This one wasn't very pretty. In fact, for most of the night, it wasn't even very good. I thought for about 30 minutes Missouri was average and Vandy was below average. The Tigers controlled it almost all night, but then suddenly it was a three point game and you couldn't help but think, "Well, they're gonna do it again and this time they're gonna do it against a bad team."
Give Mizzou credit though. Every time Vandy threw a punch, Missouri found an answer. Whether it was a Jordan Geist circus shot, a Mitchell Smith three (YES REALLY), a Torrence Watson buzzer beater, an offensive rebound or a Jeremiah Tilmon bucket, Missouri always answered. That hasn't always happened this year. Maybe they're growing up some.
You saw quite a bit of the future tonight. Jordan Geist had a big second half, but this one was more about Tilmon, Watson, Javon Pickett and Xavier Pinson. That quartet combined for 52 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and just two turnovers in 110 minutes (including a career high for both Watson and Tilmon in minutes played). If that's what these guys are going to become and you add Mark Smith and Tray Jackson and Dru Smith to it, there are reasons to feel pretty good about the next couple of years.
Mitchell Smith deserves a nod too. He played 20 minutes, which I really didn't think he'd ever do here. He hit a gigantic three, threw a beautiful outlet pass and became the power forward of the day as Kevin Puryear went scoreless (though he did grab 10 rebounds in 17 minutes) and KJ Santos slipped a little further off the radar.
This isn't a season changer or anything. But it's a win in a game they had to win. You don't beat Vandy at home on Rally for Rhyan night, I'm not sure where the wins are coming from. So good to get that one.
This night is the best night of the basketball season every year. Yeah, it helps that Missouri never seems to lose on this night. But more than that, it's a celebration of kids who have battled their asses off. Some of them have beaten cancer and some of them are still trying. The stories won't all have happy endings. But some of them do and that's great. Missouri raised 55,000. The Loos family inspired us all again. I tweeted that I don't know how Brad Loos gets through that halftime speech every year without breaking down. Because I damn sure had a mild allergy attack at halftime.
Well done, sir. As always.
Photos, video and my story on the front. Mitchell is finishing up his. We'll follow up on visits and junior day and such tomorrow.
Give Mizzou credit though. Every time Vandy threw a punch, Missouri found an answer. Whether it was a Jordan Geist circus shot, a Mitchell Smith three (YES REALLY), a Torrence Watson buzzer beater, an offensive rebound or a Jeremiah Tilmon bucket, Missouri always answered. That hasn't always happened this year. Maybe they're growing up some.
You saw quite a bit of the future tonight. Jordan Geist had a big second half, but this one was more about Tilmon, Watson, Javon Pickett and Xavier Pinson. That quartet combined for 52 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and just two turnovers in 110 minutes (including a career high for both Watson and Tilmon in minutes played). If that's what these guys are going to become and you add Mark Smith and Tray Jackson and Dru Smith to it, there are reasons to feel pretty good about the next couple of years.
Mitchell Smith deserves a nod too. He played 20 minutes, which I really didn't think he'd ever do here. He hit a gigantic three, threw a beautiful outlet pass and became the power forward of the day as Kevin Puryear went scoreless (though he did grab 10 rebounds in 17 minutes) and KJ Santos slipped a little further off the radar.
This isn't a season changer or anything. But it's a win in a game they had to win. You don't beat Vandy at home on Rally for Rhyan night, I'm not sure where the wins are coming from. So good to get that one.
This night is the best night of the basketball season every year. Yeah, it helps that Missouri never seems to lose on this night. But more than that, it's a celebration of kids who have battled their asses off. Some of them have beaten cancer and some of them are still trying. The stories won't all have happy endings. But some of them do and that's great. Missouri raised 55,000. The Loos family inspired us all again. I tweeted that I don't know how Brad Loos gets through that halftime speech every year without breaking down. Because I damn sure had a mild allergy attack at halftime.
Well done, sir. As always.
Photos, video and my story on the front. Mitchell is finishing up his. We'll follow up on visits and junior day and such tomorrow.
