So far Missouri has played just the 323rd toughest schedule in Division I college basketball, and the Tigers have managed only a 5-5 record through Sunday.
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I could try to push some optimism on you, point out Missouri’s quietly-not-terrible defense, that the Tigers’ most important players are young. But this isn’t really the time for that, not now, not after Missouri’s 67-64 home loss to Eastern Illinois, a team that spent seven hours the previous night trapped in a bus on Interstate 70 amid icy conditions that brought traffic to a standstill.
The Panthers (7-4 through Sunday) spent their time by boosting a student manager over a fence to buy tacos. And then eventually they rolled into Mizzou Arena and beat Missouri.
It was a big win for Eastern Illinois coach Jay Spoonhour, who has strong Missouri ties, serving as a graduate assistant for Missouri and coaching at Moberly’s community college.
Eastern Illinois missed its first 14 three-pointers, but Missouri managed only a two-point lead at halftime. Eventually the Panthers started making some, and that was enough. Missouri’s final possession was a debacle. Down three, with the last seconds fading, Missouri didn’t get any action or movement going at all. Sophomore guard Terrence Phillips just dribbled and dribbled and then fired up a contested three-pointer that missed. Ballgame.
It was another embarrassing loss, another of many candidates for hitting rock bottom. Last month, Missouri lost at home to North Carolina Central. Now a loss to Eastern Illinois. These are supposed to be games where Missouri pays a smaller program to come in and, in theory, lose, “cupcake” opponents to round out the schedule. But the cupcakes keep devouring Missouri.
Coach Kim Anderson is by all accounts a good man, but the situation is looking dire in his third year in charge. This is the third season in a row his team has come into the Braggin’ Rights game with Illinois at 5-5, and now it’s despite a fairly soft schedule.
Fan interest has understandably faded. Conditions were tough Saturday, with ice on the roads, snow on the way, and a ruthless wind ripping across Columbia. But the crowd was tiny, and crowds at Mizzou Arena have been sparse for years now. Hats off to the super loyal Tiger fans who were there.
But the show goes on. A rivalry game win against Illinois Wednesday (6 p.m. on ESPNU), however improbable it seems, would be huge for a program desperate for something good to happen.
Senior guard Malcolm Hill leads Illinois in scoring, at 18.2 points per game. He’s 3-0 and going for a career sweep against Missouri.
This is usually a fun game, with a lot of energy and good atmosphere as the two teams and fan bases duel. Heck, the cheerleading squads even face off in a lifting competition. Here’s hoping Tiger fans show up for this one, because the fan support makes it what it is.
Also, here’s hoping Missouri can reverse the cycle of dreary basketball winters.