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Embrace The Shame, Part I: "Oh, Yeah. I Forgot About Jeff Jordan"

Part one of our four-part series, where we look those Mizzou losses right in the face.

By Jack Cassidy
Joe Robbins

MISSOURI 81, ILLINOIS 68

Dec. 23, 2009

Score with 6:00 remaining: 65-59, Tigers

This game came and went with a whimper and some pity, just like every bit of the 2009-10 season that hosted it. The actual events of the game are lost to history, at least to me. The Mizzou game marks the highlight of my schedule every year, and I still can't remember this one.

Maybe it's because we were 8-3 heading into this loss, with defeats at hands of big muscled powerhouses like UTAH, BRADLEY, AND GEORGIA.

Or, maybe it's due to the recruiting class we had to look forward to, because the human memory has a funny way of taking the present facts and skewing the past. I remember being excited about the three studs we had coming in. I recall talking about them anywhere and everywhere, and everyone else was chatting on the topic too. They were the ones to turn it around.

"JEREME RICHMOND might be a one-and-done next year."

"He's strong, athletic...have you seen the highlight tapes. Go look them up. MEYERS LEONARD is the big man we've been waiting for."

"Yeah, man. CRANDALL HEAD. It's Luther's little brother."

One of those players showed extreme talent his freshman year, then was unofficially shown the door. Another one showed extreme talent his sophomore year, then left when his coach was shown the door. And the final player couldn't shoot jump shots. He showed himself the door.

Sometimes I forget the struggle that Illinois is. Here's the roster, per the Fighting Illini official website.

2 Joseph Bertrand 6-5 185 Guard FR Sterling, Ill. Sterling
30 Bill Cole 6-9 215 Forward JR Peoria, Ill. Richwoods
24 Mike Davis 6-9 220 Forward JR Alexandria, Va. T.C. Williams
42 Tyler Griffey 6-9 225 Forward FR Wildwood, Mo. Lafayette
32 Demetri McCamey 6-3 200 Guard JR Bellwood, Ill. St. Joseph
3 Brandon Paul 6-4 195 Guard FR Gurnee, Ill. Warren
1 D.J. Richardson 6-3 185 Guard FR Peoria, Ill. Central
54 Mike Tisdale 7-1 235 Center JR Riverton, Ill. Riverton

More than eight men comprised the roster that year, so let's go through the four omissions. These guys I tragically remember:

JEFF JORDAN - The son of the greatest basketball player to ever live, the player who everybody stopped and gawked at as he jumped through the roof in pregame dunk contests, the player who got everyone's hopes up because he's Michael's offspring, and the player who just stood on the floor and didn't do much .

STAN SIMPSON - On several occasions, I saw Stan at Joe's the night before a game, grinding in the smoky dance floor and drinking heavily. (There will be future posts on this).

ALEX LEGION - Like a Christmas morning lump of coal but with less utility, so, really just a dirt clod.

DOMINIQUE KELLER - (shown below)

Gif-trainwreck-runawaycar_medium

Strangely enough, this season actually had it's moments, despite the makeup of the roster and the lackluster seasons from the top guys. But the moments came later. They came right before crushing setbacks and right after annoying setbacks, one of which being this Mizzou game. My memory may have done me a solid on this one.

Part Two tonight.