Mizzou Basketball

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There's Still A Lot To Play For!
Commentary Exclusive to Mizzou OSR
by Todd Donoho
Columbia, Mo. - As that famous Missouri philosopher Yogi Berra once said, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it!"

Well, the Tiger men's basketball team has come to the fork in the road.  Which direction will they take?  Until this past Saturday night/Sunday morning, I thought the Tigers were on the road to success.  After all, they had just won a crucial road conference game.  But, after five players decided to break team rules over the weekend, the direction of this team is not as well defined.  All of the sudden it's become a season of turmoil -- a basketball soap opera.

The big question now is, what happens when/if the suspended players come back to the team?  Do the suspended players come back with true feelings of remorse?  Do they come back with extra motivation to play well?  Do they come back with a chip on their shoulders?  Do they come back with a renewed sense of pride to play in the Mizzou uniform?  Do the players who were not suspended readily accept the suspended players back after the suspended players disrespected them with their selfish and irresponsible actions?

Or, do the suspended players come back without remorse?  Do the suspended seniors mail in the rest of the season?  Do the suspended seniors figure their Mizzou legacies have been decided and it's not good?  Do the players who were not suspended harbor feelings of ill will toward the suspended players?  After all, the suspended players put the players who were not suspended in a tough spot for the game against Nebraska.  Do the players who were not suspended feel abandoned?

Lots of questions.  We will all find out the answers in due time. 

Sometimes off-the-court issues and incidents like those of the past week bring a team together.  Sometimes they split a team apart.

I have heard some Tiger fans already give up on this season.  I have heard comments like, "Let the suspended players stay out for the rest of the season."  And, "This season is over anyway."  And, "We're playing for next season now, so let's take our medicine and cleanse the program of the suspended players."

To which I say -- nonsense.  There are 10 regular season games left.  That's one-third of the season.  And, these are all conference games.  And, there is still a Big 12 Conference Tournament to play.  There's a lot to play for.

At the beginning of the Big 12 season, I said the Tigers would have to go 10-and-6 to make the NCAA Tournament.  I still stand by that.  At 2-and-4, that means Mizzou would have to go 8-and-2 in its remaining 10 conference games.  Unlikely?  Probably.  But, don't forget, the Tigers went 9-and-3 in their final 12 conference games last year.

But here's the point to be made.  Each and every game is very important.  I don't buy into the thought that this season is over and it's time to prepare and think about next season.  The best way to prepare for next season is to win as many games as possible this season.  It's never good to lose a game.  The best way to play for next season is to play well this season.  It does no good for Tiger fans to say the suspended players should be done for the season.  It serves no purpose.

There is still a lot to play for.  A team with character doesn't mail in the season.  A fan base with character doesn't mail in the season.  I hope the players and the fans realize this.

As the old saying goes: Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Well, today is the first day of the rest of the season.

And beating Kansas State won't be easy.