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Tate: Braggin' Rights loses some luster

The toughest basketball ticket in St. Louis — the annual pre-Christmas Braggin’ Rights shootout — may not be so difficult this year.

Missourians, who trailed off in support last season, are looking askance at it. They fear a whoopin’, and they’ve become football-oriented with coach Gary Pinkel producing 12-2 and 11-3 seasons in the SEC.

The Tigers have had five head basketball coaches and two interim fill-ins in the last 10 years, and Kim Anderson got off to a shaky 9-23 start last season. That’s the fewest wins since before Norm Stewart took charge in 1967-68.

Recruiting of high school talent slipped recently due to an emphasis on transfers.