Graham Watson: Hello, and welcome to the chat. Sorry we had to do this a day early, but I had something come up on Friday. All right, let's get started.

Jim: Graham

Thanks for awesome info that you provide us. I would like to know what the routine is now for the football team (are they holding any kind of practices, when does spring drills start etc.)Thanks again

Vahe Gregorian: The football team is doing individual workouts with the strength staff before they start spring football next month. I actually saw a couple guys - Tommy Saunders and Jaron Baston - working out in the indoor facility by themselves the other day. No training staff, so that's a good sign in terms of the commitment these guys are putting in.

Dan-KC: Hi Graham,

Do you have any indication of what 09' recruits may give MU their verbals? And in your opinion, who they are?

What chances do you give MU on landing Appleton or Hawthorne, the two receivers from ESL?

thanks,
Dan

Vahe Gregorian: I'm guessing your talking about football since you mentioned Appleton and Hawthorne.

I honestly think it's too early to tell on some of these guys. I know a couple of the guys I've talked to have strong feelings about Mizzou, but they want to see other schools, which is fair. Sheldon Richardson has been talking up Mizzou to the St. Louis guys. I think you'll see a lot of recruits come up and check out spring practices. That's when recruiting will pick up.

Barry: G-
The only weakness that I see with Franklin is his consistency catching the football. If he can eliminate bad drops, he has a chance to be a nice deep threat in the NFL. What round do you see him going?

Vahe Gregorian: Yeah, he had some bad drops last season, which he chalked up to nerves. He's got to get over that real quick. I think he could be a nice slot receiver in the NFL. At 6-0, which is what he measure during east-West, he's probably not going to be a deep threat. Probably a Wes Welker type player. If Will can show off his speed at the Combine, I think he could be a fourth or fifth-round pick.

Brian: Any chance this week of practice was focused on getting the '08-09 team ready while the senior 'leaders' worked on their conditioning?

In addition, who have Franklin and Rucker hired as agents?

Appreciate all of your hard work.

Vahe Gregorian: Wishful thinking, Brian. Mizzou is still trying to make a tournament. The NIT isn't out of reach, so I think they'll stick with the same gameplan as in past weeks. Safford will see more time this game. He didn't against Kansas State because Butterfield was a little bit bigger (and meaner) to deal with Michael Beasley. And that plan worked well...

Rucker is with Tom Condon and Franklin is with Andy Ross at Octagon.

alrammer: I want to like coach Anderson, but anybody can see Jason Horton doesn't belong on the court. This team has not played the same since he's been back. Forget his off field problems, he is not a division 1 point guard. I couldn't believe when he came here that Snyder would of recruited him and now I can't believe he still plays. Can Anderson judge talent? Anderson has had problems with discipline this year, that he can correct, but can he really evaluate talent. I am starting to doubt it and the attendance is showing I'm not the only one. Am I wrong that Horton does not belong on a D1 court? Coach needs to make changes in who he plays the rest of the way or we need to pull the plug. Why would anyone drive to Mizzou to watch this crew play right now. I'll be up to Mizzou for the state playoffs in high school when you'll actually see an exciting hard fought game.
40 Minutes of Hell, Yeah Right Coach!

Vahe Gregorian: Anderson needs Horton for depth. He's also one of the few players you know you're going to et a consistent defensive effort out of every game. I know people want to see him shoot and score, but that's never been Horton's game. Yes, he's disrupted the chemistry, but I've never had a problem with his defense. And I have no doubt that he's a D-I player, he's just not a Mike Anderson style D-I player.

I don't fault people for getting off the basketball bandwagon especially in light of recent events. But give CMA and the younger guys time, and I think you'll see a much different team in a couple years. If not, Mizzou will be looking for a new coach.

John Otting: Graham,
There is a debate on Mizzou Talk about Maclin's 40 time. Do you know what his actual 40 time is? Thanks.

Vahe Gregorian: Word on the street is that Maclin ran a 4.33 while training a couple weeks ago. That's the fastest he's ever run.

Travis: Graham,

Do you think Missouri football will run the ball more or pass it more this year. and why do you think the tigers depend so much on the passing game when they have a lot of good running backs.

Vahe Gregorian: Mizzou strives to be pretty balanced and I think they'll keep moving in that direction with RBs Derrick Washington, Jimmy Jackson, De'Vion Moore, etc. But Mizzou's greatest strength is its receivers and its quarterback. Coffman and Maclin are possible first or second-round draft picks in the coming years and Daniel's considered one of the best college quarterbacks in the country. Mizzou would be foolish to get away from its passing game. There's no denying that Mizzou likes to set up the run with the pass.

Bill Fenlon: Graham,

Firstly, thanks for all the great Mizzou coverage.

I've got a couple of draft-related questions now that the combine is here. Firstly, how is Pig Brown's rehab coming? Second, what (if any) draft buzz is there about guys like Pig, Spieker, Luellen, Tony T. and Lorenzo Williams?

Is 'Zo's lack of ideal DT size going to end his football days?

Thanks

Vahe Gregorian: Pig Brown is coming along well, but he's probably going to have to either make a team on the prospect of what he did in college or wait to workout when he's fully healthy. I'm leaning toward the latter. I think he has a future in the NFL, and scouts like him, he just needs to show that he's recovered.

There hasn't been a lot of draft buzz about many of the guys who aren't going to the combine. Spieker and Temple are gaining a little interest, but they'll have to show well on Mizzou's pro day. More than likely, both will be undrafted free agents.

Zo is a little unique. I know the coaching staff has been talking him up to pro scouts, but they can't make him grow. Zo is too small to be a tackle in the NFL and I don't think he's fast enough to be an end. He'll be a project if a team decides to take a chance on him. Again, a likely undrafted free agent.

Ken Christopher: I'm sorry I cannot remember his name, but the star running back from Mizzou is applying for another year of eligibility because of an injury earlier. Has the NCAA made a decision yet on this matter?? Thanks

Vahe Gregorian: Tony Temple is who you're thinking of, and he decided to give up the appeal and put his name in the NFL Draft.

David Conrado: With the success of the football team last season, and the emergence of the baseball team, I have heard that there plans in place the upgrade the facilities that house both teams, most notably a new scoreboard for The Zou, and new seating for the baseball stadium (possibly one of the only ones in the country named for a fraternity, Phi Delta Theta if I am not mistaken). Have you heard any concrete news about this, and would said upgrades take place?

Vahe Gregorian: Baseball has plans to upgrade all its facilities, I think by 2010, but don't quote me on the date. The stadium will seat more people, have a common area for the players in the stadium, and there's talk of moving the baseball offices there and placing seats on top of the offices. Not sure that's going to happen, though. The plans for the new stadium might be available on mutigers.com.

As for a new scoreboard, I actually don't know anything about that. But I'll find out and drop something on the blog if there are plans to renovate.

Snake: Graham, Cloudson is wondering which team will have a better baseball season: The Cardinals, Royals, or Missouri Tigers?

Vahe Gregorian: The Missouri Tigers. Going to Omaha.

And then there are my Texas Rangers... ick... But hey, former Mizzou player Ian Kinsler signed a new deal, so all is good.

Bill Fenlon: Graham,

I've got a question about retired men's basketball numbers. What is the university waiting for in retiring Derrick Chievous' #3? Mizzou has certainly honored some worthy players, but I can't believe that Chievous doesn't fit in with them.

Once that quest is completed, what about Anthony Peeler's #44? He was a consensus All-American, is third on Mizzou's all-time scoring list, and leads the program in all-time steals and assists. Am I missing something in these 2 careers that makes them unworthy?

A quick list of the (mostly non-)illustrious names on the backs 3 and 44 jerseys since the greats left:
3-Mark Atkins, Kendrick Moore, Tyron Lee, Kenge Stevenson, Thomas Gardner, & Stefon Hannah.
44-Sammie Haley, Albert White, & Kalen Grimes.

If Mike Alden has been waiting on my vote, please let him know he's got the go-ahead.

Vahe Gregorian: I'm not exactly sure what goes into the process of retiring a basketball jersey. I agree that Chievous should be considered as should Anthony Peeler. I don't think either is unworthy, I'm just not sure how often Missouri decides to retire jerseys.

Sorry, that probably wasn't the answer you were looking for.

Chris: Hey Graham.

Where do you see some Tigers players like Martin Rucker and Will Franklin getting picked in this year's NFL Draft?

To me, Rucker could be picked pretty early - in the 2nd, probably 3rd round.

I see Franklin as a 5th-round pick.

Your thoughts?

Vahe Gregorian: Rucker straining his hammy prior to the combine did not do him any favors. He's going to be limited and he's not going to be able to answer a lot of questions scouts have about his ability to black and his quickness off the line. He'll have to wait for pro day in March, which isn't nearly the stage that the combine is. However, I think Rucker has a lot of upside and could be valuable as more and more teams are using tight ends as receivers. That might make him a second or third-round pick.

Franklin is probably a fourth or fifth-rounder. Like I said earlier, his draft status hinges on his speed. The faster he runs, the higher he'll move up in the draft. There's no doubt about his route running and little doubt about his hands. I think he showed this year that he could block for his teammates. So, now he just needs to show the speed.

Richard: Graham,

What can you tell us about next year's MU basketball recruits?

Vahe Gregorian: Richard, if you're around, could you be a little more specific? Do you mean the guys coming in this year or the guys Missouri is looking at for 2009?

Chad: Graham,

It's frustrating to see MIZZOU basketball in its current state, but I really like CMA and think that he can turn the program around. What are some names being thrown around for the 2009 season (both realistic and long-shot). A big class then combined with production from the incoming class and the guys around for another year or two can really get us in the state of Missouri excited about basketball again! Thanks for all your coverage of MIZZOU sports!

-Chad in Kirksville

Vahe Gregorian: Well, the big names are Michael Dixon and DeMarcus Cousins. Missouri has a shot at both, but Dixon is probably the clubhouse favorite. He's been to a couple games this year and is tight with a lot of the current guys. I think Mizzou's prospect to get Cousins improved with the Sampson incident at Indiana. I think he was favoring the Hoosiers. PG Fred Gulley from Arkansas and SG Michael Snaer from California are also on the radar. I think Snaer stays in the Pac-10, but they've been on Gulley pretty hard and he's a great little PG.

Mike: Graham,
When is Mizzou's pro day, who will be there and who has the most to gain from such an event? Thanks.

Vahe Gregorian: Mizzou's pro day is March 6. All the seniors will be there, some juniors come to get timed and a lot of guys come to watch. I think Temple needs to build on his Cotton Bowl there, and of course Rucker, who can't run at the Combine this weekend, needs to have a stellar outing.

A guy like Greg Bracey might get a look because of his speed, but he'll have to show that he can run routes and, well, catch. Spieker will need to show that he can play with a QB under center and not injure them - he dislocated Bret Meyer's (Iowa State) fingers prior to the Texas vs. The Nation Bowl a couple weeks ago while snapping to him under center.

And then there's Zo. If Zo can show some quickness, he might improve his chances of being someone's free agent.

Jeff: Which of the 2008 football recruits are you most excited about and which do you think will see the field in 2008?

Vahe Gregorian: I like Andrew Jones. If he plays half as well as he talks, he'll be an All-American. Actually, I think he and Wes Kemp could get time because there are needs at both tight end and wide receiver. Gahn McGaffie, Rolandis Woodland and Michael Egnew also have a chance to play for those same reasons.

The coaching staff was also talking up Dan Hoch, who could fill some needs on the offensive line, especially with James Stigall leaving the team.

I think the guys on defense are going to have the toughest time breaking through because of the seniority and depth, but a lot of those guys leave after next season, so the guys coming in will be seasoned before stepping on the field.

Richard: I am referring to the bball players they signed for next year. Thanks

Vahe Gregorian: OK. Obviously, you have to look at a guy like Miguel Paul, who will add depth to a depleted PG position and Steve Moore who will add size and defense to an often undersized Mizzou squad. Laurence Bowers, Kimmie English and Marcus Denmon are all scorers. English and Denmon are both quick of the dribble and have good court vision to get other guys involved. Ramsey is the nation's best JUCO player, according to Scout.com, and he's not coming from Chipola, which is an added plus.

Peter: Thanks Graham. Any word on the recovery of Darario Alexander? I thought he made huge strides last season, especially in the KU game. Think he'll be ready by Aug 30th?

Vahe Gregorian: He'll be ready to go. He's been rehabbing and he;s healing on time. He'll probably be doing light stuff during spring ball. Jogging, riding the bike, non-contact stuff. He was already walking without crutches during the Cotton Bowl.

Graham Watson: Thanks for all the questions. Have a good weekend and keep up with the Mizzou baseball team. I expect questions about them next week.