It's amazing how fast Gates turned over the roster and just made this team so much more athletic. Your boy Clownzo didn't seem to care about athletic players.
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I think the NIL rules are also more beneficial in basketball (where you're not hidden behind a helmet and are thus more marketable and the pool of players is smaller) than it is in football.

Even Martin may have had some success in this environment.

But ultimately Martin simply didn't recruit for athleticism. He wanted to build ground and pound teams. Offensive cohesion and athleticism were an afterthought.

That said, my expectations for this year's squad are...muted. I'm not seeing much to really get excited about just yet. This is still a squad that's going to need a lot from someone like Nick Honor and Noah Carter. Can Caleb Grill be a big time threat from outside? Because we'll need that as well. Will East step forward? Shaw? Is Vanover a Power 5 player? Brown seems more like a role player. Pierce and Robinson aren't exactly turnkey in their own right.

This just feels like a gap year. I'd like to see them make the tournament to get some of those young players some experience as a springboard, but it's not really an expectation for me.
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My observations:

Honor looked about the same except for jacking up shots almost every time he touched the ball. Looks like a 40 year old playing with college kids

Bates looks good, very athletic. Could end up being our best player

East and Shaw both seem to have taken fairly substantial steps forward

Carralero made some great passes, seems to be a good defender, and plays with a lot of energy

Anthony Robinson will end up being a very solid player for us. Gates has praised his leadership qualities, unusual for a freshman

Grill is more athletic than I expected

Got somewhat distracted by the terrible play calling by Nathanial Hackett in the football game (how on earth does he not run more quick slants, screens, and quick tosses to Hall outside the Tackle box to take pressure off of terrible Zach Wilson?? Chargers were just pinning their ears back on the pass rush), but overall obviously looks like we don't have the top-end talent that we had last year. This team could end up being much deeper and being a much better rebounding team. Could be a tournament team, don't see much beyond just making it, which I kind of expected considering the talent we lost.
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We really need just 1 or 2 guys that can really step up and score. I wish Kobe would have come back, because I think with him this team would be a top 15 team. I think this team will be better defensively and much much better at rebounding, but we just need someone to step up and be a scorer. If that happens, then this team can be better than last years.
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I'll be hard pressed to dislike anyone more than Kim Anderson if for no other reason than the fact that I live in Columbia and had to listen to these motherfucking Norm Acolyte blue hairs sing his praises even when we were clearly the worst team in major college basketball.
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Really? I haven't been paying attention
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Lmao, I can't imagine your pain. He was just completely unqualified for the job and it was completely obvious to everyone that wasn't a "True Son".
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Cuonzo Martin may have been the best thing that could've happened to Mizzou basketball.

Because Martin was exactly what the Norm Stans THOUGHT they were getting in Anderson. And the ceiling was still mediocrity.

They got two bites at the apple. They had two chances to re-build the Norm years. One of them they could've passed off as simply being blinded by program loyalty. "Well it didn't work THIS time, but it still will!". The second one, however, got them exactly what Norm Ball will give you in modern college basketball.

So now we never have to listen to them again. We've finally closed the book on that era, IMO.
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That's largely because it is. With the incoming guys (assuming everyone signs) and seniors moving on, we're going to have a MUCH different team again next season. But, I think we're going to compete. Really like how much East has improved.
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Gross. Can't even imagine.
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No longer considering G-League

NEWS: 2024 Top-10 prospect Jayden Quaintance is down to four schools and will no longer consider the G-League Ignite pathway, per his coach.

The 16-year-old must complete two years of college before being NBA Draft eligible in 2026.

Story: https://t.co/Qvh1plGEY0 pic.twitter.com/yCM4egK7cO

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) November 6, 2023

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Lol just wait for the return of Norm! Norm will be 100 and Mizzou will be looking for a coach and decide he's the man for the job.
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Well I like that. From what I've read he's leaning Kentucky. Hope that's not what happens.
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I shit you not, a large contingent of them wanted him retained after they beat Auburn in that meaningless conference tournament game.

Norm Stans were gaslighting before it was cool.
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I don't think I could handle it. That whole era was triggering as ever.
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