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Let's go dancing this year.

The mental strength of a team comprised of this many freshmen is just amazing!

Notes from Fred's Thursday press conference: Gary will not play Monday - no timetable on when he will be allowed to return Everyone battling injuries is day to day Mast practiced a little bit yesterday, non-contact drill, responded well, today is off day Allick the same Lloyd the same Tominaga out of the boot and walking well – was sore the next day after Doane, but responded well – will have him move around tomorrow Keita – no running or jumping, in the next week or so we’ll test the ankle 4 guys sick with strep throat – most are doing well, expect 3 of them to practice tomorrow Hope we get all of these injuries out of the way early Next man up mentality Rice & Jacobson got chances to take advantage of their minutes v Doane, Sam played great in first chance to start Hopefully we’ll continue to get guys back on the floor by Monday Sam – I saw nerves last year when he first realized he was going to be needed, but he then responded and continued to gain confidence, shot 40+% from 3-pt, great defensive plays – always know what he’s going to give us – he impacts winning with the way he plays defense – has worked hard in offseason on offensive end, hunting shots and finishing Lindenwood shoots it very well – added some athletic players – we have film from one of their scrimmages – they play hard, good size – good test for us – as we get healthy we need to make sure we do a great job on the glass vs them – must limit catch and shoot 3s – we’ll play with great effort & preparation We just have to trust the medical staff regarding when it’s the right time to bring guys back to avoid lingering injuries into the season – our medical staff is on top of it – but sometimes you have to push the guys through some things to see where they’re at health wise – just have to trust the process and ramp things up at the right time Still had a competitive hard practice yesterday without having a lot of bodies available – we’ll practice hard tomorrow and then back off slowly going into Monday Tominaga is still sore with a bit of swelling, but was walking without a limp – we will protect him & be smart with him – he actually does have a history with some ankle sprains I found out later, so that may help him recover faster and know what he can do Really want to get off to a fast start in the season and show our toughness – set the tone – even when the ball doesn’t go in the hoop, playing hard and tough can generate offense with deflections – we’ll show great fight every time we play and the fans will appreciate it We’ve been practicing so long already – going since June with the foreign trip – far different than how long you could practice in the past in the preseason – our guys are sick of going vs each other – games vs Utah & Doane are very helpful for finding things to work on – I think we’ll continue to grow as more guys return to health Trying to find combinations might be easier this year because of everything we dealt with last year with injuries and vastly different combos last year – guys had to be ready to go and realize that their roles may change from the start of the season to the end We are really focusing on culture & chemistry – they saw how it worked last year and they want to build on it – that will help us play hard for all 40 minutes and have a consistent year and hopefully make the postseason – need to sustain the better parts of last season for the entire year Can’t say enough how much I enjoy going to work with this group every day – the care for each other genuinely – so important in building chemistry when games are under stressful times Excited about 19 home games – excited about the experience of this team, because it’s easier to get through tough times – appreciate their approach Right now we’re not planning on redshirting anyone but we’ll see There’s no common denominator to these injuries, Mast was an attack off the floor, Allick just landed awkwardly contesting a shot, Lloyd got hurt diving on the floor for a ball, Keisei just twisted an ankle – they’ve all been a little different

Lol...if we are counting on my memory, we are in deep trouble. That said, I did remember that specific article.

Geez, what did Juwan Gary do? Murder a teammate, bury his body in a gravel pit, be deemed incompetent to stand trial, which eventually lead to further investigation unveiling improper payments to players, drug use, recruiting violations?

I've listened to the Nick Bahe one - was super encouraged by his comments regarding seeing practice. In summary, he basically said he's been all around the country watching practices in preparation for games - and Hoiberg and staff are running as good of a practice as anyone else is. Super organized, high energy and intensity, everyone is engaged and all business. Said our practices are tough, physical, competitive, etc... That's good to hear. He also touched on the fact that he believes Hoiberg and co. have made a massive shift in culture and essentially last year was year one for the program, in a way. And it's clear the culture has carried over and is the main emphasis. Just being honest.... everyone is so worried about our "point guard." That, to me, just seems like something for the sports media people to talk about. What even is a point guard anymore? Do they mean they're worried we don't have a lead guard who can create and score? I mean it's not 1992 anymore, no one walks the ball up the court holding a "1" up on their hand while dribbling stationary at half court and executes a set. It's no longer the situation where a "point guard" is this coach-on-the-floor guy with a buzz cut and doesn't shoot, but distributes the ball and whatnot. Are they saying they're worried we don't have a lead, ball-screen manipulator? Are they saying we don't have a "get an outlet and fly down the court for a lay-up" guy? I'm just not sure what everyone is envisioning we need. Hoiberg's offense is a motion-based, 5-out, interchangeable offense that is more predicated on off-ball movement, and reading screens. It's not a dribble drive, spread 'em out, set one ball screen and see who can create, type of offense. What we're going to see is basically Mast stepping in the Walker role, distributing around the elbow/top of key into split and zoom actions.

Shavon Shields came in here unranked as a recruit and stepped right into the starting lineup. Granted, wasn't much of a starting lineup. But he was legit 4-star talent who totally snuck under the radar.