Well hello there PowerMizzou.com subscribers. What a week it has been. Fresh off the heels of a 30 point butt whoopin' by Purdue, Missouri has Auburn coming to town for a Tiger cage match under the lights. Unfortunately this one could be over four drives into the game as well. The Chamber is looking at this feline fight and thinking Auburn is Battle Cat and Mizzou is Cringer. Oh well. At least we all get so see Mizzou wear yellow on yellow on yellow this Saturday. Also, The Chamber heard from someone that basketball is starting soon so there is that.
As always, please keep your fat little fingers from typing any of the information bestowed on you by The Chamber onto one of those fanboy sites you all like to slum on occasionally. Thank you.
First, let us get the "hay" in the barn. Take it away Gabriel DeArmond.
Had gotten some indication last week from people that Trevor Trout and Ronnie Perkins had eliminated Mizzou after the Purdue loss. Both told me it's not true. With these guys, until they start setting more official visits, you're going to hear a lot of things, but I wouldn't pay much attention to any of them. We'll see where they visit.
Speaking of visits, I can tell you that the staff absolutely loves DE Trajan Jeffcoat, who's coming in this weekend. As highly as my sources spoke of Chris Turner last year, they think this guy is better and even more underrated. He's a guy we're going to try to catch up with Sunday.
One other guy who we'd been told might come in was Antar Thompson (yes, Mizzou is very much still in the picture there). But Antar is dealing with far more important stuff right now. His son (he's a toddler, think he's about two), is in ICU. He was rushed to the hospital last week and, according to Antar's Twitter, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. After some initial improvement, things have taken a turn for the worse. That's really all I know. But keep the kid in your thoughts. Some things are far more important than football. For some background on Antar and his son, here's my story from a few months ago.
On to the team now. The pitchforks are out, no question. The part that has really opened my eyes isn't that the average t-shirt fan with Internet is mad. The die hards are mad too. People who NEVER want to dump a coach that I talk to are fed up with what they've seen. I've got to tell you, this is the lowest I've seen fan enthusiasm or optimism since at least 2004 and probably even before that. I never thought I'd see a coach lose a fan base faster than Kim Anderson, but Barry Odom is on the verge of that. He needs something positive to happen and he needs it to happen now.
Regardless, Jim Sterk isn't going to fire him during the season. First, it's not Sterk's style. Second, who takes over until the end of the year? And you can cross the "Gary Pinkel rides in on his white horse a la Bill Snyder" scenario off your list. That ain't happening. Anyway, barring something WAY out there, Odom is here for at least nine more games. After that, we'll see.
Speaking of which, I've got an interview with Jim Sterk on Friday morning. I'll post some tidbits this afternoon and will post the full interview next week during the bye week (hopefully as a podcast, but we'll see what form it takes). I'll talk to him about men's and women's hoops, the football program and some other big picture stuff I've got in mind.
Now from up Spanktown way, here is Alex Schiffer.
I’m sick as a dog but still have the juice to bang this out (God Bless the guy or gal who invented Claritan), so lets get to it.
I caught up with Javon Pickett. We’ll have a story on him Monday.
Pickett tells me he regularly talks with Torrence Watson (who is taking his official visit to Mizzou this weekend) and is in the ear of teammate Malik Hall who he has befriended at Sunrise Christian. So far he seems to have done everything Missouri wanted him to. (At least in my opinion)
Go to prep school. Check.
Get in the ear of E.J Liddell. Check.
Get in the ear of Hall. Check.
The last thing that remains on that list (other than get better and come to Missouri) is for the Tigers to get both players. I think they have a great shot at both. Has to help the Tigers that both KJ Santos, a Sunrise alum, and Pickett both have ties to the place. It could take a while, but you have to like their chances at both guys right now.
On to other things. The recruiting board got a little more clearer this week with Kyler Edwards and Duane Washington both committing elsewhere. I didn’t really expect Edwards to end things so quickly because people close to his camp tell me its impossible for the people around him to agree on the same thing. But there you go.
As for Washington, I think he goes elsewhere if Torrence Watson never flips. I’ve always liked Washington partly because he’s great with the media, but he was a luxury and not a need after getting Watson. I thought Washington was more for if Missouri wanted someone to get them into Michigan.
About that, with all of the talent in the tri-state area in 2019, I don’t see why they go to Michigan until 2020 at the earliest. Just my opinion. 2019 doesn’t seem like that strong of a Michigan class outside of Romeo Weems and Rockett Watts. And I just don’t see either of those happening for Mizzou. By the way when I refer to the tri-state area I mean Missouri-Kansas-Illinois. I grew up to a lot of car commercials in NJ that said “visit your New York New Jersey or Connecticut (car brand) dealer” so I have tri-state beaten into my brain. Don’t know if that’s a thing in the Midwest but it’s too bad. You’re stuck with it.
Here’s who I have left on my hot board for 2018:
Alex Lomax: Crickets from him. We have no clue how badly Missouri wants him. I continue to say it makes no sense to take a point guard for 2018, though Lomax’s high school is insanely loaded for 2019. I still think he might visit, but I just can’t see why he’d commit to such a guard-heavy situation.
Jairus Hamilton: Hearing NC State. He’s been quiet lately too.
Talen Horton-Tucker: Has Missouri in his top 13 and they’re set on the wing. Next.
Trey Wertz: See above.
TJ Moss: Ditto.
Jericole Hellems: Hey! Guess what? I finally got some new news on him. A reliable source tells me that it’s between NC State and South Carolina for him. Appears Missouri wants that last spot for Carte’Are Gordon. Also seems that Hellems has gone MIA. Have had people tell me the staff’s recruiting him have no clue where they stand with him. Maybe he still visits Missouri, but I think he’s a backup option right now until we see what happens with Gordon.
Missouri was at La Lumiere School this week to watch some guys as well. That’s the former stomping grounds for Jeremiah Tilmon and Torren Jones (remember him?). Am told Missouri watched Tygar Campbell and Charles Smith IV. I’m trying to reach Smith as I type this. DePaul recently hired LaLu’s coach and am told he’s a future head coach. Really seems to know his stuff. Campbell likely winds up back at DePaul. I’ll know more on Smith once I get ahold of him.
Missouri also watched Ashton Hagans, who is a 2019 five-star point guard this week. At glance I’d say no shot in hell but Cuonzo has landed five-stars out of Georgia in the past (see Brown, Jaylen). We’ll keep an eye on him too.
As always, please keep your fat little fingers from typing any of the information bestowed on you by The Chamber onto one of those fanboy sites you all like to slum on occasionally. Thank you.
First, let us get the "hay" in the barn. Take it away Gabriel DeArmond.
Had gotten some indication last week from people that Trevor Trout and Ronnie Perkins had eliminated Mizzou after the Purdue loss. Both told me it's not true. With these guys, until they start setting more official visits, you're going to hear a lot of things, but I wouldn't pay much attention to any of them. We'll see where they visit.
Speaking of visits, I can tell you that the staff absolutely loves DE Trajan Jeffcoat, who's coming in this weekend. As highly as my sources spoke of Chris Turner last year, they think this guy is better and even more underrated. He's a guy we're going to try to catch up with Sunday.
One other guy who we'd been told might come in was Antar Thompson (yes, Mizzou is very much still in the picture there). But Antar is dealing with far more important stuff right now. His son (he's a toddler, think he's about two), is in ICU. He was rushed to the hospital last week and, according to Antar's Twitter, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. After some initial improvement, things have taken a turn for the worse. That's really all I know. But keep the kid in your thoughts. Some things are far more important than football. For some background on Antar and his son, here's my story from a few months ago.
On to the team now. The pitchforks are out, no question. The part that has really opened my eyes isn't that the average t-shirt fan with Internet is mad. The die hards are mad too. People who NEVER want to dump a coach that I talk to are fed up with what they've seen. I've got to tell you, this is the lowest I've seen fan enthusiasm or optimism since at least 2004 and probably even before that. I never thought I'd see a coach lose a fan base faster than Kim Anderson, but Barry Odom is on the verge of that. He needs something positive to happen and he needs it to happen now.
Regardless, Jim Sterk isn't going to fire him during the season. First, it's not Sterk's style. Second, who takes over until the end of the year? And you can cross the "Gary Pinkel rides in on his white horse a la Bill Snyder" scenario off your list. That ain't happening. Anyway, barring something WAY out there, Odom is here for at least nine more games. After that, we'll see.
Speaking of which, I've got an interview with Jim Sterk on Friday morning. I'll post some tidbits this afternoon and will post the full interview next week during the bye week (hopefully as a podcast, but we'll see what form it takes). I'll talk to him about men's and women's hoops, the football program and some other big picture stuff I've got in mind.
Now from up Spanktown way, here is Alex Schiffer.
I’m sick as a dog but still have the juice to bang this out (God Bless the guy or gal who invented Claritan), so lets get to it.
I caught up with Javon Pickett. We’ll have a story on him Monday.
Pickett tells me he regularly talks with Torrence Watson (who is taking his official visit to Mizzou this weekend) and is in the ear of teammate Malik Hall who he has befriended at Sunrise Christian. So far he seems to have done everything Missouri wanted him to. (At least in my opinion)
Go to prep school. Check.
Get in the ear of E.J Liddell. Check.
Get in the ear of Hall. Check.
The last thing that remains on that list (other than get better and come to Missouri) is for the Tigers to get both players. I think they have a great shot at both. Has to help the Tigers that both KJ Santos, a Sunrise alum, and Pickett both have ties to the place. It could take a while, but you have to like their chances at both guys right now.
On to other things. The recruiting board got a little more clearer this week with Kyler Edwards and Duane Washington both committing elsewhere. I didn’t really expect Edwards to end things so quickly because people close to his camp tell me its impossible for the people around him to agree on the same thing. But there you go.
As for Washington, I think he goes elsewhere if Torrence Watson never flips. I’ve always liked Washington partly because he’s great with the media, but he was a luxury and not a need after getting Watson. I thought Washington was more for if Missouri wanted someone to get them into Michigan.
About that, with all of the talent in the tri-state area in 2019, I don’t see why they go to Michigan until 2020 at the earliest. Just my opinion. 2019 doesn’t seem like that strong of a Michigan class outside of Romeo Weems and Rockett Watts. And I just don’t see either of those happening for Mizzou. By the way when I refer to the tri-state area I mean Missouri-Kansas-Illinois. I grew up to a lot of car commercials in NJ that said “visit your New York New Jersey or Connecticut (car brand) dealer” so I have tri-state beaten into my brain. Don’t know if that’s a thing in the Midwest but it’s too bad. You’re stuck with it.
Here’s who I have left on my hot board for 2018:
Alex Lomax: Crickets from him. We have no clue how badly Missouri wants him. I continue to say it makes no sense to take a point guard for 2018, though Lomax’s high school is insanely loaded for 2019. I still think he might visit, but I just can’t see why he’d commit to such a guard-heavy situation.
Jairus Hamilton: Hearing NC State. He’s been quiet lately too.
Talen Horton-Tucker: Has Missouri in his top 13 and they’re set on the wing. Next.
Trey Wertz: See above.
TJ Moss: Ditto.
Jericole Hellems: Hey! Guess what? I finally got some new news on him. A reliable source tells me that it’s between NC State and South Carolina for him. Appears Missouri wants that last spot for Carte’Are Gordon. Also seems that Hellems has gone MIA. Have had people tell me the staff’s recruiting him have no clue where they stand with him. Maybe he still visits Missouri, but I think he’s a backup option right now until we see what happens with Gordon.
Missouri was at La Lumiere School this week to watch some guys as well. That’s the former stomping grounds for Jeremiah Tilmon and Torren Jones (remember him?). Am told Missouri watched Tygar Campbell and Charles Smith IV. I’m trying to reach Smith as I type this. DePaul recently hired LaLu’s coach and am told he’s a future head coach. Really seems to know his stuff. Campbell likely winds up back at DePaul. I’ll know more on Smith once I get ahold of him.
Missouri also watched Ashton Hagans, who is a 2019 five-star point guard this week. At glance I’d say no shot in hell but Cuonzo has landed five-stars out of Georgia in the past (see Brown, Jaylen). We’ll keep an eye on him too.
