Mizzou to host Oregon in men’s hoops next year

Just a quick update from the men’s basketball program:  Missouri has been scheduled to host the Oregon Ducks at Mizzou Arena on Saturday, December 5, 2009.  The game is part of the Big 12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series.  Missouri is 3-0 all-time against Oregon and 1-1 all-time in the Big 12/Pac 10 series.  Last year Missouri crushed California at home en route to a 31-7 season.  Oregon was 8-23 a season ago, however, they will return all five starters this coming season.

-MG

Six Tigers taken in NFL draft

The University of Missouri saw six players taken in this year’s NFL draft, the most Tigers taken since 1981 and more than any other Big 12 team.  Undrafted Missouri players including Chase Daniel have signed on with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.

Thanks to EA Sports', Madden NFL 2010 video game, Eagles fans can get an early look at J-Mac in a Philly uni. In my opinion, EA needs to work on Maclin's looks.

 

19 Overall: Jeremy Maclin:

   I’m really surprised that a talent like Maclin fell all the way to 19.  He was a consensus top-10 pick but when there are owners out there like Al Davis in Oakland, not even the great Mel Kiper Jr. can predict what’s going to happen.  Despite being the third receiver taken, I think the situation in Philly will work out well for Maclin.  Lining up with another speedy game-changer like DeSean Jackson, Maclin will get the benefit of being the team’s second receiver, thus rarely receiving a double-team.  It always helps to have a great quarterback like Donovan McNabb throwing to you too.

   Philadelphia wanted Maclin so bad they traded up to get him.  Head Coach Andy Reid was thrilled that Maclin was still available at number 19.

   “Actually we thought he was going to go quite a bit higher than what he did, so this was not who we had targeted,” Reid said.  ”He just happened to be one of those guys who fell a little bit and kind of fell into our laps there so we wanted to take advantage of it.”

   The Eagles official website called Maclin a, “prolific playmaker,” and a “threat to score from anywhere on the field.”  ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha liked the pick as well, ranking Maclin as one of his 10 players put in the best situation to succeed.  To see that full article see this website:  http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=4102535 (you’ll see Ziggy Hood on that list as well).  Speaking of Hood…

 

32 Overall: Ziggy Hood

   For only the second time in Missouri football history were two Tigers taken in the first round.  While Ziggy Hood just barely snuck into the first round, he, like Maclin, finds himself in a good situation as he joins the defending world champion Steelers.  A lot of credit goes to the Mizzou coaching staff for developing Hood into the talent he has become.  He was considered a 3-star recruit by rivals.com and ranked as only the 35th best weakside defensive end coming out of high school.  From there, Hood developed into a star and it’s hard not to cheer for a guy as hard working as Hood.  His high energy style and hard working mentality will fit in perfectly with the Steelers.

Ziggy Hood will remain in a black and gold uniform, but this time it'll be with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

The entire Steelers organization seemed extremely happy to pick up Hood with their first round pick.

“Ziggy Hood is a Steeler type of player – there are no holes in this guy,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.  ”He is a high character guy; he plays; he has a hot motor. He loves the game of football.”

Pittsburgh director of football operations Kevin Colbert also had glowing remarks about Hood.

“We are extremely excited and happy to get a young man like Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood,” he said.  ”He is a special guy – he really is. That was evident the first time that we met this kid…Again, he is a high-quality guy. He has already graduated. There are so many superlatives about this kid that we are excited to get him in here and get to work.”

 

 

55 Overall: William Moore

   How sick is Willy Mo going to look in a Falcons jersey?  For that reason alone I love this pick.  At one point Moore was projected as a first round pick, but after an inconsistent senior season, Moore slipped into the second round .  Atlanta is still getting a valuable player in Moore, who leaves Mizzou after racking up 284 tackles, 11career interceptions, and four defensive touchdowns.  In Atlanta, Moore will come in and immediately compete for playing time on a team that is safety depleted.

The player Mizzou fans know and love as "Willy Mo," answers questions for reporters after being drafted by Atlanta in the second round.

   The Falcons organization was happy that they were able to pick up Moore with the 55th overall selection.

  “He’s going to add speed and urgency: Everything we’ve talked about with our defense,” Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff said. “We’re fortunate he dropped to 55.”

   Moore also seemed optimistic about his new opportunity with the Falcons.

   “I know what I can do and I know what type of player I am,” Moore said. “When I slipped, I just thought about what my mom said. Everything happens for a reason and this has to be the reason.”

   It is believed that Moore will wear number 25 in the NFL.  A tribute to Aaron O’Neal.

 

98 Overall: Chase Coffman

If not for health concerns, Coffman would have gone higher. (Photo from bengals.com)

 

 

   The trend of Mizzou players falling lower than initially expected continued with Chase Coffman.  His list of college accomplishments is second to none.  He was a Mackey Award winner, which goes to college football’s best tight end.  He was a first team All American selection.  He caught more passes than any other tight end in college football history.  This past season he led all tight ends in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns.  However, questions about Coffman’s health, blocking ability, and the fact that he plays in a non-pro-style offense at Missouri caused him to fall to the Bengals at 98.  The Bengals have been regarded by many to have had one of the best drafts of any team.  He joins Andre Smith, Rey Maualuga, and Michael Johnson as Cincinnati’s most heralded picks.

   After being selected by the Bengals, Coffman was saying all the right things in a conference call with the team.

   “I’m excited and I can’t wait to get up there,” Coffman said.  ”They’re going to get 100 percent of what I’ve got.”

 

139 Overall: Colin Brown

   The Chiefs pick up a hometown guy in Colin Brown with the 139th pick.  As a kid, Brown attended Chiefs games as a fan.  Now he will attend them as a participant.  A Big 12 honorable mention selection in 2008, Brown has the size (6′8” 325 lbs. according to espn.com) to be a solid tackle in the future.

Brown (61) has the size to make an impact as an NFL lineman.

   After being selected Brown had no problem communicating how happy he was to join the Chiefs.

   “This is a dream come true,” he said.  ”To be able to be right here staying at home and playing for the Chiefs is unbelievable, a dream come true. I really had no idea what to expect this morning when I woke up. I was just hoping to get a chance.”

 

199 Overall Stryker Sulak

Considered an undersized defensive end, Sulak used his speed off the edge to accumulate 10.5 sacks last year.

 

 

  The Raiders, who have been widely criticized for their draft class addressed a need on defense by taking the versatile Sulak.  Sulak, a two time All Big 12 performer, led the Tigers with 10.5 sacks last season.  Only Brian Orakpo and Brandon Williams had more sacks in the Big 12 last year.  At 6′5” 250 lbs. he is slightly undersized for a defensive end and nfl.com projects he will switch to outside linebacker to fit Oakland’s 3-4 scheme.

 

Undrafted Mizzou players:

Chase Daniel: Signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins.

Brock Christopher: Signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons

Tommy Saunders: Will tryout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an attempt to earn a free agent contract.

Chase Patton:  Will tryout for the Chicago Bears in an attempt to earn a free agent contract.

Jeff Wolfert:  Will tryout for the Chicago Bears in an attempt to earn a free agent contract.

 

-MG

Breaking News: Rumors say Richardson no longer a Tiger

 

Richardson was the highest ranked recruit in Missouri football history.

Perhaps no Missouri recruit has ever garnered as much attention as Sheldon Richardson.  A physical specimen, Richardson was ranked by rivals.com as the #4 overall player in the country coming out of high school.  On National Signing Day, Richardson ended the drama by choosing Missouri over Miami (FL) and just about every other school in the nation.  Many Tiger fans looked forward to seeing Richardson suit up for the Missouri defense this coming fall.  However, that day might not happen.

   According to rumors that The Columns has been hearing, Richardson will not qualify academically to attend the University of Missouri.  The NCAA requires an 18 on the ACT for a player to be eligible, however, schools can impose their own restrictions.

   It appears the Richardson will have to attend junior college this coming  year in an attempt to get his academics in order.  However, none of this information can be confirmed  yet.

   Mizzou fans, keep your fingers crossed.

Replacing playmakers – inside Mizzou football recruiting

The Columns would like to proudly introduce our first-ever guest contributor.  Tom Weyerich is a Mizzou sports specialist with an emphasis in recruiting.

Head coach Gary Pinkel and the rest of the Missouri staff will need to continue to sign quality recruiting classes as they try to replace stars such as Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, and William Moore among others. (Photo courtesy of mutigers.com)

 

When it comes to recruiting, rarely do you come across a must-get player, however, for Mizzou football there are “must-gets” this year. The Tigers areas of need come at running back, wideout, and the respective lines. We’ll take a look at why each spot is important in this class and who can help address this problem.

Offensive Line:

            They never get the glory on the field so here you go offensive line, you’re number one right here. The general consensus for the Tigers is that line play has been the biggest sources of separation between Mizzou and the likes of Big 12 powers, OU and Texas. Simply look to the draft this year where OU’s left side of the line will be gone by the second round and they have a RG and C that will go in the middle or late rounds. Also look back to the Tigers ‘07 squad where LT Tyler Luellen and C Adam Spieker were considered to be two of the best at their position in Tiger history. Neither sniffed a candle of getting drafted but were scooped up as unsigned free agents. The Tigers need to get bigger, stronger, and nastier along the offensive line and they have three guys on the roster that seem to have a good shot at getting this done. Anchoring the line in the middle is Tim Barnes, a 6’4 305LB junior, who was good as a sophomore, but according to PowerMizzou.com looks to be dominant in spring ball, and is apparently developing a nasty mean streak. The bookends are Elvis Fisher, a freshman All American and Dan Hoch who might be the biggest non basketball player on campus. Hoch was named the team’s most improved lineman this past spring.

What does the future hold?

Four lineman were taken in the ’09 class. The most exciting prospects seem to be Jack Meiners and Chris Freeman who are already larger than life at 6’6 315 and 6’7 325 respectively, and were both highly sought after prospects. Also added were Mark Hill and Justin Britt who appear to be more of project players. They need to add a lot of weight before seeing the field. The class of ’10 already has one commit Mitch Morse a 6’6 285 LB who just turned 17 years old, so he still has potential to grow.  Morse was named All District, All Area, and All State in Texas as a junior.  Daryl Williams and Nick Demien are the two other tackles that the Tigers are hard after and in good shape to land. Williams is a highly regarded guy out of Texas routinely ranked on lists of top Texas players, and Missouri is in great shape because Williams’ friend James Franklin is a Tiger pledge. Williams has already declared the Tigers as his leader. Demien is ranked as the 51^st best player in America by Rivals.com, was at a recent Missouri practice and declared that Missouri has a definite advantage after the trip and said that he grew up a Tiger fan.

Elvis Fisher looks to emerge as one of the best left tackles in the Big 12 this season after earning freshman All American honors a year ago. (Photo by Andrew Worrall)

Wide Receiver:

The Tigers need a game changer at the wide out position. Over the last two years they will have lost four professionals in Maclin, Franklin, Coffman, and Rucker. They will lose their top two wide outs in Danario Alexander and Jared Perry after the 2009 season. Jerrel Jackson, Rolandis Woodland and Wes Kemp seem to be the prospective game changers. Jackson seems to have the best chance and has shown the most talent during spring ball. Woodland has the best combination of height speed and raw talent, but drops and picking up of the playbook seems to have been the biggest issue this spring for him. Wes Kemp seems to be the safest bet, and has great size but needs to improve speed to become a true game changer. The Tigers signed a group of solid receivers in  ’09 but not one person stands out as a game changer.

For the Future:

The 2010 class could prove to be the biggest wide out class in Missouri history. They have one pledge in Marquise Hill, who is small, shifty, and fast. However, the real excitement lies in the four 4* receiver, Jimmie Hunt.  Mizzou seems to be in excellent shape to land him.  At 6’1 195 and listed speed at 4.45, the Cahokia, Illinois native appears to have very nice combination to become an impact player. He has already declared Missouri to be his leader by a good margin and it would be a surprise if a letter of intent is not faxed into Columbia on signing day. One of two in-state targets for Mizzou is Keeston Terry, a 6’2 skinny kid from Blue Springs, is a member of the Rivals 250 and his best offers are Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Kansas. It was long believed he was destined to MU or kU with Missouri as the leader, but now declares no favorites. Marcus Lucas is a little larger at 6’5 and his recruitment is a little heavier at this point, with offers from Arkansas, Iowa, both of the Kansas schools, Nebraska Stanford, and UCLA. It’s really down to his other two schools that have offered, which are Missouri and Oklahoma, with the slight lead to Oklahoma at this point. Lucas is a member of the Rivals 250 and just missed the top 100. The most highly sought after guy is Justin McCay from just across the border.  He checks in at 6’3 200 lbs and a 40 speed of 4.5 and is ranked by rivals as there 43 best prospect in the nation. His offers are highlighted by Florida, FSU, Georgia, OU, ND, Missouri, Tennessee and Oregon. It is believed McCay likes Missouri, Florida, and Oklahoma, but the distance to Florida may be too far.

Missouri will look to add size, like Danario Alexander, at the receiver position in the upcoming class. (AP photo)

Running Backs:

Heading into next fall, the Missouri running back situation includes one junior and two sophomores returning for the tigers. The junior, Derrick Washington has to return healthy and show that his slowdown in conference play a year ago was a result of the cyst on his calf, not just playing against higher level competition. Indications are that when returning to full speed in spring ball he looked the part. The questions come at the number two spot, the men competing for the spot have a combined 41 rushes for just over 250 yards, all coming from DeVion Moore, some coming in meaningful minutes, others in mop up duty. The other option at running back is Gilbert Moye, who took all of his collegiate snaps on the defensive side of the ball before this spring, but checking in at 6’2 215 with above average speed he has the tools to play the part but must learn the position.

The future?

The tigers signed a somewhat sleeper in highly ranked Kendial Lawrence plucked out of Texas. His highlight film and physical specs scream Tony Temple part 2. Missouri swung and missed on three 4* guys losing Stefan Taylor to Standford, Knile Davis and in-state star Ronnie Wingo to Arkansas. The tigers have offered three players in 2010 so far, two from Witchita Kansas, although Demarcus Robinson is already a K-State commit, and one from Oklahoma. The two uncommitted players are rivals ranked 4* Joseph Randle, who has a top three of Missouri and the schools in Kansas. However with Robinson going to K-State my belief is it is a Mu ku battle. Delans Griffin is out of Oklahoma and claims no leaders but says he likes Missouri.  I’m not oozing with confidence there but it’s a shot.

Defense:

You ask why the must gets include no defensive positions on the list, after such a wretched season? My reasoning: the talent is there but its young. There are playmakers at every position, the earlier post cites the tremendous ends, on top of that Brad Madison and Malbrough have promising futures. Ty Phillips, Brayden Burnett and one of the most sought after players in the country, Sheldon Richardson add even more promise. Jaron Baston and two sophomores Terrell Ressono and Dominique Hamilton run the show in the middle. A strong pass rush from the above immediately make the back seven that much better with top round draft choice Spoon anchoring it all and the considerable talent of freshman, sophomores and juniors in the defensive backfield.

Note: Most information gathered from PowerMizzou.com and staff and other Rivals.com networks

-TW

 

 

2009 NBA Playoff Predictions

Well readers, after a long trip to Somalia where I was fighting off vandal pirates, I am finally back in America and excited about the NBA playoffs.  So, without further ado, here is the first installment of the Missouri Columns annual NBA playoff predictions….

Eastern Conference- First Round

(8) Detroit Pistons vs. (1) Cleveland Cavaliers

This series matches up teams headed in totally different directions.  The Pistons are in as much trouble as crosstown General Motors, as they have fallen off the map like David Duvall.  After reaching six straight Eastern conference finals, Detroit squeaked into the playoffs at 39-43.  You think Dumars regrets that Billups-Iverson trade?  You think Lebron cares?

Cleveland Wins 4-0

(7) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Boston Celtics

Wow, stunning developments in Boston recently.  First, we hear that Kevin Garnett will not play at all in the postseason.  Then, we hear that Boston’s GM Danny Ainge suffered a minor heart attack.  Just remember Danny, you did win a championship last year and you do face inexperienced Chicago in the first round.  Settle down big guy. 

Boston Wins 4-2

 (6) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) Orlando Magic

Here’s an idea: Instead of playing this series in the conventional way, we do a slam dunk contest between Dwight and Andre Iguodala.  I still think I have the Magic.

Orlando wins 4-2 

Superman vs. Iguodala in a dunk contest? Sounds good to me. (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)

 

(5) Miami Heat vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

This is undoubtedly the best series in the first round out East.  I can’t wait to see Dwyane Wade play in Game 1 in Atlanta.  He is just gonna give us that stare.  That stare that only gives us a glimpse into the mind of a man possessed and on a mission to prove that he belongs in the discussion with Kobe and Lebron.  Look out Atlanta.

Miami wins 4-2

Western Conference First Round

(8) Utah Jazz vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers

The Jazz have the talent to make a deep run.  They could have easily been the two-seed if that hadn’t been completely incompetent on the road.  But the fact of the matter is, this team was 0-15 on the road this season when playing against teams with winning percentages of .600 or better.  That spells disaster in a series against The Black Mamba and company.

Los Angeles wins 4-1

(7) New Orleans Hornets vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

We have got some great point guard in this series.  Chris Paul may be the best point guard in the league, but there may be no point guard than Chauncey Billups come playoff time.  He brought order to an erratic team and moved Denver from 7 or 8 seed destined to lose in the first round to a legitimate contender.  The Hornets have health issues right now with Stojakovic, Chandler and Posey all playing below 100-percent.

Denver wins 4-3

(6) Dallas Mavericks vs. (3) San Antonio Spurs

Even without Manu Ginobili, I like the Spurs in this series because they refuse to surrender.  Tim Duncan is running on bad knees, but this team has the depth to pick up the load.  Look for Tony Parker to have a big series.  Dallas is hot, but I think what they did down the stretch was somewhat of an illusion. Even so, this series could go the distance as neither Texas team has a true advantage when playing at home.

San Antonio wins 4-3

(5) Houston Rockets vs. (4) Portland Trail Blazers

This is not a great matchup for Portland.  In Artest and Battier, Houston has the perimeter defenders to lock down Brandon Roy.  As good as Oden and Aldridge are going to be, they are not good enough yet to stop Yao Ming.  Houston has not had the best success in the playoffs, but they still have a lot more big game experience than the young Trailblazers. 

Houston wins 4-2

It won't come easy, but Yao and the Rockets finally have a chance to make it out of the first round. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

 

 

Eastern Conference Second Round

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat

King James vs. D-Wade.  What more can you ask for?  Well, maybe Lebron vs. Kobe would edge this matchup, but still.  I think that Cleveland is far too dominant at home (39-2) and Miami is far too abysmal on the road (15-26) for this series to go seven.  Lebron should be able to pick up at least one in Miami to end this series in five.  Despite losing, there is still a lot of hope for Miami.  43 wins, the reemergence of Wade, and the addition of Carlos Boozer likely to happen in the offseason.

Cleveland wins 4-1.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics

The latest Sports Illustrated cover asks “Can the Magic’s Dunk Machine get serious for once?”  Well SI, I think Superman will get serious once he has to face the defending champs in the second round.  How serious will he get?  Book him for 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.  Without Garnett, Boston lacks any inside stoppers and Dwight should go wild in the paint. 

Orlando wins 4-2

Western Conference Second Round

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

Hoorah for Houston!  They finally made it out of the first round!  Nice season Adelman, but your boys stand no chance against the Lakers.  I will keep this analysis short and just exclaim, “LA rolls!”

Los Angeles wins 4-1

Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs

This series will officially mark the end of a fantastic era for the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan’s knees will be tired after a fast-paced series against Dallas.  Ginobili will still be out.  Parker will need to score 40 a game to keep San Antonio close against the high-scoring Nuggets.  I don’t see that happening.  I think Chauncey Billups is good enough to carry a Denver team that has not been able to make it out of the first round all the way to the West Finals.  Experience is a good intangible resource for San Antonio, but it can only take them so far.  If this team wants to be a contender next year, they must try draft and trade for some younger athletes.

Denver wins 4-2

Chauncey Billups is good enough to take the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

 

 

 

Eastern Conference Finals

Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Remember the idea I had about the first round matchup between Orlando and Philadelphia?  Well, scratch that and let’s hold on it for this series.  As cool as it would be to see the Cavs and Magic in a seven game set, how much better would it be to see Lebron vs. Dwight in a slam dunk matchup?  Honestly?!!!!  David Stern is a great commissioner (lightyears ahead of Bud Selig) but not innovative enough to make that happen, so let the conventional games play on!  Orlando won the season series 2-1.  That stat means nothing to me.  Lebron’s game is at the stratospheric level during the regular season.  Come playoff time, however, James’ game has migrated to the highest level, the Exosphere.  For those of you morons who don’t know science, just know that you should not read to much into this matchup because Cleveland will win comfortably.

Cleveland wins 4-1

Western Conference Finals

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

See above matchup with Houston for two word phrase.

(In case you didn’t look, it is ‘LA rolls’  That statement applies for this series as well.  Sorry Chauncey/Melo.)

Los Angeles wins 4-1

NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Finally, the matchup the whole world is waiting for.  From London, to Tokyo, to Boise, and everywhere in between, televisions will be tuned in to the greatest NBA finals in the past decade.  The matchup between Kobe and Lebron will be something to remember for a lifetime.  These Finals will bring the NBA back to its glory days, when Jordan and Pippen were dueling with Stockton and Malone as Bob Costas announced over a gleeful tune on NBC.  Don’t act like you don’t remember how perfect those days were.

 Los Angeles is the much better team on paper, in my opinion.  Kobe has a better supporting cast with Gasol, Odom and Bynum than Lebron does with Williams, Ilgauskas and West.  Look deep into those matchups because, essentially, Kobe and Lebron cancel each other out.  They will both get their 30-40 points each game, but it will be the supporting cast that makes the difference.  I think the Lakers have the edge because of their supporting cast.  However, you could make a valid point by saying that with Lebron it doesn’t matter, because he makes everyone around him so much better when they are playing alongside him.  We shall see….

Lebron will need to his teammates to play exceptionally if he wants to beat Kobe. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

My bold prediction is that this series will go seven.  In that seventh game, Kobe and Lebron will each drop over 40 points.  However, Kobe will be the one taking the last shot with the chance to win.  He will make it.  The Lakers will win their 15^th NBA Championship.  With this the shot and his overall performance in game seven on the King’s home floor, the comparisons to Jordan will start becoming more valid.  Nobody wants a title more than Kobe this year.  You’ve heard him say it a million times.  “I think about it constantly.  It keeps me up at night.”

 I feel like it is destiny for Kobe to hold up the championship trophy this year after failing so miserably against Boston last year.  He cannot lose two straight finals.  Not even Lebron can stop him this time around. 

Los Angeles wins 4-3

Can you see how bad he wants it? Ring No. 4 is on its way. (Bostonherald.com Photo)

 

-PRF

Famous to USF… What?

 

Many Mizzou fans thought the Tigers would land Famous. Even more fans probably thought USF was the last place he'd end up.

   Highly recruited Junior College power forward/center, Jarrid Famous made his college decision today.  Famous had narrowed  his search to Missouri, Arizona, Seton Hall, and the University of South Florida.  No, he did not commit to Missouri who made it to the Elite Eight this past season, nor did he commit the well respected Arizona Wildcats.  He didn’t even commit to a struggling Seton Hall program.  Instead, Famous will be taking his talents to USF.  That’s right USF.  Wait, they have a basketball team??  Apparently they do, although with their program’s “success” I can see why no one would notice.

   The three schools that Famous passed up combined for 67 wins last season.  USF managed a grand total of nine.  In the Big East, the Bulls went 4-14.  Their four wins included two against DePaul who failed to win one Big East game.  Overall, USF was 9-22 with non conference losses including Virginia, Wright State, Oral Roberts, and Niagra.  The Bulls finished the year with an RPI of 190.  The three schools he passed up totaled RPI ratings of 145 and that includes Seton Hall’s RPI rank of 101.  Now I’m not saying a college player should make his decision based on RPI ratings, but the fact is, the Bulls are miserable.  Even if Famous gives them 5 more wins than last season, they are still going to miss the NIT by a mile.  He will get no exposure playing in the lowly obscurity that is USF basketball.

   Since 2002, USF has gone a total of 75-130.  The Bulls have a total of 16 wins against current Big East teams since that time and have had season win totals in single digits (3 times), more often than they have surpassed twelve wins (once in 2002).  They haven’t been to any sort of post-season in this decade.

  It’s not for a lack of talent at USF either.  In the 2007-2008 season, USF saw senior Kentrell Gransberry selected to the All Big East first team, while freshman Dominique Jones was given All Big East honorable mention honors.  It appears that even if Famous can earn All Big East honors, it likely will not matter for the overall success of the USF Bulls.

  USF plays in the Sun Dome, a 10,000 seat arena built in 1977.  Even in the Bulls home win against Cincinnati, there were fewer than 5,000 people in attendance.  In their non-conference games, home attendance was regularly below 3,000.  I’m sorry, but the Sun Dome is no Mizzou Arena.  The USF basketball program is nowhere near the other 3 schools Famous turned down.  Now I know players sometimes like to go to a more obscure school and try to raise it to prominence, but USF is so far out of contention in the Big East that it will be years (Famous can only play there for two), before they even near the NIT tournament.  

All of this writing is irrelevant, because the decision is already made, but the reality is, USF was a surprising choice, and in my mind the wrong one.  But like Kim English’s facebook status says:

“South Florida?? I’m flabbergasted … Idc though.. Safford, ramsey, bowers, Moore and dewitt sound pretty good to me.”

Kimmie, I agree.

-MG

Defense looks good in annual spring game

 

The first team defense, which sported the gold jerseys, had more to celebrate than the black squad. (Photo courtesy Nick King/Columbia Tribune)

Thoughts on Saturday’s Black and Gold game

Offense:

Blaine Gabbert:

  Overall, not a very impressive showing from the offense on Saturday.  There was only one touchdown scored in the entire game and that came on a one yard run set up by a Blaine Dalton fumble.  Blaine Gabbert is built like an NFL quarterback but he did not play like one on Saturday.  He had a couple of nice short throws, but perhaps garnered the most wows from the crowd on a back-pedaling 55 yard incompletion.  I don’t think Chase Daniel could throw the ball 55 yards period.  The fact that Gabbert can do it on the move is impressive, however it’s pointless if the pass falls incomplete.  Gabbert’s most discouraging play of the day came early in the game when he was intercepted by Kip Edwards.  Gabbert stared down his receiver on an out route and Edwards easily stepped in front of it.  I think Mizzou fans may soon realize that while Gabbert has potential, they may have taken Chase Daniel for granted.

   “When the pick happened…you can’t really do anything about that,” Gabbert said after the game.  ”I’ve just got to bring the ball downhill a little more.  Overall, we did fine.”

  I’d say it’s clear Gabbert trusts his arm, which when you’re as inexperienced as he is, can be good and bad sometimes.  He also had a few impressive runs, including about a 25 yarder down the sideline. He seems to be able to move really well given his size.  On the day, Gabbert’s stat line read: 9-17 passing for 93 yards and one interception.

Other Offensive Notes

  The most impressive player on the day offensively, was Jerrell Jackson.  Working in a receiving corps that was missing Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, Jackson had several nice catches and was even given the ball on a Maclin-esque running play.  Afterward, Jackson had no shortage of confidence, despite the offense’s poor showing.

  ”That was one of our down days on offense, but we’re going to scorch every defense we play,” Jackson said.

Elsewhere… Derrick Washington looked good in limited playing time…  De’Vion Moore looked as quick as ever… Rolandis Woodland, who played with the second team, had several drops… Hard to tell how well the O-line and D-line were in a scrimmage that doesn’t allow quarterback contact, but the offensive line seemed to be holding its own… Jimmy Costello, who Josh Tatum tells me is suffering from shoulder pain, was not impressive leading the second team offense.  The second team offense did not record a single first down against the starting D.  Costello also seemed to have a knack at leading his receivers into big hits, as several times his intended receivers were lit up by an aggressive Mizzou secondary.

 

It won't be an easy task for Missouri to replace playmakers such as Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman

Defense:

   Logic says that there is little reason to be optimistic about this year’s defensive unit.  Last year the Missouri defense gave upon only two fewer points to Oklahoma than our basketball team did (62 vs. 64 respectively), and they lose a lot of the unit’s best players from a year ago.  However, on Saturday the defense was very impressive.  They looked aggressive, fast, and physical.  Call me optimistic, but I am buying into the hype these young guys have quietly been receiving.  From Kip Edwards to Jerrell Harrison to Kenji Jackson, I think there is reason to believe the secondary will be improved.  (Not hard to do I guess).  I understand that replacing William Moore will be difficult, but in general, the 2009 defense will have more speed and athleticism than last year’s unit.

   Tatum told me earlier today that head coach Gary Pinkel has been telling the team that they are the hardest working and fastest team he has ever coached. – Always good to have team speed.

The most impressive player on defense goes to Kenji Jackson.  The sophomore safety was all over the field making hits.  Several times he laid out receivers drawing “oohs,” from the crowd.

  As for the D-line, like I said it’s hard to tell when they’re not allowed to hit the quarterback, but physically Brian Coulter, Jacquies Smith, and Aldon Smith appeared noticeably bigger than a year ago.  Call me an optimist, but I think the defense might be pretty good this year.

 

Kenji Jackson (13), who recorded two interceptions as a true freshman a year ago, made some huge hits on Saturday.

 Special Teams:

   This is an area where Mizzou fans are going to soon realize just how great Jeff Wolfert really was.  Everyone knows Wolfert has the title of being the most accurate kicker in Division One football history, but I think few really realized what a feat that was.  Tanner Mills, Missouri’s number one kicker at the moment, struggled.  He connected on his first field goal but missed two others.  He seemed to be striking the ball well, but when the ball doesn’t go through the two yellow posts it doesn’t really matter how well you strike it.

   As for punter Jake Harry, he was also had a pretty dismal showing.  One of his four punts traveled a total of 19 yards and he had another that went 27.  That is unacceptable. 

  In the return game, Missouri looked to be trying several options to replace Maclin.  Edwards, Jackson, and Munir Prince all saw time returning punts, but special teams is a non-contact activity in the spring game as well.  The fastest of those three is Prince, who was supposedly Notre Dame’s fastest player when he was there.  However, he struggled to field punts and Tatum told me Prince routinely struggles catching the ball.  With a 40 time sub 4.5, Edwards seems to be a good choice, however he did not look nearly that fast on his interception return.

Other Thoughts:

   Overall, the play on the field seemed to match the weather outside – sloppy… There was a nice ceremony for the 2008 seniors, Maclin, and Aaron O’Neal’s father, Lonnie at halftime…  I would say that the 2009 Missouri football team will be worse than last year on offense, better on defense, and worse on special teams.  However, with the young talent and speed that this team has, I think they will still compete for the Big 12 North title.

   They remind me a lot of this past year’s basketball team.  They are young, relatively unknown, but have the potential to do big things if everything were to unfold in the best-case scenario.

-MG

Sportscenter: Drop Snoop like he’s hot

 

Snoop Dogg doesn't belong on Sportscenter

ESPN’s Sportscenter, and rapper Snoop Dogg, provided plenty of proof  Friday that Snoop should stick to rapping and Sportscenter should stick to sports highlights – just don’t mix the two.

   I love Sportscenter.  I love Snoop Dogg.  However, I will like each one more if I never see them combined ever again. Ever.

  Sportscenter is on my TV more than any other show.  In fact, here at college, I am unsure of many other network’s channel numbers besides ESPN and ESPN2.  Sportscenter does a great job providing me with the sports highlights I enjoy, funny commentary that keeps me entertained, and enough statistics to keep me informed.

   Snoop Dogg is a legit rapper.  His West Coast style is among rap music’s best.  To get in the mood for this post I am currently listening to an old Snoop classic, “Beautiful” among his other hits.  I needed to listen to his music to remind myself why exactly it is again that I like Snoop.  After all, it was just minutes ago I saw him embarrassing himself on Sportscenter.

   Not going to lie, when I heard Snoop introducing Sportscenter by saying “Snoop dizzle for shizzle,” I was entertained.  From there it was all down hill.

   In case you missed Sportscenter tonight, the show featured a Top 10 with commentary by Snoop Dogg live in studio.  Great idea, horrible outcome.  Snoop’s commentary was limited to: “Oh what a play, I love it, I love it.”  He claimed he “loved” LeBron several times, then referred to him as “baby Kobe,” before finishing the segment by saying LeBron is the league MVP. I cannot do the episode justice in writing, but take my word that his time on air was more slang references and akward pauses than anything else.  It was apparent that neither Stan Verrett nor Neil Everett, both great anchors, knew quite what to say in the presence of Snoop Dogg.

   However, the blame for this mismatched combo does not fall on Snoop Dogg.  He was simply being himself.  Throwing up his twisted fingers and talking sports is just what ESPN asked him to do.  It’s not his fault he could use about 1,000-2,000 reps of practice before he gets put on the air.  I mean what could ESPN expect?

 

ESPN is always trying new things to attract viewers. Case in point: Lil Wayne in studio

    Sportscenter and ESPN in general continually try to stay on the cutting edge of what is cool and new.  Who else in sports broadcasting would bring on Lil Wayne to one of their shows? (I’d love to see comments as to who everyone thinks was better – Snoop or Weezy? I’d say Weezy…barely). And while it takes guts for ESPN to try such bold moves, those moves do not always turn out well. 

  But in the end ESPN accomplished its goal.  They got viewers to watch.  Snoop Dogg’s performance was a disaster beginning with number 10 in the Top 10 countdown, yet I could not stop watching because it was so amusing.  So while I don’t blame ESPN for trying to be “hip,” I don’t suggest they try it again.  As for Snoop: keep making hits, and let the Sportscenter dudes do the highlights. 

-MG

Tatum: “We might have the best ends in the country”

 

Linebacker Josh Tatum thinks Mizzou's defense is on the rise. (Photo courtesy of Columbia Tribune)

    Missouri football fans and media alike could agree that in recent football seasons, it has been the Tiger’s defense that has held the team back.  With so many new faces on a unit that was less-than-spectacular a year ago, many might think the Tiger’s defense will once again allow opponents to move the ball with ease.

   Just don’t tell Josh Tatum that.  He won’t agree.

   Tatum, a 4-star junior college linebacker recruit from California, not only thinks that the defense will be solid, he thinks they can be among the nation’s best.

   “Our whole D is solid,” Tatum said.  ”And our [defensive] ends…We might have the best ends in the country.”

   Tatum had glowing remarks about practice performances of Jacquies Smith, Brian Coulter, and Aldon Smith.  He was also not the first person around the program this spring I have heard call Aldon Smith, “Unblockable.”   

  The Tigers D may be impressive in practice, but only time will tell if their improvements will carry over to the field this fall.  Even if fans and media don’t think it will, Tatum certainly does.

Other football notes:

  Earlier this week, the Mizzou defense won a team scrimmage and will get to wear gold jerseys for this Saturday’s black and gold game…The idea to wear the gold jerseys, which have previously only been worn in last year’s loss to Kansas, was the players suggestion…Tatum also said he will be sitting out Saturday nursing a back injury…When asked who has been impressive this spring besides the D-ends, Tatum’s only response was fellow linebacker Will Ebner…Tatum attributed Aldon Smith’s “unblockableness” to added weight and the fact that he has the biggest hands and longest arms on the team.

-MG

Ranking the top athletic schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After an Elite Eight tournament run and another bowl winning season in football, is Missouri really one of the nation’s top athletic schools?

    In the wake of Mike Anderson’s signing of his 7-year contract extension, it is time to give credit where credit is due.  The Columns would like to thank MU Athletic Director Mike Alden for doing a fantastic job as AD.  He has made a commitment to fielding competitive teams and keeping good coaches.  By resigning Gary Pinkel and Anderson, Missouri has given itself stability in its two most important positions within the athletic department.  While Alden screwed up by not resigning Anderson following the Big 12 tournament, when he probably could have resigned Anderson at a lower price, he did what was necessary to keep one of basketball’s most coveted coaches.  The outstanding job by Pinkel and Anderson in recent year(s) leads me to the point of this article.  Missouri has climbed its way into the discussion for one of the top 10 athletic schools in the country.  Now, I know other sports are important to the University, but The Columns is going to judge schools athletically, based only upon football and men’s basketball.

    In order to even gain consideration for a great athletic program, a school must first have two things:

-  A football team that goes to a bowl game AND

- A men’s basketball team that makes the NCAA tournament

Under our ranking system, The Columns is sad to admit that last year’s best athletic program was kU.  By winning a BCS bowl and the National Championship in basketball, Kansas had an athletic year for the ages –  Almost as good as when Florida won titles in both sports.

 

Kansas's national title in basketball and Orange Bowl victory by the football team, made the Jayhawks the best athletic school in the nation a year ago

Qualifying schools and how they faired: (bowl and tourney outcomes listed)

- Ohio State: Lost Fiesta Bowl to Texas, lost in first round to Siena

- Utah: Won Sugar Bowl, lost in first round to Arizona

- Arizona: Won Las Vegas Bowl, went to Sweet Sixteen

- Wake Forest: Won Eagle Bank Bowl, lost in first round to Cleveland State

- West Virginia: Won Meineke Car Care Bowl, lost in first round to Dayton

- Kansas: Won Insight Bowl, reached Elite Eight

- Boston College: Lost Music City Bowl to Vanderbilt, lost in first round to USC

- USC: Won Rose Bowl, reached second round

- Michigan State: Lost Capital One Bowl to Georgia, reached Final Four (and beyond possibly)

- Connecticut: Won International Bowl, reached Final Four (and beyond possibly)

- BYU: Lost Las Vegas Bowl to Arizona, lost in first round to Texas A&M

- Missouri: Won Alamo Bowl, reached Elite Eight

- California: Won Emerald Bowl, lost in first round to Maryland

- Maryland: Won Humanitarian Bowl, reached second round

- Memphis: Lost Magicjack.com Bowl, reached Sweet Sixteen

- Pittsburgh: Lost Sun Bowl to Oregon State, reached Elite Eight

- Oklahoma State: Lost Holiday Bowl to Oregon, reached second round

- Florida State: Won Champs Sports Bowl, lost in first round to Wisconsin

- Wisconsin: Lost Champs Sports Bowl to Florida State, reached second round

- Texas: Won Fiesta Bowl, reached second round

- Minnesota: Lost Insight Bowl to Kansas, lost in first round to Texas

- North Carolina: Lost Meineke Car Care Bowl to West Virginia, reached Final Four (possibly more)

- LSU: Won Chick-fil-A Bowl, reached second round

- Clemson: Lost Gator Bowl to Nebraska, lost in first round

- Oklahoma: Lost National Title to Florida, reached Elite Eight

That leaves 25 schools in the running.  Perfect for ranking a top 25…

 

Oklahoma is certainly in the running for the best athletic school of 2009. Having a Heisman winner like Bradford in the bag gives them a nice intangible

The Rankings (25-20)

25. Brigham Young Universtiy – While BYU had a nice football season in which they saw their national ranking shoot into the top 20, they did not finish the season well.  A loss to rival Utah combined with an 0-2 record vs. ranked opponents was disappointing.  Finishing off the football season with a loss to Arizona in the less than prestigious Las Vegas Bowl added sting to the disappointment.  In basketball the Cougars faired similarly.  A nice 25-7 season, but 0-2 vs. ranked opponents and a first round loss doomed the Cougars.  BYU checks in on the list at                             #25.

24. Minnesota – The Minnesota athletic program has things pointed in the right direction in 2009 after a dismal 2008.  Head football coach Tim Brewster took the team from one win in 2007 to 7 in the 2008-2009 campaign.  The team also earned a ranking as high as 19th in the country.  While the Gophers did lose the Insight Bowl to Kansas it is still an improvement and ranks ahead of BYU’s Las Vegas Bowl loss.  In basketball, the Gophers improved under Tubby Smith and made the tournament for the first time since 2005.  Tubby had the Gophers ranked for a period of time and led them to wins over other tournament bound teams such as Illinois, Wisconsin, Cornell, Ohio State, and Louisville.  Minnesota’s seasons were very equivalent to BYU’s, but the Gophs play in a better conference.

 

After revamping their defense, Simoni Lawrence (21) and the Gophers are on the rise. (AP Photo)

23. Boston College - The end results for the Eagles were not good this year.  The football team lost the Music City Bowl to Vanderbilt of all teams, while the basketball team suffered a first round upset loss at the hands of USC.  In football, BC had wins over a similar program Wake Forest but lost to Clemson. The Eagles also went a total of 0-3 against those programs in basketball.  In basketball they beat Duke and North Carolina (high points) but lost to Saint Louis University and Harvard (low points).  Making this list is an accomplishment by itself so the Eagles shouldn’t be ashamed to check in at #23.

22.  Clemson - We’ll stay in the ACC with Clemson at 22.  If we were to rank pre-season expectations and hype, Clemson might find its way into the top 10.  Maybe even the top 5.  But since this ranking is performance based and not hype based, the Tigers typical mid to late season collapses put them near the bottom.  In football and basketball each team received a tremendous amount of hype and expectations yet still managed to underachieve in both sports.  The football teamed opened up the year ranked 9th in the nation before promptly getting blasted 34-10 by Alabama on national TV in week one.  They fired their head coach midseason and stumbled their way to a Gator Bowl loss to Nebraska – a bowl they weren’t deserving of anyway.  In hoops, the story reads similarly.  Clemson stormed to a 16-0 record and tons of media attention before finding their rightful place as team that gets upset in the first round of the tourney.  Clemson should be happy the football and basketball seasons aren’t any longer to where their late season skids would sink them off of this list altogether.

21.  Wake Forest – Eventually a non-ACC team will find its way back onto this list but for now we’re stuck in Atlantic Coast territory with number 21 Wake.  The Deacons football team has seemed to work its way into national respectability the past few years.  While 2008-2009 did not bring another BCS appearance, winning the first ever Eagle Bank Bowl is somewhat respectable.  Producing a stud like Aaron Curry doesn’t hurt the program’s rep either.  In hoops, the Demon Deacons found their way into the top 5 rankings while beating quality opponents such as BC, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, and Florida State.  The basketball team ,which is not accustomed to first round exits, were the surprise casualty of the first round, getting upset by the Cleveland State Vikings.  Ouch.

 

Aaron Curry and the Demon Deacons have established Wake Forest on the national scene in football.

 

 

20.  Wisconsin – While the University of Wisconsin generally fields competitive teams in both football and basketball, 2008-2009 was a down year for the Badgers.  The football team began the year ranked in the top 10 before they went on a stretch where they lost 4 in a row and 5 out of 6.  Perhaps the ugliest part of they year for Wisconsin football was the fact that they needed overtime to beat Cal Poly.  The Badgers ended the year with a 42-13 spanking at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles in the Champs Sports Bowl.  The basketball team finished the year 20-13 and squeaked into the tournament where they avenged their bowl loss by beating FSU in the first round.  A Champs Sports Bowl loss and a second round exit in the tourney isn’t the usual results for a program like Wisconsin, but this year it puts them at 20 on the list.

19.  California - Good but not great seasons for both teams out of Berkeley.  The football team went 9-4 and 1-2 against ranked opponents.  A thrilling win in the Emerald Bowl over Miami capped off a season where the Bears finished fourth in the PAC 10.  The basketball team was also unable to separate itself from the pack.  They finished 4th in the PAC 10 in basketball as well.  Cal had a nice 15-2 start but losses to Florida State and a 27 point thrashing at the hands of Mizzou stuck out like sore thumbs.  The Bears finished the season going 2-5 in their final seven games and being upset in the first round by Maryland (who they also lost to in football).

18. West Virginia – This was a really hard spot to fill.  It came down to West Virginia and Florida State for this spot and their seasons in each sport were almost identical.  Each football team went 9-4.  Each football team won a lower tier bowl game that is played on December 27th.  Each basketball team finished in the middle of their league and lost in the first round of the tournament.  The edge goes to FSU over WVU for two reasons: The Seminoles smashed Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl whereas West Virginia barely won a very entertaining Care Care Bowl over North Carolina.  Secondly, Florida State went 25-10 in basketball and had a remarkable run in the ACC tourney to the title game, whereas West Virginia went 23-11 and did not make a run in their conference tourney.  For those reasons the edge goes to Florida State and the Mountaineers check in at the 18 spot.

17. Florida State - see number 18.

 

Florida State barely edged out West Virginia for 17 spot. The fact that Florida State has hotter fans was not a factor for The Columns decision.

16.  Memphis –  Memphis is not usually a school one thinks about when they think of dual threat athletic schools, but somehow they have managed their way to the 16 spot on the list.  Their football team, and its 2008 season were such a joke that The Columns had trouble even placing the Tigers on this list in the first place.  The Tigers football team, which is hidden from national view under the blanket of Conference USA anonymity finished the season 6-7.  You read that right.  6-7, not 7-6.  For those of you keeping score at home, that is a losing record.  They started the year 0-3, barely recovered enough to back their way into the worst bowl in bowl history, the Magicjack.com bowl, and then were promptly destroyed by an actual football team, Southern Florida, 41-14.  Needless to say, football takes a back seat to basketball in Memphis.  The Tigers find themselves this high on the list thanks to a 33-4 basketball season.  Their basketball season included a 27 game win streak, plenty of national attention, and a 2 seed in the tourney.  Memphis is the only team in the nation to earn a 1 or 2 seed in the tourney for 4 straight seasons.  Memphis had a great season in basketball and many were surprised when Missouri beat them so soundly in the Sweet Sixteen.  Overall though, the basketball program carries Memphis to national respect and the 16 spot on the list… Without coach Cal, the outcome might be different next year.  Memphis should enjoy this spot while it lasts.

15. Oklahoma State – Oklahoma State has very respectable teams in each prominent sport.  As a Missouri fan, as much as it hurts to say this, if OSU played in the Big 12’s North division they would probably have a few more wins each year in football.  On paper, Oklahoma State’s 9-4 football season that ended in a loss in the Holiday Bowl to Oregon looks rather mediocre.  When you throw in the fact that they went 1-4 against ranked teams it looks even more mediocre.  But when you have to play 3 of the nation’s top teams in your own division, it becomes pretty difficult to win 9 games.  Their was no shame in losing to Texas, OU, and Tech last year.  While Okie State finished 4th in the South division, they were definitely the Big 12’s 4th best team overall too.  The Holiday Bowl is well respected and although they lost, Oklahoma State’s football season is probably the best on the list thus far.  In basketball the talented Cowboys struggled in stretches of the regular season but got hot toward the end and managed to beat a similar team in Tennessee in the first round. They played Pitt tough and finished 23-12.  Nothing to be ashamed of.

 

While we all know that Mike Gundy is a man and that he is 40, he is also doing a great job turning Oklahoma State into a competitor in the extremely tough Big 12 South.

14. Maryland – Maryland comes in at 14 thanks in part to a solid football season and a first round win in the tournament by the basketball team.  In football Maryland was 8-5 but had an impressive 4-1 record against ranked teams.  Maryland beat ranked opponents Cal, Clemson, Wake Forest, and North Carolina and then capped off the season with a Humanitarian Bowl win over Nevada.  Had the football team not slipped up with bad losses against teams like Middle Tennessee State and Virginia (31-0), their season could have gone even better.  In basketball, much like football, the Terrapins mixed great wins with terrible losses.  Wins over Michigan State, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wake Forest were neutralized by horrible losses like Morgan State, Georgetown (by 27), Clemson (by 29), Duke (by 41), and Virginia.  However, once Maryland snuck into the tournament they proved they belonged there by upsetting California.  A first round win combined with a bowl win earns Maryland the 14 spot on the list.

13. Arizona - Arizona may be a surprise here, but when looking at season outcomes, Arizona is quite impressive.  The football season began with a 70-0 thumping of Idaho and ended with the Wildcats first bowl victory in 10 years.  In between, Arizona managed a winning record in the PAC 10 (5-4) and went 2-2 against ranked opponents.  While a Las Vegas Bowl victory doesn’t look all that good on paper, the 31-21 win over 16th ranked BYU that it was, is quite impressive.  It finally seems that the other Stoops in college football has things headed in the right direction in Tuscon.  In basketball, a lot of discussion went into whether Arizona should make the tournament, but once they did, the Wildcats made the most of it by making a run to the Sweet Sixteen.  They upset Utah in the first round, and then avoided being upset by Cleveland State in the second.  While they did get destroyed by Louisville, a Sweet Sixteen run and a decent bowl victory earns Arizona the 12 spot on this year’s list.

 

Arizona head coach Russ Pennell and Nic Wise (13) silenced critics with their run to the Sweet Sixteen. (AP photo)

12. Louisiana State – A year that once seemed it was heading south, as the football team fell out of the top 25, was rescued nicely by an impressive bowl win and a successful basketball season for LSU.  Usually in the national title hunt in football, the Tigers were hurt by a 1-3 regular season record against ranked opponents.  LSU lost its three biggest games of the year to Florida, Georgia, and Alabama by a combined 50 points.  However, in football, the SEC is on a whole different level than any other conference and LSU proved that with their 38-3 beating of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A bowl.  Winning a New Year’s Eve bowl game against a ranked opponent is impressive.  When you do it by 5 touchdowns it is even more impressive.  While SEC football may be the best, it is a different story in basketball.  In 2008-2009, SEC basketball was the worst of the BCS conferences.  The Tigers took advantage of that by winning the regular season SEC title and amassing a 27-8 overall record.  They won their first round match-up against Butler and hung around against North Carolina in the second round.  A Chick-fil-A bowl win and a trip to the second round in hoops, earns LSU the 12 spot.

11. Ohio State – Ohio State is program accustomed to being near the top of these types of lists and 2008-2009 is no exception.  In football the Buckeyes went 10-3 and finished second in a weak Big Ten.  Once again Ohio State lost a BCS bowl, this time to Texas, who in some people’s minds could have played for the national title.  Although they lost, Ohio State had a strong showing losing 24-21.  Had it not been for some Colt McCoy heroics late in the game, the Bucks would have walked away winners.  A 7th BCS bowl appearance (most all-time) and finishing 9th in the final AP poll is still something to be proud of in Columbus.  In basketball, the Buckeyes went 22-11 and 6-7 against ranked opponents.  Although they lost in the first round of the tournament, Ohio State’s football season carries them to 11 on The Columns list.

10. Pittsburgh – In recent years, the Pittsburgh Panthers football team had fallen to mediocrity after winning the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.  In 2008 however, the Pitt football team rebounded, winning 9 games and finishing second in the Big East.  Wins over fellow bowl teams Iowa, Notre Dame, Navy, Connecticut and West Virginia boosted their regular season resume.  However, it is the way Dave Wanstedt’s team finished the year that prevented Pittsburgh from moving any higher on the list.  Pittsburgh lost the most boring game of the bowl season, 3-0 in the Sun Bowl.  Oregon State was a respectable opponent, but when Pitt failed to score a single point in their bowl game, it was a reminder that they still have a long way to go if they want to get back to the BCS.  In basketball, Pitt got as much love all year as anybody.  While an Elite Eight exit may have been disappointing to the team, their 28-3 regular season was anything but.  Throw in 2 wins over UConn, a 15-3 record in the Big East, and a #1 ranking during the season and Pitt had a season to be proud of. 

 

DeJuan Blair and Pitt took down UConn twice in the regular season, but failed to reach the Final Four. (AP Photo)

9. Kansas - The defending champs backed up 2007-2008 with an impressive showing in 2008-2009.  The football team did not get the benefit of a ridiculously soft schedule this past year and slumped to 4-4 in Big 12 play.  Kansas went only 1-4 against ranked teams.  They did still manage to win 8 games and cruise to an Insight Bowl victory.  At Kansas, football comes second to basketball and Kansas had a great year despite returning zero starters from a year ago.  The Jayhawks went 27-8 overall and 14-2 in a stellar Big 12.  A solid football team combined with a sweet sixteen basketball team earns Kansas the 9 spot.

8. Connecticut - This one may create some controversy.  Pittsburgh, a team ranked below Connecticut beat the Huskies in football and twice in basketball.  This list is about season outcomes though and when you compare Pitt and Connecticut’s season outcomes the advantage definitely lies with UConn.  Connecticut went 8-5 in football, beat the Big East Champion Cincinnati, and won their bowl game.  While the International Bowl is not exactly the most prestigious bowl out there, UConn took care of business and handled MAC champion Buffalo by 18 points.  UConn obviously is carried by its basketball team.  A 31-5 season and a run to a Final Four is extremely impressive.  Throw in the fact that they did most of it without Jerome Dyson and it is even more impressive.

7. Utah –  When the college football season once again came to an end this year without a playoff, no one could be more upset than the Utes.  All they managed to do was go 13-0, 4-0 against ranked teams, win the Mountain West, and DESTROY Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.  No one gave Utah a chance against the heavily favored Tide and the game was not even as close as the 31-17 score indicates.  People argue against Utah because they play in the Mountain West.  To alleviate that “problem” they played a tough non-conference schedule as they won at the Big House over Michigan in week one and beat Oregon State in week six.  Then in a game against a team from the almighty SEC, they promptly ripped Bama to shreds.  Utah finished second in the AP and coaches poll at the end of the year.  Their basketball team also won the Mountain West, but their dismal exit as 5 seed in the first round of the tourney prevent the Utes from climbing even higher on this list.

 

Led by Brian Johnson (3), Matt Asiata (5), Brent Casteel (6), and Darrell Mack, Utah made a case for a national championship in football. They also may made a case to move higher on The Columns list.

6. Missouri - It is with great pride I can say that I put Mizzou here completely unbiasedly.  Their list of accomplishments, their body of work, and season outcomes create a strong resume.  Their football team won 10 games, earned a ranking as high as #3 during the course of the year, landed an SI cover, won the Big 12 North for the second straight year, and won a second straight bowl game.  The Tigers saw Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman earn All American awards.  While the football season was not the dream season that many thought it could be, a program that has struggled like Missouri’s historically has, is in no place to complain about an Alamo Bowl victory.  In basketball, let’s be honest, no one saw this coming.  You can look further down the page at a different post to read of the Tiger’s basketball team’s accomplishments so I will not bore you with that.  What I will tell you is that a 31-7 Elite Eight basketball team combined with a 10-4 Alamo Bowl winning football team is the most impressive resume up to this point.  Mizzou finished the season ranked 8th in hoops and 19th in football.  That’s pretty damn good.

 

Missouri's balanced success in both football (Alamo Bowl win) and basketball (Elite Eight) carry them to the 6 spot... On a side note - how athletic is Chase Coffman?

 

5. Michigan State - An improbable run to the basketball title game propels Sparty to the top 5.  Although both their football season and basketball season had good outcomes, there was a disturbing trend that prevented Michigan State from going any higher on the list.  In their two biggest games of the year in football (Ohio State and Penn State), Michigan State lost by a combined score of 96-25.  In their biggest game of the year in basketball, they never even competed against North Carolina.  However, a Capital One Bowl appearance combined with a National Championship appearance in hoops is a year that nearly any university would take.  A great year for the Spartans earns them the 5 spot.

4. North Carolina - Not only did the Tar Heels victory over Michigan State win them a national title Monday, more importantly it moved them ahead of Michigan State in The Columns rankings.  A national title in basketball and a decent football team is as much as any athletic program can ask for and North Carolina definitely had both.  It was apparent all year in basketball that they had the most talented team in the nation, it was just a matter of putting it all together.  Behind a legendary coach in Roy Williams, they obviously put it all together.  In football, an 8-5 season with wins over Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Boston College, and Georgia Tech is respectable.  Plus they have a nasty receiver in Hakeem Nicks that I’m hoping the Vikes draft.  Anyway, quite a year for North Carolina.

 

After UNC won the title, they were a lock for the top 5 on The Columns list.

3. Texas –  With the basketball season so fresh in everyone’s mind, some people might be a bit surprised to see Texas ranked so highly.  But considering their Fiesta Bowl victory in football, combined with a solid basketball season, the Longhorns definitely are deserving.  It’s not just that their football team won the Fiesta Bowl.  Texas may have been the best team in the nation, they just never got a chance to prove it.  The Longhorns were 4-1 against the AP top 25.  They played arguably the toughest 4 game stretch in college football history beating #1 Oklahoma, #11 Missouri, and #6 Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks.  They finally lost the fourth game of that stretch AT Texas Tech on the game’s final play.  The Longhorns also produced a Heisman candidate in quarterback Colt McCoy.  In basketball, Texas won 23 games.  They reached the second round and their season included wins over fellow tournament teams UCLA, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, and Villanova.  The Texas basketball team finished the year ranked 23rd in the country, while their football team finished the year ranked 3rd.  Hard to argue against those seasons.

2. USC - Let’s skip over USC’s decent basketball team that made it to the second round (equal to Texas) and won 21 games.  It  is USC football that carries the Trojans over Texas and into the 2 spot.  It was between USC and Texas for this spot and here’s why USC won:  Their basketball teams were roughly even.  The Trojans football team however, finished the year ranked higher than Texas in both polls.  2nd in the USA Today, 3rd in the AP.  They beat Ohio State by 32.  Texas beat Ohio State by 3.  USC held opponents to 3 points or fewer an astounding 6 times.  Had it not been for that slip up in Corvalis, I think we’re talking about another national championship for Southern Cal.  A Rose Bowl victory and PAC 10 championship outweigh Texas’s Fiesta Bowl victory and no conference championship.  The Trojans check in at #2.

1. Oklahoma – Oklahoma was the closest thing to dominant in each sport as any program was all year.  In football, Oklahoma reached the #1 ranking at one point, won the ridiculously tough Big 12 South, produced a Heisman trophy winner, won the Big 12 title and had an appearance in the national championship.  Aside from winning the national title, there is not much more a program can do in one season.  In basketball, the Sooners produced the consensus national player of the year in Blake Griffin, reached the #2 ranking at one point in the season and went to the Elite Eight as a 2 seed.  The Sooners football team finished the year ranked 5th in each poll, the basketball team 7th.  That is an amazing combined total of 12, which is best in the nation.  Congratulations to Oklahoma, The Columns best athletic university of 2008-2009.

 

The Columns would like to congratulate Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners on being named the #1 athletic school in the nation for 2008-2009.

- MG