Welcome to the Morning Commute<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to spend a few minutes talking \u2018bout Tim Fuller. By now everyone has had time to process the news of the return of an infamous name from Mizzou Hoops<\/a> seasons past. That Dennis Gates wanted to add a General Manager to the program isn\u2019t a surprise, that he landed on Tim Fuller was probably a surprise to many. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re a RockM+ subscriber<\/a> you knew we were hearing Fuller\u2019s name in connection with the job as far back as mid-April. At the time I was first told of his involvement, I was taken aback. Truthfully, I just figured I would probably be done covering Missouri before Fuller ever made his way back to Columbia. Not because he isn\u2019t talented to someone good to hire, but mostly because guys who come through town as assistants rarely find their way back in a similar role. <\/p>\n The General Manager role is a different role also. Especially for Fuller, who\u2019s been on the bench as an assistant at Providence for the last few years (under former Tiger Kim English\u2019s staff). <\/p>\n But this role is a perfect way for Fuller to come back. If there was a role tailor made for him it\u2019s a General Manager role, one where relationships are at a premium. Knowledge of how everything works is paramount. <\/p>\n Read the bio from the MUTigers.com<\/a> release and you can see how he\u2019s honed these skills for years at Nike and at Overtime Elite, as well as on the sidelines at Louisville, Missouri, and Providence. When he was at Missouri he was well known and well liked by many of the well-heeled boosters, so the combination of a guy who knows the current landscape of college basketball, agents, recruiting contacts, grassroots program runners, plus someone who already knows most of the money people at Missouri should be a natural fit. <\/p>\n There are some who might point at Fuller\u2019s last go-round at Missouri as a reason to pump the breaks. After all things got bumpy at the end. <\/p>\n But the basketball problems at Missouri were centered on years of neglect and coasting off a reputation versus investing into the program to make it more competitive. Fuller was one of the scapegoats at the end. Did he do everything perfectly? No, but he was also more of a cog than the engine. Fuller\u2019s mistakes were merely highlighted by the Athletic Department and a former head coach as a method to place blame on anyone but themselves. <\/p>\n I think this can be a really good move for both Dennis Gates and for Tim Fuller. Acquiring talent wasn\u2019t an issue for Fuller when he was an assistant, gaining access to talent was something he excelled at while at Nike and OTE. <\/p>\n Gates has proven if he has the roster he can compete with the best in the SEC. Fuller\u2019s job is the survey the land, know the budget, and help make the rest of the staff\u2019s job a little easier when it comes to dealing with the agents to understand who to recruit. <\/p>\n We\u2019re undergoing some staff turnover so while we sort things out the content spigot might be a bit lighter than we want right now. We\u2019re working on it though. <\/p>\n nd when I watched Jones last summer, I didn\u2019t come away with my doors blown off. The data backed up that assessment: slightly below average offensive efficiency and almost entirely reliant on shooting off the catch. But he didn\u2019t do that very well, knocking down just 31 percent of his attempts. Now, he can have twitchy athleticism and pop after filling the lane in transition. But I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what MU needs at the moment.<\/p>\n Recruiting is about the only news going these days, which isn\u2019t really a bad thing. Missouri\u2019s money programs are feeling pretty stable at the moment. <\/p>\n Rock M Radio: New Episode of Dive Cuts coming soon!<\/p>\n Subscribe to Rock M Radio on Apple Podcasts<\/a>. Or stream episodes through Megaphone<\/a> or Spotify<\/a>. Have a question for us? Leave a 5-star review with your question and that show just might answer it in an upcoming episode!<\/p>\n If you like Rock M Radio drop us a Review and be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcasting platform. Follow @RockMRadio<\/a> on Twitter and if you heaven\u2019t already head over to our YouTube channel<\/a> and click that subscribe button!<\/p>\n (** RockMNation has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though RockMNation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.**)<\/p>\n