Welcome to the Morning Commute
Today we’re bidding a fond farewell to our friend, Mark Mitchell. And he’s doing the same for us.
Dear Mizzou,
Thank you for believing in me during a time when many other’s didn’t. When things felt uncertain and I didn’t have all the answers, you gave me a place to grow, to rebuild, and to find my confidence again.
Wearing the black and gold across my chest wasn’t just an honor—it meant everything to me. It was a reminder of how far I’ve come and the people who stood by me when I needed it most. Every
moment, every game, every memory here is something I will carry with me forever.
Mizzou didn’t just give me an opportunity, it helped me find myself again. And for that, I will always be grateful.
M-I-Z 🖤💛
Mitchell’s two years in Columbia were exemplary, as the former Kansas City-area star was everything Mizzou fans hoped he would be. Personally, he’s my favorite Mizzou player that I’ve watched since… maybe Phil Pressey? I love when a player can do what he wants on the floor and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do to stop him. Unless you’re Miami in the first half. I don’t want to think about it.
It’ll be weird to not see him in black and gold next year, as he’s become that much a part of the program in my mind. But he left the program a better place than he found it, and that’s all you can ask.
Happy trails, Mark. Don’t be a stranger. And best of luck in your ongoing pursuit to bully defenders.
Yesterday at Rock M and Rock M+
Friday night went poorly. But this has been a flawed team for more than the last week or two. They’ve been a questionable squad for months. There was some mojo-magic Gates and the staff pulled to get to 10 wins in the SEC, and somehow managed to get back into the tournament picture. My opinion on this team hasn’t changed since December when they were getting run out of the gym by Kansas and Illinois. So that they made the tournament was a minor miracle to me.
A minor miracle might be putting it mildly!
It was an unprecedented season for Tiger Style as it lost multiple high-level contributors to the transfer portal and to graduation. Even though the final placement was the same as a season ago, the road was not. Head coach Brian Smith had to trust multiple unproven wrestlers to carry on the program’s legacy, and we should be set to see many starters return more polished next season.
Never doubt a locked and loaded Brian Smith squad!
The Tigers now fall to 15-18 on the season and 1-5 in SEC play. Four of those five losses have come by a single run.
“They’re so close,” Anderson said. “When you have young team … they have a tendency to just lose concentration every once in a while, and it’s my job to reel them back in and get them to stay focused.”
The road doesn’t get any easier from here, with trips to Illinois and Auburn in the offing.
- Over at Rock M+, it’s all (still) things NCAA Tournament. Florida got Ben McCollum’d, the coaching cycle is about to be nuts, and Mizzou could end up with yet another elite recruit for next year’s squad.
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