I want to like Bobby Knight, but I don't. I've never seen a grown man more unable to control his anger than him. It doesn't really matter to me that he's won a bunch of games. That's fine, that's why I want to like him. But watching him explode on a regular basis makes me think the guy needs a kick in the nuts. He needs someone to pin him down and start to spit on his face, but suck it back up over and over again. Then he needs to have this person grab his face and twist in opposite directions (aka Twisto Face). Then I'd have him wear a diaper on his head.

"We told the officials (before the inbounds play) that we were not trying to foul ... that we were going to try and trap and make him throw it out of the trap."

That's a slick move that if attributed to a more wily coach like Norm Stewart would have the media buzzing. A veteran didn't say that. Iowa State rookie coach Greg McDermott did.

Hats off to McDermott on his first Big XII victory, snatched from certain defeat.

While the focus has been on this play, I'll have to continue to beat the drum on poor execution. Missouri is yet to believe that every possession, every pass and every shot is equally important. Mizzou still has a tendancy to squander possessions through sloppy ball movement and poor shot selection. ISU's comeback didn't happen on one play. It was the culmination of many squandered Missouri possessions.

But, that's the Big XII where even the bad teams are pretty good. Missouri does not have the talent to overcome undisciplined ball, particularly in conference play. The last few possessions were a microcosm of a lack of fundamentals and execution. Protect the ball. Get to the line. Run the clock. Pass (don't dribble) out of the trap.

While frustrating, this is the type of game Missouri needed to understand that any game of basketball is the sum of many fine details.

Halfway through last night's game against Mississippi State University, Missouri had taken 16 three point attempts, often right after running the ball up the court with a lot of time left on the shot clock and rarely off of a screen. In fact, few of Missouri's first half shots were reminiscent of the Illinois game in which the team as a whole used penetration, ball movement and screens to get to the ultimate objective: high percentage shots. Instead, Mizzou was sloppy, undisciplined and lazy in its shot selection.

Any player can take a shot at any time. That is always an option. It's rarely the best option. What a good team works toward is increasing the odds that the ball will go in. That's the difference between street ball and high caliber basketball.

It did seem like the second half was a better brand of ball. Mizzou reduced its three point attempts to six. One of those attempts was a beautiful screen to a wide open Matt Lawrence who buried it. That's the kind of three point attempt we need. Even still, with three minutes to go and Mizzou up about 10, they were still running and taking quick, low percentage shots. Stefhon Hannah (who might beg to differ) threw up a couple of circus shots with a lot of time left on the shot clock. Fortunately they went in. I don't expect that to happen regularly and I hope that's not part of the game plan.

I'm still on the Mike Anderson band wagon. I'm practically driving it. The consistent level of effort most of the players give has been impressive. I can see they're trying to work toward something and sometimes sputter. A slashing player who expects to dish may find the dishee AWOL. That makes him look sloppy when he's not the problem. We'll see that type of problem iron itself out as team chemistry gets better.

Thank God the hook and lateral only works once per decade or so, because I wouldn't be able to stand hearing the name butchered by the same people who say "for all intensive purposes".

Even the geniuses at ESPN aren't immune. Just read this story. Yes, it's Hook and Ladder Day in the sports world. Last night's successful hook and lateral by Boise State has the Internet buzzing about fire trucks.

Please just think about it for one second. What does 'hook and lateral' mean? The receiver runs a hook pattern, meaning he runs for a distance and turns. He then LATERALS the ball to another player. Thus: HOOK AND LATERAL.

The sad part is some people are trying to defend hook and ladder by offering an alternate name/definition of the play. It mysteriously sounds surprisingly like 'hook and lateral', with the pronunciation and explanation of a five year old.

Happy fire truck day.