COLUMBIA, Mo. –  As an end cap to a star-studded day of sports at Mizzou, Counzo Martin and his Tigers looked to get a third win on the day for Mizzou Athletics. 

Mizzou guard Jarron Coleman hit two free throws to open up scoring in the game, and Missouri quickly took a 6-0 lead. Mississippi State’s D.J. Jeffries made a deep 2-pointer to take the lid off the Bulldogs’ bucket three minutes into the game. 

The Tigers and Bulldogs traded blows throughout the first half, until the last seven minutes. The Tigers shots were not falling and the Bulldogs could not miss. It became so bad for the Tigers, that in the final four minutes of the half they went scoreless. Going into the break the Bulldogs led 31-23. Javon Pickett led all scorers with 10 points, shooting 57% from the field. 

Going into the final half of the game, the Tigers looked to erase the eight point first half lead the Bulldogs had. Mizzou’s offense seemed to click early in the second half, quickly cutting the lead down to two after a Jarron Coleman three. Minutes later, Kobe Brown backed down his defender and put through a reverse layup to take the lead. 

With about 8 minutes left in the game, Mizzou’s offense slowed and Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar took advantage of it, bringing the game within one at 49-48. With 3:41 left in the game, Mizzou’s Coleman made a crucial three to lead 54-51. Molinar drove into the lane and laid in an and-one bucket to take a 58-56 lead a couple minutes later and with 10 seconds left missed a free throw and gave the Tigers the chance at a game winning bucket. Pickett dribbled down the floor to the left side and found himself in the corner, he pumpfaked and his defender jumped, and Pickett took an open three and missed, providing another heartbreaking loss to the Mizzou faithful in the stands and at home. 

So now we ask, “when is enough, enough?” Sunday night was Mizzou’s fourth SEC loss by three or less points this season, and 17th loss of the season overall. The Tigers and head coach Counzo Martin have been undeniably disappointing this season. Martin, in his 5th year in Columbia, has two winning seasons under his belt, and one ranking in the NCAA top 25. 

So, when is enough, enough? Now is when enough is enough.

In Sunday night’s game Trevon Brazile was subbed out with eight minutes to go and never re-entered. Brazile stands as the tallest Tiger who plays regular minutes, and yet the coaching staff subs Brazile out for the final eight minutes of a down-to-the-wire game. 

This is not the only problem with the coaching decisions this season. Let’s look back at the matchup with No. 1 Auburn: Mizzou had a game plan that allowed them to hang in with Auburn and even have a chance to win, but the game plan fell short, looking as if the coaching staff was only ready for the first 39 minutes of the game and not the final minute. 

Another instance was Mizzou’s abysmal trip to Lawrence, Kansas for the first time in nine years. Most of today’s Mizzou students say they hate KU, but for many of them they were under the age of 14 the last time the two basketball teams played each other. In the 2021 matchup the Tigers came out of the gates flat, never adjusted and ran a stagnant offense and disappointing defense, losing the first game in nine years 102-65. That same stagnant offense has led the Tigers to only 10 wins on the year thus far. 

It’s truly simple for Mizzou Athletics and Men’s basketball, if they would like to have more fans at games and more success on the court, the answer is change, and change at every level: players, coaching, training, and management levels. Mizzou’s new Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois has the chance to make this change happen at the conclusion of this season. Mizzou fans want to see wins in Mizzou Arena, and in the current stage of Men’s basketball, it seems impossible.