Again, we'll update this throughout the day with whatever goes on. Recruiting, team stuff, etc. The staff will update the original post, any and all (most) replies are welcome. Let's get started:
***Here is yesterday's Down Low, so you're up on all the news from a busy Monday.
***From late last night, make sure you read Pete's story on Josh Smith's commitment. Interesting that he took note of Mizzou because of Michael Sam. The way it went down was certainly a little bit different than normal, but Smith's on board now. Obviously a long way to go till National Signing Day 2018, but we'll keep an eye on Smith and how he develops.
***From this morning, Alex Schiffer talked to Champaign (IL) shooting guard Tim Finke, who was recently offered by Mizzou. Just being blunt here, it's going to be a pretty big surprise if this kid doesn't end up at Illinois. Obviously we'll follow it, but the Illini are the prohibitive favorite.
***I talked to Whitfield (St. Louis) guard Torrence Watson last night. We had Watson with five offers, but that number doubled this summer. Texas A&M, Tulsa, Marquette, DePaul and Iowa State joined the fray this summer.
"It's starting to get a little bit overwhelming, you have coaches calling and texting you every day," Watson said. "Sometimes you just don’t feel like talking but it’s nice to know all the schools want you."
Watson isn't anywhere near making a decision or cutting down his list. But Monday's visit to Mizzou was his second. He got a lot more out of it than he did his first.
"It was a little bit different. The first time I went, it was me and eight other kids. This time it was more individual, I got to talk with coach a little bit more and I got to see the campus," he said. "I got to meet the players, I got to watch practice and talk to the strength coach and get to know all the coaches a little bit better. It was a good visit."
***Plenty of talent in the state in the next couple of years. St. Louis forward Carte'Are Gordon, the No. 18 player in the Class of 2018, will be visiting Mizzou today. I've got an interview lined up with him this evening after the visit. We'll pass along some notes from that visit after we talk with Gordon.
***Missed this one yesterday, but Mizzou offered 2018 Bradenton (FL) defensive back Tyrone Collins:
I am told this morning that Collins' high school coach in Florida is Curt Bradley, son of Phil and a former all-state football player at Rock Bridge when Barry Odom was the head coach.
UPDATED 11:29 AM
So Sarah Reesman is now the Interim Athletic Director. She is the third interim since Mack Rhoades left on July 13 (that's 21 days ago). She will take over on Friday.
What's that mean? Well, I'm not positive, but to me it means they aren't all that close to hiring anyone. I keep hearing that Mizzou will have an AD by the end of next week from multiple sources. But if you're going to have someone by the end of next week, why name an interim for seven days? And if you spent the weekend in Dallas interviewing candidates (which we were told Missouri did), then why do you need an interim for the six days until someone else is named? It doesn't make sense.
It tells me maybe Missouri isn't getting the person it wants. Maybe I'm wrong about that, just how it looks.
Another odd thing: Reesman was on the five person committee to look for the next athletic director. But she's not taking over until Friday because she's been out of the country traveling for two weeks. HUH? Combine this with the column Ben Frederickson wrote in the P-D last week where he basically got passed from department to department looking for an answer and was told at one point that Interim Chancellor Hank Foley was on vacation and I think it's fair to ask two things:
1. Who the hell is in charge here?
2. And are any of them actually in town?
Sorry, but I think they're valid questions right now. Maybe Missouri hires an AD next week. I don't know who it is (going off what I'm hearing I think it's going to be a person who is currently in an athletic department--so not Jon Sundvold and not Mike Owens--and quite likely a person from outside the "Mizzou tree.") Now I'll probably be wrong and they'll announce Sundvold on Friday.
UPDATED: 12:26 PM
As first reported here on PowerMizzou.com, Harold Brantley (academically ineligible) and Walter Brady (unknown violation of team policy) are no longer with the team.
Pete is working on a story. Going on what sources have said, I would expect Marcell Frazier to take Brady's starting spot. Have heard good things about Spencer Williams over the summer and as we said a couple days ago, Tre Williams is likely to skip the redshirt. Not sure what's going on with Nate Howard, but haven't heard his name.
UPDATED 3:27 PM
Official offer letters are starting to arrive. See who's gotten one and what they look like.
UPDATED 3:38 PM
Looks like another offer recently went out to 2018 Texas RB Craig Williams
UPDATED 3:45 PM
A recent baseball offer:
I post this because Jaden Hill also has an offer to play quarterback for the Tigers
UPDATED 5:13 PM
Missed this offer to Tulsa WR CJ Moore yesterday
In addition, I just spoke briefly with Tyler Coleman, who is with Carte'Are Gordon on a visit to Mizzou today. Will be talking to them in about ten minutes for a full interview.
UPDATED 6:33 PM
Had a chance to catch up with Gordon on his way back from Columbia to St. Louis. He spoke highly of the visit today.
"It was good. I went up to watch practice for a little bit, got to see the campus, talk to the coaches. I got to meet a few of the players before practice," said the No. 18 player int he 2018 class. "It was little bit more in depth (than his previous two trips to Mizzou). I talked to the coaches a little bit more and they were telling me where I would fit into the program."
Like Torrence Watson yesterday, Gordon has a slew of new offers. He listed Cincinnati, UNLV (insert snarky remark here), Marquette, Notre Dame and St. John's. He is also receiving interest from Kentucky and will visit the Wildcats in a couple of weeks. I asked if he had a favorite team growing up and he said, "I grew up in Missouri so I was always watching Mizzou."
Long way from a decision obviously, but a good thing to get him on campus again.
"(The process) has been good so far, I can see a lot of different programs. Seeing how college programs work and how they think I would fit in."
We'll keep in touch with Gordon over the next few months.
We'll update this post throughout the day.
***Here is yesterday's Down Low, so you're up on all the news from a busy Monday.
***From late last night, make sure you read Pete's story on Josh Smith's commitment. Interesting that he took note of Mizzou because of Michael Sam. The way it went down was certainly a little bit different than normal, but Smith's on board now. Obviously a long way to go till National Signing Day 2018, but we'll keep an eye on Smith and how he develops.
***From this morning, Alex Schiffer talked to Champaign (IL) shooting guard Tim Finke, who was recently offered by Mizzou. Just being blunt here, it's going to be a pretty big surprise if this kid doesn't end up at Illinois. Obviously we'll follow it, but the Illini are the prohibitive favorite.
***I talked to Whitfield (St. Louis) guard Torrence Watson last night. We had Watson with five offers, but that number doubled this summer. Texas A&M, Tulsa, Marquette, DePaul and Iowa State joined the fray this summer.
"It's starting to get a little bit overwhelming, you have coaches calling and texting you every day," Watson said. "Sometimes you just don’t feel like talking but it’s nice to know all the schools want you."
Watson isn't anywhere near making a decision or cutting down his list. But Monday's visit to Mizzou was his second. He got a lot more out of it than he did his first.
"It was a little bit different. The first time I went, it was me and eight other kids. This time it was more individual, I got to talk with coach a little bit more and I got to see the campus," he said. "I got to meet the players, I got to watch practice and talk to the strength coach and get to know all the coaches a little bit better. It was a good visit."
***Plenty of talent in the state in the next couple of years. St. Louis forward Carte'Are Gordon, the No. 18 player in the Class of 2018, will be visiting Mizzou today. I've got an interview lined up with him this evening after the visit. We'll pass along some notes from that visit after we talk with Gordon.
***Missed this one yesterday, but Mizzou offered 2018 Bradenton (FL) defensive back Tyrone Collins:
I am told this morning that Collins' high school coach in Florida is Curt Bradley, son of Phil and a former all-state football player at Rock Bridge when Barry Odom was the head coach.
UPDATED 11:29 AM
So Sarah Reesman is now the Interim Athletic Director. She is the third interim since Mack Rhoades left on July 13 (that's 21 days ago). She will take over on Friday.
What's that mean? Well, I'm not positive, but to me it means they aren't all that close to hiring anyone. I keep hearing that Mizzou will have an AD by the end of next week from multiple sources. But if you're going to have someone by the end of next week, why name an interim for seven days? And if you spent the weekend in Dallas interviewing candidates (which we were told Missouri did), then why do you need an interim for the six days until someone else is named? It doesn't make sense.
It tells me maybe Missouri isn't getting the person it wants. Maybe I'm wrong about that, just how it looks.
Another odd thing: Reesman was on the five person committee to look for the next athletic director. But she's not taking over until Friday because she's been out of the country traveling for two weeks. HUH? Combine this with the column Ben Frederickson wrote in the P-D last week where he basically got passed from department to department looking for an answer and was told at one point that Interim Chancellor Hank Foley was on vacation and I think it's fair to ask two things:
1. Who the hell is in charge here?
2. And are any of them actually in town?
Sorry, but I think they're valid questions right now. Maybe Missouri hires an AD next week. I don't know who it is (going off what I'm hearing I think it's going to be a person who is currently in an athletic department--so not Jon Sundvold and not Mike Owens--and quite likely a person from outside the "Mizzou tree.") Now I'll probably be wrong and they'll announce Sundvold on Friday.
UPDATED: 12:26 PM
As first reported here on PowerMizzou.com, Harold Brantley (academically ineligible) and Walter Brady (unknown violation of team policy) are no longer with the team.
Pete is working on a story. Going on what sources have said, I would expect Marcell Frazier to take Brady's starting spot. Have heard good things about Spencer Williams over the summer and as we said a couple days ago, Tre Williams is likely to skip the redshirt. Not sure what's going on with Nate Howard, but haven't heard his name.
UPDATED 3:27 PM
Official offer letters are starting to arrive. See who's gotten one and what they look like.
UPDATED 3:38 PM
Looks like another offer recently went out to 2018 Texas RB Craig Williams
UPDATED 3:45 PM
A recent baseball offer:
I post this because Jaden Hill also has an offer to play quarterback for the Tigers
UPDATED 5:13 PM
Missed this offer to Tulsa WR CJ Moore yesterday
In addition, I just spoke briefly with Tyler Coleman, who is with Carte'Are Gordon on a visit to Mizzou today. Will be talking to them in about ten minutes for a full interview.
UPDATED 6:33 PM
Had a chance to catch up with Gordon on his way back from Columbia to St. Louis. He spoke highly of the visit today.
"It was good. I went up to watch practice for a little bit, got to see the campus, talk to the coaches. I got to meet a few of the players before practice," said the No. 18 player int he 2018 class. "It was little bit more in depth (than his previous two trips to Mizzou). I talked to the coaches a little bit more and they were telling me where I would fit into the program."
Like Torrence Watson yesterday, Gordon has a slew of new offers. He listed Cincinnati, UNLV (insert snarky remark here), Marquette, Notre Dame and St. John's. He is also receiving interest from Kentucky and will visit the Wildcats in a couple of weeks. I asked if he had a favorite team growing up and he said, "I grew up in Missouri so I was always watching Mizzou."
Long way from a decision obviously, but a good thing to get him on campus again.
"(The process) has been good so far, I can see a lot of different programs. Seeing how college programs work and how they think I would fit in."
We'll keep in touch with Gordon over the next few months.
We'll update this post throughout the day.
Last edited:
