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OTC: Haith Says MU's Cool Leads To UGAly Loss / Does Wiggins Care? / Barnett On Petrino
Posted on January 9, 2014 by Greg Hall
"The guys will tell you, the word I hate, I hate 'cool.' We were really too cool, and I don't like cool. Cool will get you beat, and cool got us beat tonight."
Frank Haith, after his Missouri Tigers lost to unranked Georgia 70-64 in OT at Mizzou Arena, Columbia Tribune
GH: This quote deserves top billing. Missouri could not have looked worse Wednesday night losing to the 226th RPI team and breaking their home-win streak. The loss to 6-6 Georgia basically stripping all of the excitement out of Mizzou's 12-1 start. Haith's comment doesn't make excuses, rather it points a finger at his players' mental state. Read on.
"I really sensed it during the week preparing. In the locker room before the game, we talked about it and I said 'guys I don't think you understand how hard it is to win basketball games.' We didn't have the right look about us. Hopefully we can learn from it. The toughness thing is something that's hard for a coach to accept. You've have to compete and that's hard for me. We didn't compete."
Frank Haith, in his postgame comments distributed by MU's SID
GH: You will almost NEVER hear a coach cop to his team not competing – because it is the coach's job to make sure his team is prepared and plays hard. Haith has not been my favorite hire at MU but I like how he has responded to his Tigers' lethargic loss to a woeful Georgia team.
"No way to spin this one folks. Really, really bad loss for #Mizzou. Mizzou now replaces either Gardner-Webb, Lipscomb or Western Carolina as the biggest win for #UGA."
Gabe DeArmond, @GabeDeArmond, of PowerMizzou.com, Twitter
"Tigers looked unfocused and uninterested tonight. They seemed surprised that Georgia actually came to play. Terrible loss…"
Kurtis Seaboldt, @KSeaboldt, Twitter
GH: It will be interesting to see how MU reacts to this loss. Oklahoma State lost to lowly West Virginia early in the football season but was able to regroup and almost win the Big 12. Can Haith get his team to rebound?
"Can't really expect to win a tough game when the fans sit on their hands for the first 38 minutes."
The Antlers, @The_Antlers, Twitter
GH: I don't know which Antler is in charge of their Twitter account but they might want to hand it over to someone not majoring in excuses. This loss had nothing to do with the support from the MU crowd. The fact anyone in the arena was still awake for the second half is a minor miracle.
"You can't just show up. The 6 letters on your chest mean something! Teams aren't going to lay down.. You have to BEAT them."
Kim English, @Englishscope24, former Mizzou player, Twitter
"Think the six letters @Englishscope24 I'd talking about are Missouri. Wait, that's eight …"
Michael DeCourcy, @tsnmike, Twitter
"Do people really think I didn't know he meant Mizzou?"
GH: I don't know if DeCourcy was trying to cover for his naïve response or actually was trying to be funny. Either way he came off to me as lame.
"Incredible picture of Mark Fox crying on the bench. Just buried his dad, who was a coach. Beautiful."
Seth Davis, @SethDavisHoops, Twitter
GH: ESPN chose to focus their camera shot for an extended number of seconds on the Georgia head coach covering his face with his hands while sobbing so hard his shoulders rose and fell with grief over his father's recent death. Davis refers to it as "beautiful." I found it an invasion of the man's privacy in a very, very private moment. Fox obviously could not help himself and the tears flowed. He tried valiantly to cover his face and hide his emotions. ESPN chose not to capitalize on his humanness. I found it wrong to stay with the shot as long as they did.
"Lost my father far too long ago, I can recall the fog of the days after. Happy is hard to find. Hope tonight brought some."
Scott Van Pelt, @notthefakeSVP, ESPN SportsCenter anchor, in a tweet to Mark Fox, Twitter
GH: This was a classy tweet from SVP. Anyone who has buried a parent knows how emotional the days and weeks following the funeral can be.
"I grew up in the state of Kansas, and as a child, it was all about Big Eight basketball. … To win at an old Big Eight school less than a week after my father passed is really special for me. I was really proud of my team. We beat a very good team, and it's a terrific win for us to start SEC play."
Mark Fox, a Garden City, Kansas native, Columbia Daily Tribune
GH: To add even more pain atop MU's loss, it came at the hands of a Kansas kid.
"I don't think (Andrew Wiggins) cares about winning. Maybe that's too strong a statement. I don't think he cares enough about winning."
Soren Petro, on the much-heralded KU freshman's mediocre start to his college career, 810 AM
GH: Wiggins reeks of AAU ball to me. He appears to be extremely athletic but he doesn't play the game with a lot of savvy or motor. He has that look about him on the court as if he wouldn't mind sitting out the next pick-up game because he needs a Gatorade.
"Sometimes I feel like Andrew Wiggins has a little bit of that. He almost looks like he's 'too cool.' You don't see him diving across the floor for loose balls like Wayne Selden did last night. … There just seems to be a kind of nonchalance about the way (Wiggins) plays."
Nate Bukaty, referring to Frank Haith's comment that "cool gets you beat," 810 AM
"(Andrew Wiggins) has so much potential but I don't think it will be reached while he's in college. I thought we would see some flashes of brilliance from him as we have, but a lot of times he just blends in with the team."
Eric Prisbell, college basketball writer for USA Today, 810 AM
"Wiggins didn't give (Oklahoma) a chance to foul. He just threw that ball up for grabs. A great play by Oklahoma and a weak play by Andrew Wiggins. Just let them foul you! There's no rush to get rid of it."
Jay Bilas, as Wiggins turned the ball over on a wild pass after being trapped by two OU defenders in front of the KU bench late in the game, ESPN
GH: This was just a really low basketball-IQ play. One you don't expect even from a college freshman.
"Are we going to put some of this blame at the feet at Bill Self? Is he failing with the nation's number-one recruit? Or is Wiggins just a case study in how difficult (ranking high school prospects) is?"
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: Is Wiggins wildly overrated or is Self failing to make him the great player he is supposed to be? I think Wiggins is overrated. He may have fit better on the cover of SI with Xavier Henry and Ben McLemore.
"I'm not smart enough to figure it all out but I know the problem is not Bill Self."
Kevin Kietzman, on Kansas not playing up to their expectations so far this season, 810 AM
"I'm not sure you can get that wide open in a game. You don't get that open in a HORSE game."
Jay Bilas, on KU's Connor Frankamp being left all alone to drill a three-point shot late in the first half at Oklahma, ESPN
"You know how I feel about that three-point shot. I wish it would go away. And that's my get-off-my-lawn moment."
GH: The three-point line has been in wide effect in NCAA play since 1986. How old is Fescoe, 36? 40? I don't think Bulldog ever played the game without a three-point arc.
"I don't know how a guy like Bobby Petrino is anything but a criminal."
Gary Barnett, former college football coach and current TV analyst, in an interview Thursday morning with Nate Bukaty and Steven St. John, 810 AM
GH: Barnett was responding to a question from SSJ asking his take on Louisville rehiring Petrino, despite the coach's obvious lack of character. This was a strong opening sentence by Barnett, despite saying he didn't want to say anything that would get him on CNN. Read on.
"What (Petrino) did to Louisville the first time, what he did to the (Atlanta) Falcons, what he did to Arkansas – and he continues to get jobs? Where have we gone in this country in college football to where guys like that continue to get chances? I just think it makes a big statement that college football at least at Louisville and I guess at most places, is about one single thing and nothing else matters."
Gary Barnett, 810 AM
"We put guys like that in jail generally. And he gets another chance. I know I don't know all the circumstances but from the outside I'm very critical about it. … I think you just make a big statement about yourself and you just have to wear those clothes."
GH: Barnett doesn't usually make hash and critical comments about college coaches or teams in his light-hearted weekly conversations with the Border Patrol. But Petrino brought out some venom in him. Was it because of a past incident he had with Petrino? How well does he personally know Petrino? Is his view skewed because he has been passed over for coaching jobs while a guy like Petrino gets yet another chance? I waited for SSJ and Nate to delve into this fertile opening Barnett had just dug. It was not to be. Read on.
"Finally coach, what do you think of the hiring of Charlie Strong at Texas?"
Nate Bukaty, in his follow-up question to Barnett immediately after the former Colorado coach scorched the Petrino hiring, 810 AM
GH: Are you kidding me, Nate? Put down your list of prepared questions and listen to your guest's answers! Just an awful missed opportunity by two guys who should know better.
"He brought it pretty strong about Bobby Petrino, didn't he?"
Nate Bukaty, after Barnett was off the air, 810 AM
GH: Wow. Just wow.
and Twitter @greghall24
34 Responses to OTC: Haith Says MU's Cool Leads To UGAly Loss / Does Wiggins Care? / Barnett On Petrino
Greg, nothing about KK's verbal spanking of Jack Harry yesterday? It was hard to listen to.
Paul you peaked my curiousity so I just listened to the podcast. Those 2 are the biggest d-bags in KC media, but wow, was that entertaining radio!
Greg Hall says:
Just couldn't fit it in today. Should have room for it on Friday.
Doug Tucker says:
Looking forward to that, Greg!
Biff says:
Why do people listen to KK and jack. It is an act they put on and is worn out. Try music its better.
Jeff Gelski says:
Watching that Mizzou game was about as enjoyable as being stuck in one-lane traffic on I-35. Congratulations to the Georgia Bulldogs. They deserved to win. Justice prevailed.
Uglier than a Chris Christie lane-closing on the Jersey turnpike.
Bob Sacamano says:
I thought Jack was the one giving out the spanking when he told KK something like "Kevin, you get confused with the truth.' Next thing you know, they are off to a commercial.
"I think Wiggins is overrated. He may have fit better on the cover of SI with Xavier Henry and Ben McLemore."
I'm not sure what this means, Greg. I understand what you mean about thinking Wiggins is overrated, but what are you saying about being on the cover with Henry and McLemore? No sarcasm. I really don't get it. Something about one-and-done freshmen in the Bill Self era?
Phaedrus says:
Guessing that Greg means Wiggins is more like Henry/McLemore (overhyped one-and- done….Greg should have used Selby instead of McLemore) than Wilt/Manning.
Johnny Utah says:
This is dumb, GHall. McLemore had a great year, 2nd team all america and all big 12. Shot over 50% and scored 16+ per game. Sure, it helped he was at KU 2 years instead of one.
Phaedrus, that was my thought (Selby instead of McLemore). I just don't see how he can say that McLemore's one year was any kind of a disappointment. And while Henry didn't have the year any KU fan hoped he would have and I have to admit he was overhyped as far as the differential between "hype vs. performance" for that one year, I don't even think Henry had that bad a year. But Selby was a huge disappointment and could have done himself so much good by sticking around for one more year.
G, I place Wiggins' talents closer to X and McL than I do Wilt and Danny.
And Wiggins is a far cry from the freshman Big 12 seasons of Durant/Beasley.
Nobody will ever accuse Nate of being a great journalist or talk show host. The guys at 810 are so scripted anymore, there are so many questions that could have been asked about Petrino, but he had to get in the Strong to Texas. All the listeners were waiting for that answer, not a "conversation" about a controversial coaching hire.
BTW, is it just me or does SSJ and Nate sound like they don't sound off on each other before questioning guests. Each one has his own template and the two rarely intersect.
The Independent Rage says:
I laughed this morning at Barnett's references to Petrino as a criminal who should be in the can. But I also thought at the same time that while Petrino may be a lot of things, I'm not sure where the "criminal" references are coming from. Those statements begged for follow-up questions as to what Barnett meant, but the Border Patrol totally dropped the ball. The plaintiffs in the Chiefs head injury lawsuits should hope for Bukaty and St. John to conduct their depositions.
On another note. . ."But Petrino brought out some venom in him. Was it because of a past incident he had with Petrino? How well does he personally know Petrino? Is his view skewed because he has been passed over for coaching jobs while a guy like Petrino gets yet another chance?"
Um, maybe it's because Petrino is a scumbag and has pretty much demonstrated that at both Atlanta and Arkansas, as Barnett points out?
Who says his view is "skewed?" anyway? Greg, you're always calling out guys for not taking positions that might offend someone (look at every comment you have ever made about Herm Edwards if you need a refresher on that) and now you have Barnett calling out Petrino for pretty specific instances of egregious conduct and making his views crystal clear and you call his views "skewed?" What the hell?
Greg, didn't you hear the story Barnett said in that interview this morning about getting on a plane thinking he's the next coach at Texas, then getting a call saying don't come down, then hearing the next day that Mack Brown was hired? Barnett doesn't sound like a bitter ex coach in my opinion; he just shares the same opinion that I think most people do of Petrino.
My point remains those questions should have been asked. Maybe it's just because Barnett thinks Petrino is a scumbag — ask him. I love that Barnett was taking a strong position. The radio hosts should have used his passion to allow him to get more specific.
One last point, we can forget about Gary Barnett appearing on TJ Carpenter's show anytime soon. Petrino is TJ's favorite coach, and he was probably crying when he heard Barnett's assessment of his hero.
MightyMo says:
My 13 year old is taking his lumps this year. Royals falter down the stretch, Mizzou loses another national title play in game, Chiefs/Indy, and now Mizzou basketball may be ready for an 18-11 NIT season. Sorry, son, but I warned you.
So you honestly think Missouri is only going to win 6 games in the SEC? I recall them losing their conference opener the year Carrol and Lyons were seniors to a lowly Nebraska team and they went on to win, what, 13 or 14 conference games? The season isn't over.
The semi Wiggins bashing by many in the media…and fans…is very odd. I don't get it.
The kid's amazingly talented. He's been pretty good so far and has shown flashes of being really good. Maybe he doesn't fully soar until the NBA, but I'm glad Kansas is the school that gets to watch him try out his wings. I'm guessing he'll have some special games in Crimson and Blue.
Oh by the way, KU got a big win on the road to start B12 play in a game many thought they would lose. Also, this God Awful freshman leads the team in scoring. After Soren went to a commercial at 10:24 this morning I thought to my self, that was seriously one of the most pointless rants I have ever heard. He literally sounded like he was trying to get a point across, but had no clue how to do it. Bad radio Soren. Very bad.
Petro would never let the facts and the outcomes get in the way of a chance to go on a long-winder rant would he?
Calm down. Soren is a beaker-lover. He'll be back tomorrow with glossy uplifting beaker talk radio for you tomorrow.
I could care less if he rips on them. Just have a point. He almost sounded like he was having a seizure on the air. Hopping from one thing to the next aimlessly.
I like Petro but for a week he has been saying Self sucks at coaching.,Selden and Wiggins suck. Perry Ellis sucks and has no shot. Tharpe sucks etc. Not sure what he is trying to say anymore. He makes no sense.
Good to see coach Haith has my Tigers tournament ready this early in the year.
I'm very "cool" with both him and the basketball program in general right now.
This is what happens when you build a team out of malcontents from other programs. Guys who are quick to leave a difficult situation instead of nutting up and working through it. What you get is a team of gutless wimps who won't work together for the greater good. I'm not impressed.
kylerohde says:
I'm not sure what I think is going on with Wiggins either. The talent is not in question. But I just am not sure if it's indifference, as Greg and Petro both seem to think, or the kid just struggling with expectations and the desire to not be a ballhog/showboat/selfish player. Just as it sounds like Wayne Selden has struggled until finally breaking out yesterday with a great game. Ben McLemore and Xavier Henry both struggled with this too, and Wiggins' play seems so similar to them that I think it may just be a desire to fit in. It's interesting that Self hasn't yet had a true superstar freshman player yet, like the
Unfortunately, KU needs Wiggins to be the star, to be a Durant-type player. Those guys are so rare, and I bet if Wiggins stayed for another year, he'd get there. But because of how the system works now, he'll go to the NBA when he's not remotely ready and struggle badly for a while. At this point, he's not even as ready as McLemore was last year; at least McLemore had a consistent outside shot. I hate that we expect freshmen to be superstars instead of remembering they're freshmen and imagining how great they'll be in a year or two.
As far as the 3 point line going away, Bobby Knight has said for years that it's the worst thing that ever happened to basketball. I know he's a crotchety old man too, but I agree with that sentiment frequently when I see teams shoot nothing but 3′s or forced plays inside. The mid-range game just seems to disappear frequently and that's a shame. Players need to look back at Michael Jordan's game the 2nd half of his career, as well as Kobe. Jordan made an absolute killing on 15-18 foot scoring with the fadeaway, an unstoppable move that Kobe smartly copied.
Ride with the Devil says:
As a Mizzou fan….this team and coach sucks ass. Could care less. Let there be no question why there are no fans at these games, basketball is a bore and with shitty efforts like this emphasizes why the team is unworthy of support.
Most SEC school talk about football/ recruiting year around. With all the success MU had this year they have now dropped to the #13 ranked recruiting class in the SEC. Must suck for MU fans. Recruiting is going down the drain at MU.
BT says:
A Border Patrol guest could suggest something crazy like that Bill Self coach the Chiefs or Andy Reid should draft a pregnant woman to play left tackle and none of those dudes would ask a follow up question.
This is what I think of when they talk to their guests….the radio interview scene from Wayne's World 2.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8aXqgoiVb8E&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8aXqgoiVb8E
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