Graham Watson: I'm late. I know, sorry. Some yahoo ran into the box that houses some of our phone lines, so the phone company has been out here all morning trying to get me up and running. Hopefully, I'm good and with you for the duration. Let's begin.

mark: My question(s) are about Adam Spieker. I thought it was strange that he was not invited to the NFL combine; is there some reason such as injury or his agent's position?

Also, I see he was listed as a player in the Texas vs the Nation game, playing for Texas. I thought that required a Texas history of high school or college for the player. Any idea why he played for them?

Vahe Gregorian: I agree that it's strange that he didn't get an invite. There were a couple Missouri folks snubbed by the combine this season. Adam is fine to my knowledge. He played in the Texas vs. The nation game earlier this month. As far as I know he'll be at MU's Pro Day on March 6.

I don;t know why he played for the Texas team. I asked that same question and I was told that they didn't have enough center's on that side.

Alan: Graham, what are Mizzou's chances of a post season tournament? Whether it's the CBI or NIT? (or NCAA but this a serious question)

Also, will the starting five be all seniors next week against Iowa State? I remember Watkins had a huge game on Senior night last year.

Vahe Gregorian: I think they need to win two more games to be a lock for the NIT. If they win one more game, depending on the game, I think they could still get in. With Missouri's RPI ad the RPI of the Big 12, I find it hard to believe that Mizzou would drop to the CBI.

I wouldn't be surprised if that game had all seniors starting. That wouldn't be a terrible lineup - Volkus, Horton, Brown, Butterfield - and probably Keon. I could see that happening and Volkus having the big game. Mike Anderson usually doesn't tell us the starting lineup before the game, but I'll be sure to ask.

mcangus52: Can you shed any light on Volkus? Sat night he starts then gets buried on the bench the rest of the game. In Tues box score it seems he got no minutes at all. How can you start several games but get so few minutes? Please explain, or if you can't ask Coach at this next press conference. Thanks

Vahe Gregorian: I don't understand CMA's substitution patterns at all. Like why bring Mike Jr. in the game when you have momentum in the first half? I just don't get it. CMA was asked after the game whether Volkus was hurt and he said he wasn't, so I can't give you a good explanation. CMA said some other guys were playing well and that's why Volkus was sitting.

CMA has been hot and cold with that kid all year. I think he's played well when he's had opportunities, and with Carroll struggling with injury, I don't know why he's not playing more.

Wes Smith: Hey Graham, love your work.

What can you tell me about Kerwin Stricker, MU's latest verbal commitment for the class of '09? In addition, as verbals roll in this year, can you forsee writing any articles on the kids from St. Louis that decide to play at MU? I think that would be both great exposure for the kids and the program. Thanks in advance.

Vahe Gregorian: Stricker is a 6-2 WR from Washington, Mo. I don't know a lot about him except that he's fairly quick, and obviously the height doesn't hurt. Just doing a search on the kid, he caught 26 passes for 592 yards and 10 touchdowns at Washington.

I have been in contact with most of the St. Louis kids already, and I can tell you that there will probably be two commitments coming soon, probably in the next month and both are linemen (that's all I'll say). Both have been to both junior days and both have spoken highly of Mizzou. I don't want to drop their names in case things change (not that it would be hard to figure out), but there should be a couple St. Louis commitments coming as spring ball gets underway.

I'll be writing about both when they commit.

Way J: I'm looking forward to next season, I love the recruiting class coming in. I think we have a legitamate shot at making noise next season. What basketball recruit do you find the most intriquing.

Vahe Gregorian: I don't know. There are a lot of good recruits in this class. What I'll be interested to see is what CMA does with Matt Lawrence. There are a couple shooters coming in in English and Bowers and with Matt struggling all season, he might be fighting for his starting spot next season. CMA has stuck with him this year, but that's because he doesn't have any other outside threats. Next year, he'll have a couple quality guys on the bench. Without seeing these guys play together, I think Mizzou would be killer with Tiller (ha, that rhymed), Keon, English, Lyons and Carroll. Or go small with Bowers instead of Carroll. And then there's Denmon... Wow, there are a lot of good choices for lineups next season.

Travis: Graham,
I'd like to know your opinion on who you think will be the "newcomer of the year" for the football Tigers this year. Obviously last year was Maclin. Who is the guy, who hasn't played a down yet for the Tigers who you feel will emerge and be a crucial part of the team?

Vahe Gregorian: Honestly, I think it will be Wes Kemp because he will play the most. I know a lot of people think Andrew Jones is going to be a stud - and he will - but he's still behind Chase Coffman. Kemp has an opportunity to play a lot with just four scholarship receivers in front of him and Mizzou using five or six in any given game. All it takes is a couple key catches to put Kemp on Chase Daniel's radar.

I also think Dan Hoch has a chance to make an impact on the depleted O-line. He already possesses the strength and skill to start right away. he's just going to have to learn the offense. If he does, I would not be surprised to see him in the starting lineup with Madison. Gregory, Barnes and Brown.

Snake: Graham, thanks again. A college football website recently ranked the Mizzou-Illinois game as the #2 nonconference game for 2008 (behind only Ohio State-USC). Is it too early for Cloudson to start tailgating?

Vahe Gregorian: Cloudson should be very excited for this game. I think Mizzou is going to see a better quartback in Juice Williams than it did a year ago. And the RB that's replacing Mendenhal (can't think of his name right now) is the kid that ran all over Mizzou when Williams and Mendenhal were on the bench. So, the first game of the season should be pretty exciting. I'd start tailgating when tickets go on sale in July.

Brian: With Patton being a more prototypical NFL physical specimen for the QB position than Daniel but not having much opportunity to display his abilities in game day situations, how much interest will there be in him on draft day next year & what will/can he and/or the coaching staff do, if anything, to raise his profile ?

Secondly, seeing how the best NBA teams at the end of the year are usually the better defensive teams, what does it take to convince high school players with polished offensive games to recognize the benefit of playing for a coach that will emphasize defense and demand effort on that end of the court ? Anyone ever hear of Marcus Camby, Bruce Bowen, Ben Wallace, etc. ?

Vahe Gregorian: I don't think there's a whole lot the coaching staff can do to raise Patton's profile, but you're right, his size and arm strength will be enough for him to get a look. Who's the QB that was behind Palmer and Leinart that is a backup in the NFL? Isn't he on the Patriots? So, it happens. Patton could go into Pro Day next year and just wow the scouts.

I think there are a lot of kids that want to play defense, and i think Mike Anderson tells these kids that they'll get more offense if they play tough defense. Kinda a Catch-22. Missouri - when it plays the system right - can get a lot of transition points. That's what will entice an offensive-minded kid to come here.

Todd F: Graham,
It really is crazy talk, Misery will be lucky to get into the NIT. I think you were out with Spezio drinking some go-go juice when you wrote that piece. I guess we all need someone to shed a positive light on a dismal season. Keep it up, it makes for interesting reading.

Vahe Gregorian: Come on. Missouri has an RPI in the 80's and has beaten more Top 25 teams than Kansas, Kansas State or Texas A&M. Now, a lot of things have to happen to get them into the NIT, but I think with a couple wins, Missouri has as good a shot as any team to get into that tournament.

MizzouMarv: Graham, why aren't you ever on the radio? I heard you with Bernie & Randy once when they called you Gabe, but not since. It would be nice to hear the opinions of someone close to the program as opposed to the STL guys running with every rumor they hear.

Vahe Gregorian: I just go on when they call. I think Bernie doesn't call me because he doesn't want to look like a P-D homer. That's cool. I probably do more KC radio than St. Louis. Occasionally, Mike Claiborne has me on. Like I said, I just come on when they call.

You should call Bernie to have me on more. I enjoyed it.

dave: I watch most every Mizzou hoops game on TV, and cant help but see how few fans are at MIzzou Arena. Is there just zero buzz around campus about the basketball team right now?

Vahe Gregorian: Well, yeah. This hasn't exactly been an ideal basketball season. Missouri has had opportunities to sway it in their favor and failed. I also think a lot of people are tapped out because football was so good. Mizzou had been getting about 10,000 fans, which isn't bad. It would be a sellout at Duke. There's just not a lot to cheer about when you're watching a 5-8 team. They do try hard, which makes for good future prospects.

Dave: Graham,

I love catching bits and pieces of the Tiger's games on the radio when I'm off to work (afternoons) or just riding around taking care of errands on days off, but will the Tiger's Baseball team ever be televised at all this year in Columbia?

Are those crazy marching band guys out there still with their antics?

Thanks for covering some T-Ball for us!

Dave

Vahe Gregorian: You know, I don't know if Missouri baseball will get on TV. Maybe the game at Kaufman, but I honestly don't know and I haven't looked at the schedule to see if there's anything currently scheduled. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Texas game get on some obscure channel like CSTV.

Missouri doesn't open the home season until next weekend, so I can't tell you what's happening with the fans.

Brad Lyons: Graham,

Thanks for your work. You give the most complete coverage of Mizzou athletics in St. Louis. Keep it up.

It's a moot point now that Tony Temple has declared for the draft, but I'm curious about the extra year of eligibility he contemplated requesting from the NCAA. It seemed unlikely he would get that year back even though he'd played only a fraction of a game in one season. Yet somebody like Jason White at Oklahoma got what was I believe an extra year of eligibility. What are the criteria the NCAA uses to make these calls? And why does it seem that players at big schools get those breaks while others don't? Is it just that we don't notice the smaller schools getting those breaks?

Thanks,
Brad

Vahe Gregorian: I think it's circumstantial. I believe White's injury occurred before the NCAA deadline (first 30 percent of the season) and Temple's did not. That was the problem. Temple didn't need to play in that game. It was a conscious choice by the coaching staff to suspend a player. Still, they could have stuck with Marcus Woods and Brad Smith, which they pretty much did anyway. Temple only had like six carries. It was just a bad decision by Pinkel.

But, and let's play a little devil's advocate here, who's to say that Temple doesn't leave after this season anyway considering the way the Cotton Bowl ended. That's a pretty high note and a tough one to replicate. Temple might not have been hotter than he is right now.

I hope you're not implying that Missouri is a "smaller" school. I think smaller school such as, I don't know, the Marshall's of the world, get breaks too. We just don;t hear about them because they're, well, Marshall.

John: When is the last time Darryl Butterfield cut his hair?

Vahe Gregorian: I think he told me last season that he hadn't cut it since like early high school.

Al In Virginia: Graham:

Based upon our BB team's performance this year, have we had any defections of the 2008-2009 recruits that have made oral commitments? Also, is there any news on the Cousins recruit based upon the Sampson fall out?

Vahe Gregorian: Well, there were no oral commitments for that class yet, so no.

And Anderson went and saw Cousins last night/today. I guess we'll see how good Anderson's powers of persuasion are.

buddy1999: Hey Graham,

I am all bad basketball teamed out, can you tell me alittle bit about the baseball team, ie anyone getting drafted high, any big time players, what to look for this year, that would be great.

Thanks
Buddy1999

Vahe Gregorian: Ah, baseball...

I just want to point out that Kyle Gibson might be the best pitcher on the team. I think Aaron Crow is awesome, but Kyle Gibson is flat out dominant. He even looks dominant. Yeah, he;s like 75 pounds, but he's like 6-foot-5. I was trying to talk to him the other day, and he just towers over me (I am like 5-3, though. Even Chase Daniel towers over me). Imagine trying to track that release point as a hitter.

Crow, obviously, will be a high draft pick this year. I think Priday and Lollis could improve their draft status with strong seasons, especially Priday, who I think is one of the best pure power hitters in the Big 12.

This team probably has the best pitching staff in the conference and maybe the country. If it doesn't go to Omaha, it will be a HUGE disappointment.

John: Ok, a serious question this time...What do experts think of the Helicopter's combine performance and do you think that nickname will stick in the NFL?

Vahe Gregorian: I don't actually know that anyone called him Helicopter in college? I think that was a Vashon basketball nickname. I think the nickname he earns in the NFL this year is, "Rook".

I think his combine performance did a lot to help his draft status. He answered all the questions that scouts had and then some. He'll probably still be a third or fourth-round pick, but I think he'll make some team very happy.

mcangus52: Followup (sort of) Does Coach Anderson realize that most people want to give him the benefit of the doubt, yet head scratching moves like Volkus sitting while Butterfield plays are not helping his cause. Fans don't understand it and how can they when even you don't. I realize he does not have to justify his moves to us, but he needs the fans on his side.

Since that was mostly commentary, how about this; Can Lyons play the rest of the year and next like he has shown he can or will he still be up and down? Has a light gone on in his head?

Vahe Gregorian: I think you hit the nail on the head, he does not need to justify his moves to us. What's funny is we (the media) sit up in our perch and cast judgment down on his lineup moves all the time. When really, there's not a basketball coach in the bunch. None of us played college basketball. Only one of us plays it regularly. I don't know Missouri's personnel like CMA does. None of us do. I don;t know if there's something about Butterfield that matches up better against certain teams. Or if Volkus, who did suffer a hip pointer a couple weeks ago, hurts the team in some way by being on the court. I know Volkus isn't quick, that's why he fouls a lot. I do think he's aggressive, he tries and he has a nice spot-up jumper. Butterfield, well, he's aggressive and he;s the best at taking charges on the team. That's what I know from watching and talking with these guys. I don;t scout the opposing team, so I don't know how that matches up.

As for Lyons, from what I've seen this year, from what I know about him and his personality, he will continue to be up and down. I hate to say it, but he has shown me nothing this year to make me think otherwise. If he puts two strong games together, then I'll start believing. But to me, this is just another Maryland or Purdue or Colorado. Amazing one night, disappearing act the next.

Mike: Why was Horton on Eaton the other night in the closing seconds? Even if Horton stayed in front of him Eaton wouldn't have much trouble getting his shot over him. Where was the help defense? Why wasn't someone with a longer reach (Tiller, in particular) on Eaton?

Vahe Gregorian: I know everyone hates to hear this, but Horton is the best on-ball defender Missouri has. He played Eaton about as well as anyone could and Eaton made a heck of a shot. Eaton even jumped into Horton, and tried to get the foul. I don't think you fault Horton for that one.

Truman: Will Derrick Washington be the starting running back next year? And did Earl Goldsmith move to receiver? Finally, what is the story with Andy Maples, the big-time JUCO recruit from last year? Is he ever going to make an impact on the D-Line?

Vahe Gregorian: Derrick Washington will have to win the starting running back spot in the spring, and I'm not sure I see that happening. Jimmy Jackson ran hard last season and while he might not be as talented as Washington, I think he possesses some intangibles that Washington hadn't developed as of the end of last year (blocking, reading defenses, etc.). All that will come with age and experience. I honestly think Jackson is the starter at least in the beginning.

I don't know about Goldsmith moving to receiver. He does have the best hands of all the running backs, but I really don't know.

Andy Maples would have to improve a whole heck of a lot during the spring and the offseason to see consistent playing time on the line. I think he'll be like Charles Gaines. He'll see some time, but not enough to make you sit up and notice. Thats what I see now, who knows what can happen after a summer of intense conditioning.

Graham Watson: OK. Thanks for stopping by. Again, sorry I was late. Talk to ya'll next week.