Read the full transcript of Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff's sports chat (2024)

Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Transcript

Eli Hoff:Morning all, and happy Thursday. We're soundly in the offseason now, with all Mizzou games for the year done. I'll start things off today by plugging the story that ran in today's Post-Dispatch because it's an interesting one: Some of the big Mizzou athletics names are eyeing MO's Fortune 500 companies as potential sources of endorsem*nt deals. This seems like something to watch as the Laird Veatch era begins.

senior scramble:What is your take on the Women basketball players coming to Mizzou. To me it pretty impressive for a lame duck coach. I read were Gates, Drink every now and then report things to the media but I haven't seen one thing coach P has said since her season was over. Have you got to talk with her at all. Thanks for the chat.

Hoff:I wrote last week about the transfers that Mizzou women's basketball has added, for anyone who hasn't seen. It seems like a solid class — the positions of need are addressed, anyway. And yes, it's pretty impessive given what's out there about Robin Pingeton's future. I think it might be a little different recruiting transfers than it is high school players, though. You can sell transfers on "one season and then who knows" a lot more easily than, say, a high school senior.

Pingeton hasn't been available to the media since the season ended. Most other head coaches have talked to reporters at the Come Home Tour caravan stops. I wasn't at every single one of those events, but she wasn't part of the programming at the ones I did stop by. Maybe that's her not really wanting to do it. Maybe that's Mizzou not really wanting her to. Can you blame either party for feeling that way?

bigron:Good morning Eli, is the mens Bball team now set with no new players to arrive?

Hoff:I would think so. Any transfer additions at this point would be a surprise and quite late in the game. I'm sure Dennis Gates is keeping an eye on things, but he got the positions he was looking to fill filled. There's a lot of EYBL prep circuit stuff happening now, so I imagine he's doing a lot of recruiting stuff now. And summer practices aren't too far away either.

John Caran:I saw a preseason poll (yesterday) on CBS Sports online that had our football team at #7 in the SEC. That seems quite different than the preseason polls. Those have us around #7 nationally. Where do see us as things currently sit?

Hoff:I agree that Mizzou is more fitting at No. 7 in the nation than No. 7 in the SEC. I think you've got to have Georgia, Texas and Alabama quite high up in any rankings — SEC or national. Ole Miss has a lot of buzz, too. Then Mizzou comes next, I think, in leading a tier with LSU and Tennessee of programs with a lot of talent but some questions. That's my quick-fire thought — I'll have a better idea as the season gets closer.

If I'm seeing the same piece you read yesterday over at CBS, it looks like Mizzou has the 7th bestoddsat winning the SEC. I don't bet on sports, but maybe that's good value then?

John Caran:Yes, odds. I didn't fully explain the listing. Still, I see that as their version of us as 7th best in the league. The depth of the SEC is unlike any other conference. It's the deep end of the pool.

Hoff:It's definitely someone (the Vegas Powers That Be, perhaps?) tabbing Mizzou as 7th. Especially with Texas and Oklahoma involved, I think you could see half (ie, 7-8) of the top 15 teams in the nation being SEC programs when it comes to preseason rankings.

Dave:Has Kaleb Brown found a new program yet, or is he still in the transfer portal?

Hoff:He looks to be in the portal still. He hasn't announced a new destination.

John Caran:Is Kaleb Brown a desirable asset in the portal?

Hoff:It depends what kind of program you are. I'd be surprised if he winds up with another high major team. A lot of guys in his position (back-end of the rotation at best when healthy) go down a step or two in search of playing time. Jesus Carralero Martin winding up at UTSA is a good example of that. That's about where I'd guess Kaleb Brown looks. And for a program at that level, they might view him as a legit option to crack the rotation.

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