I'm going to take a small break from reminding Missouri about how historically inferior their basketball program is, compared to their closest Big 12 neighbor to the west. There's no need to kick anybody while they're down, in light of the disappointing performance in Stillwater yesterday. GIVE THE TIGERS A BREAK. There were very tough circumstances yesterday. It's never EASY playing in GIA, but I'm sure the level of difficulty is compounded when you're forced to take 2 days to travel (and be forced to spend more than 15 minutes on the campus of Park University), and then land just a few short hours before tip-off. To add insult to injury, Oklahoma State sent their own personal bus to pick the Tigers up at the airport--decked out tires to roof in Cowboy orange. Humiliating.
It is interesting, though, that to this point, the Kansas State basketball season has been considered a complete disgrace, and they've got work to do just to get into the Big Dance. All the while, Missouri is sitting just a half-game ahead of them in the standings, AND they still have to play KU twice and the 'Cats in The Bram. Missouri finds themselves sort of at a pivotal moment.
No, I thought I would just take a half a moment and talk a little bit about National Signing Day and the way the local recruiting classes turned out, especially Kansas.
I am pleasantly surprised the Gill did as well as he did in mothers' living rooms this year. Recruiting is his bag, and I'm sure there are few men of better character amongst the ranks of BCS head coaches. He is a genuinely good dude, and I'm sure any mom or dad would be happy to have him mentor their son.
But let's face it: Turner was at two strikes and fouling off pitches going into the recruiting season. For starters, he can't sell to anyone that football is the primary love at his school--it's not. Never will be. Passion for football at Kansas is BCS-average at best. Secondly, he's coming off a 3-9 campaign which saw the Jayhawks lose to a 1-AA program (that's another thing about me--you'll never see me use whatever the new acronyms are for 1-A and 1-AA. I'm old school like that. I only recently agreed to occasionally refer to Royals Stadium as "The K").
Finally, Gill doesn't paint a picture of a guy that allows his players to live the "normal college experience." No need to rehash all the rules and regs. Suffice it to say that, if a kid decides to come play for Gill, his focus needs to legitimately be 100% on "doing the right things," even though most places are going to let them at least dabble in a little normal coming-of-age stuff.
All of this and Gill still turned out what Rivals is rating as the #34 class in the nation. Missouri finished up at #46, while Kansas State finished somewhere off the first page (don't expect me to try to dig that low to find it. Suffice it to say, it ain't good). In terms of the conference, this means NOTHING anymore, but Kansas finished the highest of the remaining Big 12 North schools, 6th overall in the conference, with Missouri 8th and Kansas State last.
NOW, we have to take the Missouri ranking with a grain of salt. Nobody thinks Turner is recruiting better than Gary is these days. Gary just has the luxury of returning enough players that he only had 17 scholarships to give out this year. Nevertheless, the quality of players KU reeled in appear to be at least on par with what Gary got, only in greater numbers for the Jayhawks. Might it help bridge the gap just a little?
As for Kansas State--yeah, somebody else is going to have to defend what they took in. I can understand what's going on in Columbia, but the 'Cats had a full compliment of scholarships to give and a bowl game, and they, frankly, struck out time and time again on the more highly-touted targets on their list.
OK, so KU wasn't any good last year. They had their moments, but overall, the product has clearly declined for the past three seasons since the Orange Bowl victory in the '07-'08 season. But there are some nice parts on the team, and Gill appears to be stock-piling an interesting cache of running back talent. Sims was the leading freshman rusher in the league this year, while 4-Star speedster Brandon Bourbon (out of Missouri--I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin') took a redshirt. Two more 4-star running backs are in the bag in this (Miller and Pierson, both Missouri guys, even though Pierson went to school in Illinois this year. Again, I'm just sayin'...).
It is disconcerting that Gill expects 15-17 true freshmen to play this year, but what the heck? Can they possibly do worse than 3-9? Well, with the new schedule and all....yes, they can. But it's the experience that builds character, right?
I don't know. Ask the 37 men who fought Mike Tyson between '85 and '89 what the "experience" was like.
It is interesting, though, that to this point, the Kansas State basketball season has been considered a complete disgrace, and they've got work to do just to get into the Big Dance. All the while, Missouri is sitting just a half-game ahead of them in the standings, AND they still have to play KU twice and the 'Cats in The Bram. Missouri finds themselves sort of at a pivotal moment.
No, I thought I would just take a half a moment and talk a little bit about National Signing Day and the way the local recruiting classes turned out, especially Kansas.
I am pleasantly surprised the Gill did as well as he did in mothers' living rooms this year. Recruiting is his bag, and I'm sure there are few men of better character amongst the ranks of BCS head coaches. He is a genuinely good dude, and I'm sure any mom or dad would be happy to have him mentor their son.
But let's face it: Turner was at two strikes and fouling off pitches going into the recruiting season. For starters, he can't sell to anyone that football is the primary love at his school--it's not. Never will be. Passion for football at Kansas is BCS-average at best. Secondly, he's coming off a 3-9 campaign which saw the Jayhawks lose to a 1-AA program (that's another thing about me--you'll never see me use whatever the new acronyms are for 1-A and 1-AA. I'm old school like that. I only recently agreed to occasionally refer to Royals Stadium as "The K").
Finally, Gill doesn't paint a picture of a guy that allows his players to live the "normal college experience." No need to rehash all the rules and regs. Suffice it to say that, if a kid decides to come play for Gill, his focus needs to legitimately be 100% on "doing the right things," even though most places are going to let them at least dabble in a little normal coming-of-age stuff.
All of this and Gill still turned out what Rivals is rating as the #34 class in the nation. Missouri finished up at #46, while Kansas State finished somewhere off the first page (don't expect me to try to dig that low to find it. Suffice it to say, it ain't good). In terms of the conference, this means NOTHING anymore, but Kansas finished the highest of the remaining Big 12 North schools, 6th overall in the conference, with Missouri 8th and Kansas State last.
NOW, we have to take the Missouri ranking with a grain of salt. Nobody thinks Turner is recruiting better than Gary is these days. Gary just has the luxury of returning enough players that he only had 17 scholarships to give out this year. Nevertheless, the quality of players KU reeled in appear to be at least on par with what Gary got, only in greater numbers for the Jayhawks. Might it help bridge the gap just a little?
As for Kansas State--yeah, somebody else is going to have to defend what they took in. I can understand what's going on in Columbia, but the 'Cats had a full compliment of scholarships to give and a bowl game, and they, frankly, struck out time and time again on the more highly-touted targets on their list.
OK, so KU wasn't any good last year. They had their moments, but overall, the product has clearly declined for the past three seasons since the Orange Bowl victory in the '07-'08 season. But there are some nice parts on the team, and Gill appears to be stock-piling an interesting cache of running back talent. Sims was the leading freshman rusher in the league this year, while 4-Star speedster Brandon Bourbon (out of Missouri--I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin') took a redshirt. Two more 4-star running backs are in the bag in this (Miller and Pierson, both Missouri guys, even though Pierson went to school in Illinois this year. Again, I'm just sayin'...).
It is disconcerting that Gill expects 15-17 true freshmen to play this year, but what the heck? Can they possibly do worse than 3-9? Well, with the new schedule and all....yes, they can. But it's the experience that builds character, right?
I don't know. Ask the 37 men who fought Mike Tyson between '85 and '89 what the "experience" was like.
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