re: If SEC Basketball Is So Bad, Then Why Is Mizzou Struggling So Much?

quote:

---

Missouri ought to be running this league, but they are average at best. All that we hear is that SEC basketball is horrible year after year and we have teams with 20+ wins that don't get into the NCAAs because of poor RPI. But, then Missouri comes in, a team that has been well respected in recent years, and they are an average SEC team.

What gives?

---

We're currently in the donut hole of recruiting Mike Anderson left the program in. Haith has had to backfill with transfers, so it's a team desperately inadequate in the paint.

There's also a loss of passion within the fan base that traces back to Mike Alden's firing of Norm Stewart and hiring of Quin Snyder. Norm was Missouri, knew Missouri. Knew how to work the room and value of recruiting in-state talent. Snyder, and especially Anderson, had no desire to work the room and virtually refused to recruit the state, locally.

The decade-plus of arrogance and aloofness finally took their toll and now the many fans don't give a rip. In fact, they're mad local players like David Lee, Bradley Beal and Ben McLemore were ignored only to star elsewhere. So now not only does Frank Haith has the hot mess of rebuilding the recruiting trails, he needs to somehow reinvigorate a dispassionate fan base in a foreign (see non-Kansas) basketball conference. It's all taken it's toll.

Other Missouri fans may disagree with me, but that's how I see it..