The Bad:
No loss is good, but this is a particularly poor one, folks.
Florida is, at best, a middling team in a P5 conference this season, and despite getting out to a big jump early, our Tigers appeared to simply forget how to run a coherent offense. Coupled with not making any of the iso/hero-ball sets they "ran" during this one, and it was a one-way ticket to the land of "not even receiving votes" on Monday.
Worse, I hope it doesn't portend of future collapses and lacks of focus and execution. Because this feels like it very well could, given what I saw today.
A few random observations:
Kobe Brown, while a terrific player, is not particularly adept at creating his own shot and, far too frequently for my taste, tries to make something happen where there's nothing to be had.
Missouri isn't good enough for D'Moi Hodge to completely disappear -- as he has in the last couple of games.
Sean East...way, waaaay too nonchalant w/ cross-court passes.
We've all had questions this season about Isaiah Mosley, of course. But the fact that Aiden Shaw didn't see the court for even a second, while a-guy-who-struggled-at-the-mid-major-level-and-it-shows-why Mohamed Diarra got major clock, in a game where the Tigers were severely overmatched against ninth-year senior Colin Castleton ... well, I have questions.
Missouri simply cannot or will not defend the 3-point line. Now that we're halfway through January, this isn't a gelling issue anymore. They're just incapable until they prove otherwise.
The Ugly:
The chick sitting too close to the floor mic. And the A-1 in the truck not clipping it way, way earlier. Enough said.
Also, I'm not sure I know of any person or entity as poor at performing their assigned tasks than is the case with the SEC Network, particularly in the game and studio analysts' levels. Dave Hart is usually very good, and I've seen Dave Neal create some good shows.
But analysts?
Obviously, Sunny is the gold standard, bias or no. But the lot of them?
I've never learned anything rom Damyeon Fishback that one wouldn't already know by simply watching the game.
And this network has some weird obsession with putting Pat Bradley, whose accent makes him a more appropriate choice for getting a gig as an extra for the next inevitable Ben Affleck thriller based--stop me if you've heard this before--in Southy Boston-- than for analyzing games in The Southeastern Conference.
That would perhaps be overcome if he provided anything of note. Alas, that's always noticeably absent. On top of the lack of meaningful insight is the creepy thing he does where he stares down the 3-shot camera in the studio, all the while with the below "I know where the bodies are buried" smile, simultaneously seemingly ignoring the conversation going on directly beside him.
He's probably a great guy. But yikes, SEC. Less Pat, please.
Epilogue:
All in all, I told a friend the other day that it felt like Missouri Basketball is playing with house money this season. And I still think that's right. Coming in, my hope (not even expectation) was to simply compete to win more games than they lost, and frankly, to stop embarrassing our alma mater.
Well, mission accomplished on that front. But all that said, this is a missed opportunity. And one that I fear we'll feel worse about as the season ticks closer to March.
No loss is good, but this is a particularly poor one, folks.
Florida is, at best, a middling team in a P5 conference this season, and despite getting out to a big jump early, our Tigers appeared to simply forget how to run a coherent offense. Coupled with not making any of the iso/hero-ball sets they "ran" during this one, and it was a one-way ticket to the land of "not even receiving votes" on Monday.
Worse, I hope it doesn't portend of future collapses and lacks of focus and execution. Because this feels like it very well could, given what I saw today.
A few random observations:
Kobe Brown, while a terrific player, is not particularly adept at creating his own shot and, far too frequently for my taste, tries to make something happen where there's nothing to be had.
Missouri isn't good enough for D'Moi Hodge to completely disappear -- as he has in the last couple of games.
Sean East...way, waaaay too nonchalant w/ cross-court passes.
We've all had questions this season about Isaiah Mosley, of course. But the fact that Aiden Shaw didn't see the court for even a second, while a-guy-who-struggled-at-the-mid-major-level-and-it-shows-why Mohamed Diarra got major clock, in a game where the Tigers were severely overmatched against ninth-year senior Colin Castleton ... well, I have questions.
Missouri simply cannot or will not defend the 3-point line. Now that we're halfway through January, this isn't a gelling issue anymore. They're just incapable until they prove otherwise.
The Ugly:
The chick sitting too close to the floor mic. And the A-1 in the truck not clipping it way, way earlier. Enough said.
Also, I'm not sure I know of any person or entity as poor at performing their assigned tasks than is the case with the SEC Network, particularly in the game and studio analysts' levels. Dave Hart is usually very good, and I've seen Dave Neal create some good shows.
But analysts?
Obviously, Sunny is the gold standard, bias or no. But the lot of them?
I've never learned anything rom Damyeon Fishback that one wouldn't already know by simply watching the game.
And this network has some weird obsession with putting Pat Bradley, whose accent makes him a more appropriate choice for getting a gig as an extra for the next inevitable Ben Affleck thriller based--stop me if you've heard this before--in Southy Boston-- than for analyzing games in The Southeastern Conference.
That would perhaps be overcome if he provided anything of note. Alas, that's always noticeably absent. On top of the lack of meaningful insight is the creepy thing he does where he stares down the 3-shot camera in the studio, all the while with the below "I know where the bodies are buried" smile, simultaneously seemingly ignoring the conversation going on directly beside him.
He's probably a great guy. But yikes, SEC. Less Pat, please.
Epilogue:
All in all, I told a friend the other day that it felt like Missouri Basketball is playing with house money this season. And I still think that's right. Coming in, my hope (not even expectation) was to simply compete to win more games than they lost, and frankly, to stop embarrassing our alma mater.
Well, mission accomplished on that front. But all that said, this is a missed opportunity. And one that I fear we'll feel worse about as the season ticks closer to March.
