Missouri

How one lineup reveals the fragility of Missouri’s short rotation

Published

5 months ago

February 18, 2026

How one lineup reveals the fragility of Missouri’s short rotation

At first, the substitution didn’t seem like a big deal.

Anthony Robinson II stood at the free-throw line, hoping to finish a four-point play after Texas’ Chendall Weaver fouled him on a clumsy closeout. Robinson’s step-back three had just nudged Missouri ahead by one with 1:35 left in the half, and Missouri coach Dennis Gates took the chance to swap T.O. Barrett for Jacob Crews.

On paper, the move made sense. With Robinson and Jayden Stone, Barrett gave the Tigers three ball handlers. Trent Pierce and Mark Mitchell stayed in to match Texas’ small-ball lineup with Nic Codie at center.

Yet the move only looked standard.

Instead, Gates had inserted a lineup with the smallest margin for error. Ninety-three seconds later, Missouri lost its lead. Tramon Mark used a high ball screen, turned the corner, and drew a foul. His three-point play put the Longhorns ahead for good in an 86-85 loss that pushed Mizzou back onto the bubble.

That sequence isn’t meant to blame that lineup alone. It’s a snapshot of a bigger problem. As the season has gone on and the rotation has gotten smaller, there aren’t many options left. That’s how some tough combinations end up playing during key moments.

That’s why Robinson, Barrett, and Stone matter in this discussion. They show what happens when MU is limited by its options. In about 71 minutes together, that trio has a minus-34 scoring margin and gives up almost 1.3 points per possession.

The problem gets worse when Pierce and Mitchell are in the front court. Opponents grab nearly 38 percent of their missed shots against this lineup, almost six percent worse than MU’s average in SEC play.

That lineup’s struggles are jarring given its members. Stone, Pierce, Robinson and Mitchell all have net ratings above 8.0 points per 100 possessions, per Synergy Sports data. In Bayesian Performance Ratings, Mitchell, Stone, Robinson and Pierce are all above 3.0, which is generally the cutoff for a starter at a high-major program.

While Robinson’s offensive struggles persist, he still grades out as an above-average defender. Barrett’s steadily improved to the point where, at worst, he can replace Robinson’s diminished production. Even if Stone’s not a secondary creator, he can leverage shooting 38.8 percent from deep during SEC play to attack closeouts.

EvanMiya’s projection system for lineups indicates this group should have a net rating of plus-24.84. That’s not elite, but it would be strong enough to justify Gates using it for five to seven minutes per game. Those minutes typically come toward the end of the first half or just before the close of the second half.

Instead, the inverse happens. Going to the tape helps uncover why, and it doesn’t require a fine-grained analysis.

Let’s start with turnovers. They’ve plagued the roster all season, but they’re particularly acute for this group, especially against pressure. Barrett owns a 35.7 percent turnover rate when teams roll out a press, while Robinson gives the ball away 16.7 percent of the time.

Remember how MU almost let Auburn rally from a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes? It was this group that initially caved in to that pressure. While the Tigers were mostly sound last week in College Station, this lineup had the loosest grip against Texas A&M.

An opponent doesn’t always cash in those giveaways, but leaking possessions helps explain why the group stalls at a break-even 100.0 offensive rating.

Now, this group is vulnerable in transition. Yet it’s not a matter of effort. Often, MU has sprinted back, but it still gives up paint touches. Against Auburn, for example, the culprit was shoddy closeouts.

In College Station, the wall MU built to stop a break was still porous enough that Zach Clemence reached the left block before dropping the ball off to Ali Dibba. This was also the group that allowed Thomas Haugh’s three-point play on a press break cut Missouri’s lead against Florida to 76-74.

Those woes compound when slip-ups unfold in the half-court on defense.

Point-of-attack defense bends too easily. Screen navigation breaks down. Off-ball rotations are sometimes too aggressive, but that’s partly by design. You can also see in the clip packet that Barrett aggressively rotates down against a drive at Texas A&M, leaving a shooter wide open in the slot.

So, here’s the real question: If this lineup compresses the margin this tightly, what lever does Gates have left to pull?

There’s one easy solution: break up the Robinson-Barrett tandem. The Tigers have a minus-49 scoring margin when they play together and allow 122.7 points per 100 possessions.

Examining potential combinations shows that Stone pairs well with Robinson or Barrett. Toggling between Crews or Pierce doesn’t produce drastically different outcomes either. It also reinforces a theme from broader lineup data: sliding Barrett to combo guard and Stone to the wing produces poor results.

Even if you accept that the roles are constrained, there’s another inevitability: Stone will need a break. The question is how Gates staggers those minutes. Well, Sebastian Mack is still around.

The UCLA transfer represents the cleanest theoretical fix. The junior’s defensive efficiency ranks in the 59th percentile nationally, and he allows 0.759 points per possession when guarding spot-ups and pick-and-rolls. Slotting him into a small-ball lineup might also ease some of the spacing issues that hinder his downhill style.

However, the chart shows that swapping him for Robinson doesn’t produce stellar outcomes. Pairing him with Robinson can work if there’s a reliable shooter on the wing. Dusting off Mack, though, seems unlikely. He’s taken seven DNPs in conference play and only played more than 10 minutes in one of his five appearances, and that was a blowout at Alabama.

Barring an extremely late renaissance, Mack’s utility probably is still speculative.

And that’s the unpleasant truth. Gates will likely keep returning to this lineup, because that’s what life looks like when your rotation functionally stops at seven players. The math says the group should work. The individual grades say it should hold. But the margin says otherwise.

This isn’t about effort. It ‘s about whether a talented group can find a way to do boring tasks like valuing the ball, preventing paint touches and closing out under control. The projection model assumes neutral environments. The SEC rarely offers them.

There’s no clean fix. Splitting Robinson and Barrett might buy stability. Dusting off Mack might buy defense. But every adjustment robs something else from a roster already overextended.

The wider arc makes this familiar. Coming out of non-conference play, Missouri throttled tempo, tightened the bench, and embraced gap principles because the roster demanded it. That adaptation has kept the Tigers competitive. Yet it has created a thinner margin to defend.

That’s MU’s challenge over the next three weeks: find a bit more breathing room. Whether it can will determine if the Tigers make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament – even if the starting point might be Dayton.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 14, 2026

Published

22 minutes ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 14, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 14 drawing

02-04-10-48-56, Mega Ball: 22

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 14 drawing

Midday: 4-6-0

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 7-5-9

Evening Wild: 8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 14 drawing

Midday: 7-6-5-4

Midday Wild: 6

Evening: 8-8-1-5

Evening Wild: 3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 14 drawing

Early Bird: 12

Morning: 15

Matinee: 12

Prime Time: 15

Night Owl: 14

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 14 drawing

05-07-12-32-36

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois and St. Louis: Chasing Midwest food innovations on the Mother Road

Published

12 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois and St. Louis: Chasing Midwest food innovations on the Mother Road

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) — ABC7 Chicago’s “Pier to Pier” journey on Route 66 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road, and every great celebration deserves great food.

Ryan Chiaverini’s 2026 Hyundai Palisade took him to two legendary locations that changed America’s culinary history.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

If you’ve ever had a corn dog, you can likely thank Cozy Dog Drive In from Illinois’ capital city, Springfield. From his perch on Route 66, third-generation owner Josh Waldmire explained what inspired their famous “hot dog on a stick.”

“My grandfather, when he got out of the military in 1945, started selling Cozy Dogs. And that’s what made corn dogs famous in the Midwest here,” Waldmire said. “When he was in the service, he saw a corn dog being baked when he was in Oklahoma and thought, there’s got to be a quicker way to do that.”

Waldmire’s family name is well-known on the Mother Road. His uncle, Bob Waldmire, was a prominent artist who promoted Route 66, and his murals can still be seen in places like Pontiac.

“He went up and down the route just helping popularize a lot of the stops and making them more famous and basically helped give life back into the road,” Waldmire said.

Craving dessert, Chiaverini navigated to the Show-Me State’s Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Founded by tennis pro Ted Drewes Sr., his son opened a Route 66 location in St Louis that draws hundreds in the summertime.

“Ted Jr. was the one that really took the reins and made it into what it is today,” said manager Bryan Dillon, the great grandson of the founder. “Ted Jr. wanted to have a place that was right along this main thoroughfare.”

Ted Drewes’ most popular item is served to customers upside down: its thick and creamy concretes. Launched in 1959, Dillon said it helped inspire a frozen creation that diners can find all over the country.

“There’s a guy in St. Louis that started Dairy Queen that got the idea from us, and they started the Blizzard,” Dillon said.

Cozy Dogs and custard in-hand, more food and history beckon on the journey west toward Santa Monica Pier. For now, this should tide over Chiaverini as he goes farther into Missouri.

“Pier To Pier: Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66” is sponsored by Hyundai.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for July 13, 2026

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 13, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 13 drawing

05-25-36-40-48, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 13 drawing

Midday: 4-1-4

Midday Wild: 8

Evening: 7-2-7

Evening Wild: 0

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 13 drawing

Midday: 7-3-3-5

Midday Wild: 3

Evening: 2-4-9-3

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 13 drawing

Early Bird: 12

Morning: 03

Matinee: 04

Prime Time: 03

Night Owl: 10

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 13 drawing

07-09-26-28-35

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 13 drawing

01-17-31-39-43, Powerball: 22

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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