****Official 2017-2018 Missouri Tigers Basketball Thread****

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Back up in your ass with the resurrection. Follow the Cuonzo Martin era here.

Recruiting Commitments:

2017:
Michael Porter Jr., SF, *****, Gatorade National Player of the Year
CJ Roberts, PG, ****
Blake Harris, PG, ***/****
Jeremiah Tilmon, F/C, ****
Kassius Robertson, Grad Transfer
Jontay Porter (possible re-classification from Class of '18), ****

Departures: No one that matters
Returning Players: No one that matters

Overall class ranking: #6 nationally.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Priest31kc

Saturday, January 6th vs Florida on CBS...

I'm predicting 2/10 at home vs. Mississippi State. Gives him a game to knock some rust off before a potentially massive home tilt vs. A&M. It's a Saturday game so the exposure/crowd will be outstanding.

He'd get a shot at Kentucky in Lexington and the end of season rivalry matchup vs. Arkansas at Mizzou Arena.

So there's the shot I'm calling - 2/10.

[Priest31kc]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I'm predicting 2/10 at home vs. Mississippi State. Gives him a game to knock some rust off before a potentially massive home tilt vs. A&M. It's a Saturday game so the exposure/crowd will be outstanding.

He'd get a shot at Kentucky in Lexington and the end of season rivalry matchup vs. Arkansas at Mizzou Arena.

So there's the shot I'm calling - 2/10.

Ill be thrilled if he's back at any time this season, so 2/10 would be good with me.

You're not buying the back within 4 weeks talk?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Priest31kc

Ill be thrilled if he's back at any time this season, so 2/10 would be good with me.

You're not buying the back within 4 weeks talk?

Nah. That's less than 8 weeks for a back injury so uncomfortable that it required surgical intervention. I'm not saying he won't look fit as a fiddle and think that he can probably play, but there's going to be heightened chance for re-injury at that point and I don't think his own doctors (I'm sure he has them) will clear him.

That's just raw, unbridled speculation obviously. It just seems too early for a kid with genuine top of the draft ability. He can't risk it. But by the middle of February he'll be a 12+ weeks in, IIRC. That's almost certainly enough for him to get out there with confidence.

[raybec 4]

I'm betting 6 more weeks, 1/20 against A&M

[siberian khatru]

With or without Michael Porter Jr., Cuonzo Martin keeps Mizzou in the present

Lehman isn’t just a guy. He’s in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and has treated the likes of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

As it happens, I go back decades with him, having interviewed him in the past in his capacity as team physician for the St. Louis Blues and working with Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

So … I called him up after seeing Tuesday’s report.

After noting that he was not treating Porter but saying he had information he could not elaborate on that helped support his contention, he expanded on his point.

Calling the injury “pretty common” and adding that there had been no fusion or implanting of an artificial disc, Lehman said all indications are that the recovery should be consistent with what he’s seen repeatedly over decades: six to eight weeks after this surgery.

“I don’t think fairy dust came in my eyes … I’ve just never seen anyone take three months to come back from this,” Lehman said. “I think he’s going to play this year, and I think he’s going to be a meaningful part of the team. I really believe he’s going to be able to contribute to the level he would have been able to contribute absent the back surgery.”

[kepp]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

With or without Michael Porter Jr., Cuonzo Martin keeps Mizzou in the present

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

With or without Michael Porter Jr., Cuonzo Martin keeps Mizzou in the present

But you left out the key stumbling block also from that article:

“The family might say … ‘Why let him get hurt playing college basketball when there’s a big payday in his future?’ And I can understand that,” he said. “And there might be some politics at Mizzou that I don’t know about. I can understand that.”

That's a very real possibility. The Porter family may just realize that they don't want to risk MPJ's future. Moreover, right now Jontay is building value in a hurry with the extra run and MPJ's return might detract from that.

I absolutely believe that Porter will be medically cleared at some point this season (even if we never hear about it). I'm still not 100% convinced he'll play. But I remain hopeful and still see that MSU game as a pretty easy path back.

[WhawhaWhat]

Starting to think that North Florida may not be so good.

[dlphg9]

So what's it gonna take to be ranked? Winning the next 2 has to do it right?

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

I'm betting 6 more weeks, 1/20 against A&M

February 3rd vs Kentucky.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

So what's it gonna take to be ranked? Winning the next 2 has to do it right?

That's what the SEC studio guys were saying before the game (or was it at halftime...don't remember)

[Molitoth]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

So what's it gonna take to be ranked? Winning the next 2 has to do it right?

Dunno about the next 2... but if they win the next 4, for sure.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by dlphg9

So what's it gonna take to be ranked? Winning the next 2 has to do it right?

Florida has lost 4 of 5, they're still ranked. Mizzou should be based on record and RPI.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

After they stomp a bad Illinois team...

[kepp]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

Florida has lost 4 of 5, they're still ranked. Mizzou should be based on record and RPI.

Seriously...9-2 with the #1 or 2 RPI and we're not ranked?