The Matt Painter scenario that played out last week for Mizzou and Purdue has many sides. Last week I wrote about how good coaches these days are looking for more than a mere cash grab. They are looking at overall fit and commitment from a program beyond being competitive.

Frank Haith left Miami for such a reason. Miami has great natural recruiting right in the area and throughout the state. But the program has no commitment from the athletic department or the fanbase. Haith left in a heartbeat for Missouri. Yes, he got a raise, but he also knew that Mizzou cares about their basketball.

Missouri, though, has not had wide acclaim for the hire. Not from the media. Not from the fans. For the most part, the reaction has been surprise and disappointment from fans. At best it has been a “meh” reaction, and trying to find the possible good.

That’s where the fallacy of aiming high in a coaching search comes into play.

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A few key points from Graham’s post-practice interview quotes:

“We did a lot of situational stuff today. We did our overtime situations – third overtime down by eight. We did our first overtime down by seven. We did what we call our landmarks – the ball is in our end, on the 42-yard line going in to score and the offense was pretty productive, they were able to get points every time they had the ball.

In what might worry some given Sunseri’s propensity to hold the ball too long last season Graham talks about what he wants in the rhythm of the offense after the snap: Holding the football is not in our offense. Our offense is one-two-three ball out. We need to get them out of that, and that has caused some sacks especially in Tuesday’s practice.

We are all very concerned about our defensive backfield and especially our corners who got beaten more often than we liked last season.  Graham addresses them but honestly, I can’t get a feel on what he really thinks they have been doing in practice:

“I would say K’Waun Williams is the most solid. Buddy Jackson is right up with him there. Looking at last year’s film, Reed, he’s very steady and dependable. There is no substitute for experience. We’re going to play a certain dime package with five or six corners. I see the dime package with all three of the corners and Andrew Taglianetti out there on the field. I like the group that we have. We want more than three corners because we’re going to need more than three. Right now I feel really good about those guys there.

The only real news that came out of practice yesterday is that the players are finally getting frustrated enough to start swinging at each other.  Zeise reports Ezell and Gibbs got into it at one point.  That would have been interesting to watch – they are both big boys; Godzilla vs. Haystacks Calhoun.  And Ifill and Cam Saddler got into another.

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