will visit Mizzou next week, his agent told the Post-Dispatch.

Moussa, who hails from Indianapolis, spent four seasons at Purdue, redshirting for one. He was a starter for the Boilermakers this season, playing heavily at left guard.

Moussa also has experience at left tackle, which suggests he could slot in at either spot for Mizzou. The Tigers are losing starting left tackle Marcus Bryant after this season and will likely be in the market for a lineman to pair with Cayden Green on the left side of the offensive line. Green, for his part, can play both tackle and guard on that side.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Ten minutes into Missouri men鈥檚 basketball鈥檚 first meeting with a power conference program this year, the Tigers trailed California 20-17. With 10 minutes left in the game, Mizzou led the Golden Bears 69-64.

Would you believe that Cal had an 18-point lead in between those checkpoints?

An electric start to the second half canceled out a bleak end to the first for MU, which recovered from a 17-0 run to beat California 98-93 in a closely contested game down the stretch.

Second-year point guard Anthony Robinson II led Mizzou with a career-high 29 points, plus six assists a handful of vital defensive plays despite foul trouble.

Forward Mark Mitchell chipped in a season-high 21 points, with some of his finishes through contact coming at key times during MU鈥檚 second-half comeback.

As a team, the Tigers shot just nine 3-pointers, relying on opportunities at the rim 鈥� and relatedly, the free-throw line 鈥� for their looks. Mizzou outscored Cal 63-42 in the second half on 84.6% shooting from the field while attempting only three 3-pointers during that period.

The game, part of a crossover challenge between the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference, moves Missouri to 7-1 on the season and extends its winning streak to seven games.

Robinson, who has seemingly cemented himself as the Tigers鈥� starting ball-handler, provided their first nine points of the game.

He started off the home team鈥檚 scoring with three points earned a flashy but old-fashioned way. Coming downhill out of a pick and roll with Mitchell, Robinson pulled back for a fadeaway jumper on the right side of the floor and nailed it through a foul, hitting the and-one too. His nine-point burst included three made free throws and three made midrange shots.

Mizzou traded buckets for the Golden Bears as both teams settled in to the first half, but it was the visitors who took a commanding lead as the Tigers suffered a meltdown over the final three and a half minutes of the opening half.

They conceded a 17-0 run to the Golden Bears over most of that span, setting up a steep deficit to attempt to summit in the second half.

A couple of turnovers from Mizzou鈥檚 guards that Cal鈥檚 backcourt turned into 3s started the run. When the MU defense did get set, the visitors passed through the heart of it to wide-open shooters on the weak side. Missouri tried to get in the paint through Mitchell to stop the bleeding, but he struggled, putting up ill-advised shots to try to draw a foul and committing an illegal screen foul himself instead.

Mitchell ended the Cal run with a transition dunk just before halftime, but at that point, the damage was done: The Bears led 51-35 at the break.

The Tigers came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders with an 8-0 run over about two minutes of game time. Four different players scored for MU but shared a common denominator: finding the much-needed buckets by going down low.

Down 51-43, Mizzou had the crowd back in the game, and the run kept going. Robinson, back in after a first half limited by foul trouble, drew a charge and stole the ball on the next trip for a couple of key defensive plays. Guard Tamar Bates hit a 3 after Robinson鈥檚 steal to bring the hosts within five points while on a 12-1 run.

Missouri clawed back to within two points when forward Aidan Shaw, lurking in the dunker spot, finished off a lob with a one-handed stuff through the rim, cutting the deficit to 57-55 with 14 minutes left in the game.

Robinson set his career high in scoring with his 17th point, notched on a floater. He drew his second charge of the night on the other end of the floor, setting up a possession on which guard Marques Warrick tied the game at 64-all at the free-throw line.

After an airballed Cal 3-pointer and another Warrick free throw, Mizzou pulled ahead with just under 11 minutes to play 鈥� its first lead since there were more than 11 minutes left in the first quarter.

The Tigers and Bears returned to trading buckets, though MU remained in the driver鈥檚 seat.

A drive from Robinson drew California guard Jeremiah Wilkinson鈥檚 fifth foul of the night, removing Wilkinson 鈥� who had 19 points 鈥� from the game for clutch time.

Mitchell drove through contact in transition for a layup that put Mizzou up 85-79 with four minutes to go for its biggest lead of the game to that point.

Bates fouled out just over a minute of game time later, swatting out of frustration after a turnover. He finished with 15 points, one of four MU players to score in double figures.

A high-flying dunk for Mitchell that also drew a foul put the power forward over the 20-point threshold and Missouri up by six with fewer than 90 seconds to go.

Nursing a four-point lead into the final seconds, Mizzou looked to have turned the ball over 鈥� but the Golden Bears, after taking possession, called a timeout they didn鈥檛 have. That gave Robinson two lonely free throws to extend the MU lead to 95-89 before Cal got the ball.

While the visitors resorted to quick shots and intentional fouls, the Tigers managed to inbound and convert at the charity stripe effectively enough to hold on for the victory.

No timeline for Grill鈥檚 return

Missouri guard Caleb Grill missed the game with a neck injury suffered during last week鈥檚 nonconference contest against Lindenwood. Grill was ruled out on Monday and wore a next brace Tuesday while on the bench.

His availability will be determined day by day moving forward and, contradictory to a Tuesday report that Grill will be out for two weeks, there鈥檚 no time frame established for the veteran guard鈥檚 return, sources familiar with his recovery told the Post-Dispatch. Mizzou does not have a predetermined amount of time that it expects to be without Grill.

He took a blow to his head during the Lindenwood game and fell to the court, where he remained down for several minutes before he was stretchered off the floor. Grill was taken to a nearby hospital for imaging, which determined that he鈥檇 avoided serious injury. He was discharged later that night.

The Tigers play next on Sunday, hosting No. 1 Kansas, which gives Grill a handful of days to recover for Missouri鈥檚 stiffest test of nonconference play.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� December鈥檚 onset means more competitive basketball is on the way for Missouri after a slow ramp up of blowouts to start the season.

鈥淭he month of December is a different month compared to November,鈥� MU coach Dennis Gates said Monday, and he wasn鈥檛 referring to just a different picture on his wall calendar.

The Tigers will face their first power conference opponents of the season, marking the biggest test of the 2024-25 season since the opener against Memphis. First up, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, is California.

Mizzou (6-1) will host the Golden Bears (6-1) as part of the Southeastern Conference-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge 鈥� yes, the school in Berkeley, California, is in the ACC now.

Cal came in at No. 78 in the NCAA鈥檚 first NET rankings drop of the season, a metric that largely grades programs鈥� resumes. Missouri placed 46th in the rankings.

So there will be more quality on the Mizzou Arena floor on Tuesday, but one of the intriguing parts of the game will be Gates coaching against his alma mater. He appeared in 114 games for the Golden Bears between 1998 and 2002, starting 34 of them as a 6-3 guard.

Gates downplayed the impact of his personal connection to MU鈥檚 upcoming opponent. When ESPN, the SEC and the ACC were programming this year鈥檚 series, he said he expected Missouri to be paired with Cal or Florida State, where Gates earned a master鈥檚 degree while coaching for Leonard Hamilton, his mentor. Either would have been a reunion of sorts for Mizzou鈥檚 third-year coach.

鈥淲hatever storyline it is, it鈥檚 still going to make for a good game,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about what I鈥檝e done in my career. It鈥檚 about our players.鈥�

Speaking of players, the Tigers will be without a key one against the Bears. Guard Caleb Grill will be out with a neck injury suffered last week against Lindenwood.

The incident became a rather scary scene at Mizzou Arena. Grill took a blow to his head and fell to the court, where he remained for several minutes before being stretchered off the floor and taken to nearby University Hospital. Scans revealed no serious injury, and Grill was discharged that night.

He鈥檇 watched the rest of the game from his phone while hospitalized, and called Gates around 2 a.m. upon getting clearance to leave the hospital.

鈥淐oach, I鈥檓 good to go,鈥� Gates recalled his veteran guard saying. 鈥淚鈥檓 sitting here jogging in place.鈥�

While Grill may have felt fine, the team is opting to hold him out of Tuesday鈥檚 contest as a precaution. Gates said he considers Grill day-to-day, which would suggest that his status could go either way for Sunday鈥檚 game against No. 1 Kansas.

With Grill out, Mizzou will turn to Marques Warrick, Jacob Crews and Annor Boateng as wings charged with replacing Grill鈥檚 shooting and rebounding abilities. Boateng generally starts games before being subbed out for Grill, so that aspect likely won鈥檛 see much of a change.

鈥淚 think those three guys have to continue to step up in their own way, without trying to be Caleb Grill,鈥� Gates said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檒l be fine, I think, by committee.鈥�

The Tigers are in line to face an up-and-down slate when it comes to opponent quality in December. There are power conference opponents in Cal, KU and Illinois but more buy games mixed in between against the likes of Long Island, Jacksonville State and Alabama State.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 overanalyze the entire month,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淏ut as a head coach, in our scheduling, what I see now is higher level of NET, and then a drop in NET, higher level of NET, drop in NET.鈥�

Success, in his eyes, will be minimizing the difference in play style amid the waves of opponent quality.

鈥淲hat I want our guys to be is be consistent and not challenge the front of jersey but challenge our identity,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I鈥檓 measuring December.鈥�

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Never thought I鈥檇 write about Barry Odom again.

He鈥檚 no longer in our orbit, instead out there in the Mountain West Conference, coaching in the late games.

But this past weekend, the old Missouri Tiger caught my attention 鈥� so I figured he should catch yours, too.

Odom is what they call in Columbia a 鈥渢rue son,鈥� a proud Mizzou man who, of course, played linebacker and later became the head coach. However, his 25-25 record in four years 鈥� and a lack of 鈥渕o鈥� in MO 鈥� led to his firing in 2019.

And if you forgot the date, well, Odom reminded us.

This past Saturday (Nov. 30), his UNLV football team won its 10th game. The convincing victory over rival Nevada secured UNLV鈥檚 spot in the Mountain West title game this Friday. UNLV will face Boise State 鈥� and the winner gets an automatic berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Yep, the same College Football Playoff a talented Tigers team failed to reach this season.

After UNLV鈥檚 Saturday win, Odom spoke at the postgame news conference. His young daughter, Anna, sat on his lap.

鈥淵ou never know the ups and downs with what happens 鈥� and how you react to them and how you respond to them,鈥� Odom said. 鈥淔ive years ago today, I was fired at the University of Missouri. I鈥檒l never forget that. You learn from your lessons. You learn from your opportunities. You pick yourself up, you dust yourself off and go create more.鈥�

Suddenly, Odom stopped talking. He held back tears. His daughter looked gently at him. Eight seconds of silence, while his touching words lingered.

I鈥檒l tell you, Odom has sure personified perseverance. In a profession that eats up head coaches and spits them out as humbled coordinators, Odom has valiantly returned to the role of head coach. Following three seasons as an assistant at Arkansas, Odom took over at UNLV and has won and won some more.

First season in Vegas? His 2023 team went 9-5 and lost a bowl game to Kansas.

Second season? His 2024 team is currently 10-2. The only losses were to Syracuse by a 44-41 score and at Boise State, then the No. 17-ranked team, 29-24.

And so, it was special to hear Odom鈥檚 words 鈥� a reminder that life is as much about overcoming failure as it is about achieving success. A lot of people dream about something, but it takes a certain person to make the dream a reachable goal 鈥� especially when the road along the way has detours.

Win or lose Friday, he鈥檚 a thriving coach, one whom big schools will surely consider hiring.

And he succeeded amid adversity 鈥� and while facing a Max Scherzer-like curveball.

So UNLV won its first three games of 2024 against Houston, Utah Tech and then the same Kansas program that beat UNLV in the bowl.

And then, Odom鈥檚 starting QB quit.

Matthew Sluka claimed, through his agent, that UNLV had promised $100,000 in name, image and likeness payments. Sluka didn鈥檛 get the money, so he decided to stop playing to persevere the season鈥檚 eligibility for 2025.

Can you imagine?

But Odom pressed all the right buttons. He got his players to believe in each other. And with a daring offense, his team took chances with an up-tempo system that has produced score after score.

And check this out: UNLV won 10 games in a season for the first time in 40 years!

鈥淏elieving in (Odom) made me believe in myself,鈥� senior linebacker Jackson Woodard told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 why I followed him here (from Arkansas). I knew he was gong to be a winner. Coming here, I didn鈥檛 even think about losing. I knew we were going to win.鈥�

In this week鈥檚 AFCA Coaches Poll, UNLV is No. 19. Missouri (9-3) is No. 20.

Interestingly, Missouri quarterback Brady Cook indirectly brought up Odom on Saturday. That day, Cook and the Tigers won their ninth game in a home win against Arkansas. Recruited by Odom, Cook鈥檚 first season in Columbia, 2020, was under new coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Cook spoke of the program鈥檚 journey: 鈥淔ive years ago, Coach Drink came in. Toxic culture, toxic team, not a lot of wins.鈥�

Obviously, the word 鈥渢oxic鈥� raised eyebrows.

Yeah, things weren鈥檛 great in 2019. Mizzou lost that opener at Wyoming. They still got to 5-1 鈥� and then lost the next five games (before beating Arkansas in Odom鈥檚 finale).

The program seemed stuck.

And it took Drinkwitz a few years to create his culture. Whether that鈥檚 because of the culture Odom left behind or Drinkwitz needing three years to find his footing in the Southeastern Conference, it wasn鈥檛 until 2023 that Drinkwitz blossomed.

And out in the Mountain West Conference, UNLV鈥檚 first-year coach blossomed that year, too.

Odom indeed dusted himself off.

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If you're a believer in early season Ken Pomeroy rankings, Mizzou is one of the nation's most improved teams.

But given their soft early schedule, plus a road loss at Memphis to start, the Tigers haven't yet backed up that rating.

That changes Sunday when Kansas, ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, comes to Columbia for a noon tipoff.

Mizzou is 7-1 following a 98-93 comeback win vs. California on Tuesday night.

The Tigers have played six home games vs. teams in the bottom half of Division I in addition to that trip to Memphis and Tuesday's game vs. middling California.

No. 1 Kansas is also 7-1. The Jayhawks lost at Creighton on Wednesday night, so they likely won't be No. 1 on Monday, after they visit Columbia and the new poll is released.

In contrast to Mizzou's slate, the Jayhawks have already beaten Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State and have played just one game vs. a team in the bottom half of Division I.

Kansas leads the series 177-95 and has won all three since the matchup resumed in 2021 after a hiatus when Mizzou left the Big 12.

Last year's 73-64 Kansas win was the closest of those three with the other two being blowouts.

Here's how to watch Mizzou Tigers vs. Kansas basketball:

Mizzou Tigers vs.聽Kansas Jayhawks TV, live stream and radio

Game time: Noon CST/1 p.m. EST Sunday, Dec. 8

Location: Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri

TV channel: ESPN2

Live stream:

Radio: KTRS (550 AM and 106.1 FM) in 最新杏吧原创, across Missouri and online through the .

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Next stop: the National Football League.

Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III declared for the NFL draft on Monday, two days after playing in what was likely his final collegiate game. He鈥檚 heading to the professional ranks early, where he鈥檚 projected to be one of the first players taken in the upcoming draft.

鈥淎s a kid from 最新杏吧原创, it has always been my dream to play in (the) NFL,鈥� Burden wrote in an announcement posted to social media. 鈥淚 am blessed to have a family and community that have helped support this dream and fuel me to put in the work in pursuit of this goal.鈥�

Burden has been Mizzou鈥檚 most transformational player in recent years, a five-star prospect who picked his home state school, starred on a national stage and signed high-visibility name, image and likeness deals.

鈥淭he legacy of Luther Burden,鈥� Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz said Saturday, 鈥渋s going to be the monumental decision he made to come to the University of Missouri, when nobody else thought he should have. His trajectory changed the program鈥檚.鈥�

In high school, Burden starred for Cardinal Ritter and, for his senior year, East 最新杏吧原创, where he was the Post-Dispatch co-offensive player of the year after a senior season that included 34 total touchdowns. His nine punt returns for touchdowns in a single season set an Illinois high school record.

Recruiting services made Burden one of the premier prospects in his class. When he committed to Mizzou in October 2021, Burden became just the third consensus five-star recruit to do so, following fellow wide receiver Dorial Green Beckham and defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, who later slipped to four-star status after starting at the junior college level.

鈥淚 just want to start a trend in 最新杏吧原创 for the younger people,鈥� Burden said at his commitment ceremony. 鈥淪tart a trend to stay home and take our talents to Missouri.鈥�

Burden contributed immediately, scoring nine total touchdowns 鈥� including one punt return 鈥� during his freshman season. Last year鈥檚 overall breakout for Missouri saw Burden catch 86 passes for 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

That campaign placed Burden third in MU program history for receiving yards in a single season, trailing Danario Alexander鈥檚 2009 season and Jeremy Maclin鈥檚 2008 run.

Despite entering the 2024 season as a front-runner for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation鈥檚 top receiver and in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy, Burden had a more subdued campaign with 61 catches, the most on the team, and 676 receiving yards.

With 192 career receptions, Burden is fourth in program history. His one catch in the Tigers鈥� Saturday win over Arkansas broke a tie in the record books with Alexander.

Off the field, he made waves for Missouri in the NIL space. A line of Burden-branded potato chips steadily expanded in flavors and popularity over the course of his college career. He recently appeared in an ad for Nautica鈥檚 fall clothing line alongside Louisiana State gymnast-turned-model Olivia 鈥淟ivvy鈥� Dunne.

Burden, a junior, walked in Mizzou鈥檚 senior day ceremony held before that snowy game Saturday against the Razorbacks. It seemed to be a clear sign that Burden would be answering the NFL鈥檚 call sooner rather than later.

鈥淲hile this decision is a step toward my professional future, it is by no means the end of my relationship with Mizzou,鈥� Burden wrote. 鈥淚 will always carry a piece of this university with me, and I will continue to represent Mizzou with pride as I pursue my dreams. MIZ. Just call 3.鈥�

The league requires players to spend at least three seasons in college ranks, so this is the earliest Burden can enter the draft.

The scouting and draft cycle will pick up steam as college and professional seasons end, but early projections show Burden going solidly in the first round 鈥� with a significant chance of being a top 10 pick.

Burden鈥檚 draft declaration will almost certainly lead to him opting out of Missouri鈥檚 bowl game, of which the date, location and opponent will be announced on Dec. 8. The risk of injury in a game with little incentive will likely keep Burden off the field to protect his chances in the draft.

Mizzou could see a couple of other players declare early for the draft during the next month. For some, it鈥檚 a way to test the waters and the viability of their opportunities at the next level before ultimately withdrawing from the draft and returning to college, if nothing else.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� The happiest man said the saddest thing.

Now, he didn鈥檛 necessarily mean it to sound sad.

And to others, it might not have even sounded sad, per se.

OK, here鈥檚 what happened.

On Saturday, a beaming Brady Cook had just captained Mizzou to a win in his final home game. It gave the quarterback鈥檚 Tigers nine victories on the season (with a bowl game still to play). Asked to assess the season, the 最新杏吧原创 native was quite proud of the nine wins, though also shared: 鈥淭here are games we want back this year 鈥� I think we all know that. But that鈥檚 for the teams next year and in the years to follow to handle, figure out, iron out and go win that (national championship).鈥�

And so, it sounded sad because this year鈥檚 team was supposed to contend for that. This year鈥檚 team was supposed to make the College Football Playoff. This year鈥檚 team was supposed to handle, figure out and iron out everything in order to compete for the national championship.

Alas, this year鈥檚 quarterback spoke of future Tigers accomplishing the goal.

So how do we audit Mizzou鈥檚 9-3 regular season, coming off such an encouraging 11-2 campaign the year before 鈥� and playing in the first year with 12 teams making the College Football Playoff?

Was 2024 a good season?

Yes.

Was 2024 a disappointment?

Also, yes.

Those three games Cook referred to will haunt him and his teammates.

• Texas A&M finished the regular season 8-4, yet looked more like Texas against Mizzou, as the Aggies pushed around the then-No. 9 Tigers by the score of 41-10.
• Alabama shut out Mizzou, 34-0, on a day Cook was injured.
• And South Carolina. Man. This one probably still feels fresh for the fans. With only 1:10 left, Cook fed wideout Luther Burden III with a 37-yard touchdown pass 鈥� and Mizzou took a 30-27 lead on the road. But the Gamecocks stormed through the Mizzou defense and scored a game-winning touchdown with 15 ticks left.

Mizzou wins that one and the Tigers likely are 10-2 now. And there are four two-loss teams in the top 12 of The Associated Press鈥� poll released Sunday, as well as one three-loss squad (Alabama).

And from Nos. 13-18, there are three teams with two losses and three teams with three losses (Mizzou is ranked No. 22).

Nothing is guaranteed, but a win at South Carolina, if anything, would鈥檝e put Mizzou back in the playoff conversation (the next rankings are revealed Tuesday).

Instead, the 9-3 Tigers 鈥� without a signature win to boost their resume 鈥� are awaiting next Sunday鈥檚 bowl announcement.

鈥淚 told our staff that the difference between a good year and a great year was the ability to win this last game,鈥� Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said after Saturday鈥檚 28-21 win against Arkansas. 鈥淚t would get us nine wins and put ourselves in a position to do something that hasn鈥檛 been done a ton: back-to-back 10-win seasons. Obviously, I figure we鈥檒l finish the season ranked, which is a step in the right direction. We want to be a top 25 program that contends for championships, and to be able to (be ranked in) back-to-back seasons tells you that you鈥檙e not a flash in the pan. You鈥檙e moving in the right direction.鈥�

Regarding the playoff, Drinkwitz said: 鈥淥bviously, you know, disappointed. I talked to our seniors and our team about this. The best (teams) leave a legacy. You鈥檙e not going to just get over the hump the first time you charge the hill. You got to be resilient and keep going. And the past two years we鈥檝e had opportunities, we haven鈥檛 quite got it done, but that doesn鈥檛 mean you give up. You just find ways to continue to improve and keep charging that hill.

鈥淎nd when we do finally get across, we鈥檒l look back and remember the seniors, whether it鈥檚 Cody Schrader and Darius Robinson and Kris Abrams-Draine (from 2023), or this year鈥檚 group with Brady Cook and Theo Wease and Johnny Walker and all those guys that have left legacy here.鈥�

With a softer schedule, Mizzou鈥檚 biggest win this year was 鈥� well, even that鈥檚 up for debate. The Tigers did defeat five bowl-eligible teams, but those were Buffalo (8-4), Boston College (7-5), Vanderbilt (6-6), Oklahoma (6-6) and Arkansas (6-6). And besides the shutout of Buffalo, the other four wins against bowl-eligible teams were close games.

Still, the Tigers tallied nine total victories and, time after time, found ways to win games late (except for, infamously, at South Carolina).

鈥淣ine wins is nine wins 鈥� with the opportunity to get 10,鈥� said Cook, the valiant quarterback who persevered in his career through criticism and multiple injuries (heck, he even won 鈥淭he Hospital Game鈥� this year). 鈥淪o we鈥檙e sitting here now, the regular season is over, (yet) we still have a cool opportunity ahead. We still do. It鈥檚 not over yet. ...

鈥�(Overall), the goal was to leave this place better than I found it. And I feel like I did that, and I feel like I was able to cement a legacy and change this program forever. And really, I just hope I brought joy to however many Mizzou fans. I feel like we did that. I really do.鈥�

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