By the end of next week, Missouri will make the turn into the final leg of the regular season, and the Tigers remain, to a degree, an enigma.
The halcyon days of a six-game winning streak during a perfect December have cooled with a 1-4 start to SEC play. After a turnover-filled loss at Arkansas on Tuesday, any optimism that tinged forecasts for the Tigers have given way to a more sober brand of analysis: How hard of a reset will coach Cuonzo Martin’s program endure in his second season?
We’ve been guilty of being overly anxious after a close call against Kennesaw State and chatting — too soon — about sneaking on to the bubble after ending a five-game losing streak to Illinois.