Mizzou/Arkansas hoops

[Quillback]

Arkansas has been in a tail spin, losing 3 straight SEC games, getting blown out by LSU at home last game.  I hope they play well today.  

[kdc]

Go Hogs !

[Al Agnew]

Bad ending to the game for Mizzou.  That's the second down to the wire game they've lost.  People want to blame it on Geist and the lack of a point guard, but neither game was Geist's fault if you take the time to watch replays.  The Florida game, the last play was designed to get Robertson open, and it worked to perfection.  His man was 10 feet away from him when Geist made the pass.  But Chiozza took a huge gamble, coming off Barnett, who had been shooting lights out, and covering 15 feet to get to the ball.  That was at least 90% just a fantastic defensive play.

Then today...the play was supposed to be Barnett setting a screen, then either rolling or popping out to take the pass from Geist.  But the guy guarding Geist on the screen took out Barnett's legs and dumped him on the floor.  Meanwhile Robertson was supposed to be coming to the ball in case Geist couldn't pass to Barnett, but he was being held the whole way.  No call on either of those things.  Left Geist to shoot a contested three because he had no other option.  And it almost went in.

Hate to blame it on the refs.  You can expect them to swallow their whistles in the last seconds of a tight game.  But once again, way too many ticky tack fouls called on Mizzou's big men throughout the game.  The last charging call on Porter, the Arkie guy flopped when he wasn't even touched.  Took away two points (Porter made the shot), a foul that should have been called on the other guy guarding Porter, so it should have been a 3 point play, and Porter was called for his fourth foul.  And the screen that Tilmon set near the end that he was whistled for an illegal screen, replay showed it was a perfect screen, but the Arkie kid bounced off Tilmon and the refs called it.  Announcer thought it was an okay call until he saw the replay, then tried to say that Tilmon dropped his shoulder.  Bull.  Tilmon got penalized for being a big man when the little guy runs into you.

That was after the Florida game, when both Porter and Tilmon somehow fouled out with a total of maybe five fouls between them.  There were horrible calls in that game, this game wasn't quite so bad.

[Bushbeater]

I have plenty of respect for a good ref. or umpire, but it seems they are few and far between. I was very disappointed in the foul calls in both the last two Missouri losses. Tilmon seems to never get a break.

[Quillback]

My ref-blew-the-call favorite was on, I believe it was Porter when he and a Hogs player were going out of bounds for the ball and they called a foul on Porter, was really a bad call, both players were going for the ball and there was minimal contact.  The refs taketh and the refs giveth which is an unfortunate part of hoops.

Hogs really need some sort of half court offense, if they don't score off transition, they just don't seem to have anything to go to, usually ends up with someone launching a three, and their 3 point shooting is shakey.  Defensive rebounding is also shakey, Mizzou ate them up on their end for a while in the 2nd half.  

[grizwilson]

Hopefully they both make the NCAA.  

[Al Agnew]

All the pundits say both are fairly safely in.  Mizzou needed to win this last game against Arkie, and took care of business.  That should be enough to put them in, and Ark. was supposedly a lock before this game.

But Mizzou is now down to 7 scholarship players.  VanLeer tore his ACL yesterday.  If Porter Jr. doesn't play in the tournament, he ain't playing at all, because they really need him now.

[Quillback]

Hogs should be in, but sure would've helped with seeding if they had beaten Mizzou.  I hope they don't go in as an 8 or 9 seed, because if you win that 8 vs 9 seed game you get to face the number 1 seed in the next round.  

The other Porter kid looked pretty good, I assume he is not a one and done?

[Al Agnew]

He didn't start out the season being a one and done, but the last part of the season he's been looking good enough the scouts are starting to take notice.  The NBA people still say it would be best if he had another year at Mizzou, but some are projecting him to be a late first round or early second round pick if he declares this year.  Mizzou faithful are keeping their fingers crossed.

[joeD]

MPJr is getting ready to make millions of dollars. But, but, but... MPJr is gettig ready to make millions of dollars. He's not playing. OK?