After leading the Drake Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, and their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971, former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum will be heading to be the next head coach at Iowa.&nbsp;

Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz announced today that McCollum was to be named the 23rd coach in the history of the Hawkeyes, replacing longtime head coach Fran McCaffery after he was fired following Iowa's exit from the Big 10 tournament.&nbsp;

“We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City.  Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career,” said Goetz in a news release.  “I am confident that Hawkeye fans will enthusiastically support the McCollum family as we embark on the next chapter of Iowa men’s basketball.”

McCollum arrives in Iowa City with a sterling resume that includes four NCAA Division II national championships at Northwest Missouri State University. In his first season in NCAA Division I, McCollum guided Drake to a school-record 31 wins, the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles, and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

During his 16-year coaching career, McCollum has amassed a record of 426-95 record for an 81.8 winning percentage. It is fifth-best all-time among collegiate men’s basketball coaches.

“Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family. The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together. I am thankful to so many people who have been part of my journey, especially Michelle, Peyton, Tate and Grace," McCollum says.&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742833323305.jpeg" alt="Ben McCollum.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Ben McCollum.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter leading the Drake Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, and their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971, former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum will be heading to be the next head coach at Iowa.&nbsp;Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz announced today that McCollum was to be named the 23rd coach in the history of the Hawkeyes, replacing longtime head coach Fran McCaffery after he was fired following Iowa's exit from the Big 10 tournament.&nbsp;“We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City. Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career,” said Goetz in a news release. “I am confident that Hawkeye fans will enthusiastically support the McCollum family as we embark on the next chapter of Iowa men’s basketball.”McCollum arrives in Iowa City with a sterling resume that includes four NCAA Division II national championships at Northwest Missouri State University. In his first season in NCAA Division I, McCollum guided Drake to a school-record 31 wins, the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles, and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.During his 16-year coaching career, McCollum has amassed a record of 426-95 record for an 81.8 winning percentage. It is fifth-best all-time among collegiate men’s basketball coaches.“Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family. The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together. I am thankful to so many people who have been part of my journey, especially Michelle, Peyton, Tate and Grace," McCollum says.&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Former NWMSU coach Ben McCollum moving from Drake to Iowa

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3242025-e30jfdd/a-abrm7u7" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

KFEQ Morning Sports

In a historic year that saw both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams compete for a state title, both are returning to St. Joseph with second place finishes in the Class 4 Show Me Showdown.&nbsp;

The boys faced a tough test against a Vashon team that coming into the game had won four straight state titles.&nbsp; The Cardinals though didn't waiver through the first quarter, shooting 5 of 12 to the Vashon's 3 of 9 and led at the end of one 14-10.&nbsp;

But the Wolverines showed in the second quarter why they've won so many titles in a row, and shot a blazing 11 of 15 in the quarter, outscoring Benton 30-10 and pushing their lead to 16 at the halftime break.&nbsp; Vashon's Jimmy McKinney III had 11 points at the break, while Myles Bachali led the Cardinals with 4.&nbsp;

Benton's struggles continued into the third quarter while Vashon continued shooting hot, pushing their lead even farther with a 27 point third quarter.&nbsp; The Cardinals did find better luck in the fourth quarter, shooting 57% from the field, but it was too little too late, falling to Vashon 81-45.&nbsp;

Bachali led the Cardinals with 14 points while Lincoln Goodwin added 12 points.&nbsp; The second place finish for the boys was their best finish since 1941, when they won a championship.&nbsp; The Cardinals finished the season 29-4.&nbsp;

For the Benton girls, it was a battle against a Doniphan team that was seeking their first ever state championship, while the Cardinals were looking for their first since 2016.&nbsp;

Much like the boys, the Lady Cardinals led after the first quarter 15-10, but in the second quarter the&nbsp;Donettes shot 71% to Benton's 36%, but even with that a last second shot from&nbsp;Eliana Arambula tied up the game at 27 a piece heading into the halftime break.&nbsp; Andrea Simmons led the Cardinals at halftime with 7 points.&nbsp; Carsyn Hagood also had 7 points for Doniphan.&nbsp;

The Donettes pulled away even more in the third quarter, the Cardinals continuing to shoot cold.&nbsp; While Benton did force seven turnovers in the quarter, Doniphan held a 10 point lead heading into the final quarter 48-38.&nbsp;

The Lady Cardinals did start to push a comeback, battling and continuing to cut into the Donettes lead, eventually getting within two points with 13 seconds remaining.&nbsp; But, a layup from Doniphan, followed by a missed three point shot with five seconds left, brought the game to an end and Benton fell 63-59.&nbsp;

Simmons finished with a team leading 18 points, while&nbsp;Arambula added 12 points.&nbsp; Hagood scored 31 points for Doniphan.&nbsp; The second place finish was the third in the last four years for Benton.

The Lady Cardinals finished the season 24-7.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742704899191.jpeg" alt="Myles Bachali/ Photo courtesy of&nbsp; the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association " />
 <figcaption>Myles Bachali/ Photo courtesy of&nbsp; the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association </figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostIn a historic year that saw both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams compete for a state title, both are returning to St. Joseph with second place finishes in the Class 4 Show Me Showdown.&nbsp;The boys faced a tough test against a Vashon team that coming into the game had won four straight state titles.&nbsp; The Cardinals though didn't waiver through the first quarter, shooting 5 of 12 to the Vashon's 3 of 9 and led at the end of one 14-10.&nbsp;But the Wolverines showed in the second quarter why they've won so many titles in a row, and shot a blazing 11 of 15 in the quarter, outscoring Benton 30-10 and pushing their lead to 16 at the halftime break.&nbsp; Vashon's Jimmy McKinney III had 11 points at the break, while Myles Bachali led the Cardinals with 4.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742705437619.jpeg" alt="Mach Mayom/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association " />
 <figcaption>Mach Mayom/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association </figcaption>
 </figure>Benton's struggles continued into the third quarter while Vashon continued shooting hot, pushing their lead even farther with a 27 point third quarter.&nbsp; The Cardinals did find better luck in the fourth quarter, shooting 57% from the field, but it was too little too late, falling to Vashon 81-45.&nbsp;Bachali led the Cardinals with 14 points while Lincoln Goodwin added 12 points.&nbsp; The second place finish for the boys was their best finish since 1941, when they won a championship.&nbsp; The Cardinals finished the season 29-4.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742705995087.jpeg" alt="Emma Loehnig/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association " />
 <figcaption>Emma Loehnig/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp;Missouri State High School Activities Association </figcaption>
 </figure>For the Benton girls, it was a battle against a Doniphan team that was seeking their first ever state championship, while the Cardinals were looking for their first since 2016.&nbsp;Much like the boys, the Lady Cardinals led after the first quarter 15-10, but in the second quarter the&nbsp;Donettes shot 71% to Benton's 36%, but even with that a last second shot from&nbsp;Eliana Arambula tied up the game at 27 a piece heading into the halftime break.&nbsp; Andrea Simmons led the Cardinals at halftime with 7 points.&nbsp; Carsyn Hagood also had 7 points for Doniphan.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742706519997.jpeg" alt="Eliana Arambula/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp; Missouri State High School Activities Association" />
 <figcaption>Eliana Arambula/ Photo courtesy of the&nbsp; Missouri State High School Activities Association</figcaption>
 </figure>The Donettes pulled away even more in the third quarter, the Cardinals continuing to shoot cold.&nbsp; While Benton did force seven turnovers in the quarter, Doniphan held a 10 point lead heading into the final quarter 48-38.&nbsp;The Lady Cardinals did start to push a comeback, battling and continuing to cut into the Donettes lead, eventually getting within two points with 13 seconds remaining.&nbsp; But, a layup from Doniphan, followed by a missed three point shot with five seconds left, brought the game to an end and Benton fell 63-59.&nbsp;Simmons finished with a team leading 18 points, while&nbsp;Arambula added 12 points.&nbsp; Hagood scored 31 points for Doniphan.&nbsp; The second place finish was the third in the last four years for Benton.The Lady Cardinals finished the season 24-7.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Benton boys, girls finish second in Class 4 championship games

The Kansas City Royals made a late spring move and added a veteran outfielder on Friday evening, trading with the Milwaukee Brewers for Mark Cahna for a player to be named later or cash considerations, a source told MLB.com.&nbsp;

The 36 year old Cahna was on a Minor League deal in Spring Training with Milwaukee and is 2-for-23 in Cactus League play with one homer, four strikeouts and four walks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Canha has spent parts of 10 seasons in the Majors playing for five teams and has hit 120 career home runs with a .349 career on-base percentage, with more gap-to-gap doubles power than home run power. He’s had neutral splits but has a .763 career OPS against southpaws. And as Spring Training progressed, the Royals thought an offensive hole of theirs would be a right-handed bat off the bench who could come in against lefties. Canha could be a backup left fielder and first baseman on the days he plays or comes in late in the game.

Canha slashed .242/.344/.346 with seven homers and 42 RBIs across 125 games between Detroit and San Francisco last season. A right-handed hitter who can play the corner outfield and first base, Canha will enter the 2025 season as a bench player for the Royals, who have had several options in camp fighting for a bench spot but no clear answers with Opening Day next week.

With Canha, the Royals will have two bench spots now accounted for along with backup catcher Freddy Fermin. Outfielder Dairon Blanco is viewed as a heavy favorite for a spot because of his pinch-running value.

The last spot could go any number of ways. Speedy outfielders Joey Wiemer, a right-hander, and Drew Waters, a switch-hitter, are in the running. Infielder/outfielder Tyler Tolbert could fill Blanco’s role if Blanco isn’t 100% after dealing with Achilles tendon soreness earlier this spring. Utility players Cavan Biggio and Harold Castro -- both left-handed -- as well as right-handed Nick Loftin have all shown off their versatility and ability to get on base this spring. Outfielder Nelson Velázquez and first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto are both out of Minor League options, but they might be blocked now with Canha in the fold -- especially if the Royals went out and found a right-handed option in Canha despite having Velázquez in camp.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742606518123.jpeg" alt="Mark Cahna" />
 <figcaption>Mark Cahna</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals made a late spring move and added a veteran outfielder on Friday evening, trading with the Milwaukee Brewers for Mark Cahna for a player to be named later or cash considerations, a source told MLB.com.&nbsp;The 36 year old Cahna was on a Minor League deal in Spring Training with Milwaukee and is 2-for-23 in Cactus League play with one homer, four strikeouts and four walks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Canha has spent parts of 10 seasons in the Majors playing for five teams and has hit 120 career home runs with a .349 career on-base percentage, with more gap-to-gap doubles power than home run power. He’s had neutral splits but has a .763 career OPS against southpaws. And as Spring Training progressed, the Royals thought an offensive hole of theirs would be a right-handed bat off the bench who could come in against lefties. Canha could be a backup left fielder and first baseman on the days he plays or comes in late in the game.Canha slashed .242/.344/.346 with seven homers and 42 RBIs across 125 games between Detroit and San Francisco last season. A right-handed hitter who can play the corner outfield and first base, Canha will enter the 2025 season as a bench player for the Royals, who have had several options in camp fighting for a bench spot but no clear answers with Opening Day next week.With Canha, the Royals will have two bench spots now accounted for along with backup catcher Freddy Fermin. Outfielder Dairon Blanco is viewed as a heavy favorite for a spot because of his pinch-running value.The last spot could go any number of ways. Speedy outfielders Joey Wiemer, a right-hander, and Drew Waters, a switch-hitter, are in the running. Infielder/outfielder Tyler Tolbert could fill Blanco’s role if Blanco isn’t 100% after dealing with Achilles tendon soreness earlier this spring. Utility players Cavan Biggio and Harold Castro -- both left-handed -- as well as right-handed Nick Loftin have all shown off their versatility and ability to get on base this spring. Outfielder Nelson Velázquez and first baseman/outfielder Nick Pratto are both out of Minor League options, but they might be blocked now with Canha in the fold -- especially if the Royals went out and found a right-handed option in Canha despite having Velázquez in camp.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals add veteran outfielder Mark Cahna in trade with Brewers

For the first time in 12 years, TNA Wrestling is coming to St. Joseph for live tapings at the Civic Arena.  

Two legendary wrestlers that might show up are the TNA World Tag Team Champions, and one of the most decorated tag teams in wrestling history, Matt and Jeff Hardy, the Hardy Boyz.  

Matt Hardy says it's very exciting to be bringing TNA back to St. Joseph 

"You can tell that TNA is really doing everything right right now because we're hitting all these markets that we haven't been to in so many years," Hardy tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "So, TNA has been white hot recently and we're very happy and proud to be part of this great resurgence TNA is having right now."

Earlier this year, the WWE announced a partnership with TNA, which has allowed wrestlers from each company to show up on either TNA Impact! or WWE's NXT.  Matt Hardy says it's exciting because it makes wrestling unpredictable 

"You never know who from NXT might show up on TNA programming, you never know who from TNA might show up on NXT on a Tuesday night," Hardy explains.  "And that's what makes wrestling great, when it's unpredictable and you don't know what's going to happen next and you get legitimately surprised, that's when wrestling is the best-case scenario." 

Recently, during TNA Sacrifice, Matt Hardy was attacked by Nic Nemeth, formerly Dolph Ziggler in the WWE, and his brother Ryan following a win in a steel cage, and the Hardy's could be looking for some revenge when TNA is in St. Joseph

Jeff Hardy says people that come to the tapings should expect exactly what TNA stands for, Total Nonstop Action 

"Beginning of revenge, the Nemeth brothers and they messed with the wrong set of brothers," Hardy says. "And Leon Slater man, he is a star in the making, he does the 450 Swanton and it's just incredible to see him do that in person, so yeah it's going to be some total nonstop action."

Live tapings are being held at the Civic Arena on Friday March 28th and Saturday March 29th. Tickets are still available through<a href="https://tnawrestling.com/"> TNA's website</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742563717122.jpeg" alt="TNA promo for live tapings in St. Joseph/ Photo courtesy of TNA Wrestling on X" />
 <figcaption>TNA promo for live tapings in St. Joseph/ Photo courtesy of TNA Wrestling on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post For the first time in 12 years, TNA Wrestling is coming to St. Joseph for live tapings at the Civic Arena. Two legendary wrestlers that might show up are the TNA World Tag Team Champions, and one of the most decorated tag teams in wrestling history, Matt and Jeff Hardy, the Hardy Boyz. Matt Hardy says it's very exciting to be bringing TNA back to St. Joseph "You can tell that TNA is really doing everything right right now because we're hitting all these markets that we haven't been to in so many years," Hardy tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, TNA has been white hot recently and we're very happy and proud to be part of this great resurgence TNA is having right now."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742563609346.jpeg" alt="Matt and Jeff Hardy enter for a match during a TNA event/ Photo courtesy of TNA" />
 <figcaption>Matt and Jeff Hardy enter for a match during a TNA event/ Photo courtesy of TNA</figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier this year, the WWE announced a partnership with TNA, which has allowed wrestlers from each company to show up on either TNA Impact! or WWE's NXT. Matt Hardy says it's exciting because it makes wrestling unpredictable "You never know who from NXT might show up on TNA programming, you never know who from TNA might show up on NXT on a Tuesday night," Hardy explains. "And that's what makes wrestling great, when it's unpredictable and you don't know what's going to happen next and you get legitimately surprised, that's when wrestling is the best-case scenario." Recently, during TNA Sacrifice, Matt Hardy was attacked by Nic Nemeth, formerly Dolph Ziggler in the WWE, and his brother Ryan following a win in a steel cage, and the Hardy's could be looking for some revenge when TNA is in St. Joseph<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WHAT DID <a href="https://twitter.com/NicTNemeth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NicTNemeth</a> JUST DO?! <a href="https://twitter.com/ryrynemnem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ryrynemnem</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MATTHARDYBRAND?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MATTHARDYBRAND</a> Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TNASacrifice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TNASacrifice</a> on TNA+: <a href="https://t.co/1GrcYv61qg">https://t.co/1GrcYv61qg</a> <a href="https://t.co/fUUvmq870d">pic.twitter.com/fUUvmq870d</a>&mdash; TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsTNA/status/1900745509838397653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Jeff Hardy says people that come to the tapings should expect exactly what TNA stands for, Total Nonstop Action "Beginning of revenge, the Nemeth brothers and they messed with the wrong set of brothers," Hardy says. "And Leon Slater man, he is a star in the making, he does the 450 Swanton and it's just incredible to see him do that in person, so yeah it's going to be some total nonstop action."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">SWANTON 450 FROM THE TOP OF THE CAGE! <a href="https://twitter.com/LEONSLATER_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LEONSLATER_</a> Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TNASacrifice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TNASacrifice</a> on TNA+: <a href="https://t.co/1GrcYv6zfO">https://t.co/1GrcYv6zfO</a> <a href="https://t.co/dsnXXk3vjT">pic.twitter.com/dsnXXk3vjT</a>&mdash; TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisIsTNA/status/1900743705495310643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Live tapings are being held at the Civic Arena on Friday March 28th and Saturday March 29th. Tickets are still available through<a href="https://tnawrestling.com/"> TNA's website</a>. FULL INTERVIEW WITH THE HARDY'S<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Full-Interview-Matt-and-Jeff-Hardy-e30epge/a-abrg9o6" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

TNA Wrestling back in St. Joseph for first time in 12 years for live tapings

For the first time since 1992, the Benton boys basketball team will compete in the Final Four, starting today.

Head Coach Jared Boone says while he's told his players it's ok to take step back and realize how special this opportunity is, he's also reminded them to think back to the offseason, and remember this was the goal

"To get down here and have an opportunity to play for a state championship, and it's like you guys have achieved that but we're not satisfied with this, because we want to win," Boone tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.  "Just kind of keep reminding them of that and allowing them to take it in, but also not making it seem like oh it's state so there's a lot of pressure blah, blah, blah, it's like no it's just another game on the schedule."

For the first time ever, both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams will be competing for a state championship, at the same time. 

Boone says a lot of people in the southside of St. Joseph know how important this is

"They know the specialness of this and the importance of this," Boone says.  "And so I've been making jokes to my wife and everybody it's like man I hope people lock their houses up, because the whole south end could get robbed because nobody's going to be down here the next couple days."

Girls head coach Chris Michaels says this is special, and adds after serving as an assistant under Boone, it's something he knew would happen sooner rather than later

"We knew Boone would be there but to be able to be there with him and the both of us going and supporting each other and basically having a built in crowd that travels with you is something that's special, and will never be forgotten," Michaels explains.

The Benton girls basketball team went to two straight Final fours before missing out last year.  This year, they are back in Columbia looking for a state title.

Michaels says his message to his girls coming into this season was to remember what it felt like to not be part of the final four. 

"We just kind of got surprised a little bit last year and I think we thought it was going to be easy to make it again," Michaels says.  "What we did this year is we came in and made sure we understood it was going to take everyday getting better in order to do our goal, and so we've done that and we've gotten better every single time we touch the floor, and we're very intentional in what we do."

Both the boys and girls are in action today, both against Logan Rogersville.  The boys tipoff at 4pm, the girls at 8pm in Columbia.  The championship and third place games will be Saturday

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741402893764.jpeg" alt="Myles Bachali goes up for a layup/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Myles Bachali goes up for a layup/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostFor the first time since 1992, the Benton boys basketball team will compete in the Final Four, starting today.Head Coach Jared Boone says while he's told his players it's ok to take step back and realize how special this opportunity is, he's also reminded them to think back to the offseason, and remember this was the goal"To get down here and have an opportunity to play for a state championship, and it's like you guys have achieved that but we're not satisfied with this, because we want to win," Boone tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Just kind of keep reminding them of that and allowing them to take it in, but also not making it seem like oh it's state so there's a lot of pressure blah, blah, blah, it's like no it's just another game on the schedule."For the first time ever, both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams will be competing for a state championship, at the same time. Boone says a lot of people in the southside of St. Joseph know how important this is"They know the specialness of this and the importance of this," Boone says. "And so I've been making jokes to my wife and everybody it's like man I hope people lock their houses up, because the whole south end could get robbed because nobody's going to be down here the next couple days."Girls head coach Chris Michaels says this is special, and adds after serving as an assistant under Boone, it's something he knew would happen sooner rather than later"We knew Boone would be there but to be able to be there with him and the both of us going and supporting each other and basically having a built in crowd that travels with you is something that's special, and will never be forgotten," Michaels explains.The Benton girls basketball team went to two straight Final fours before missing out last year. This year, they are back in Columbia looking for a state title.Michaels says his message to his girls coming into this season was to remember what it felt like to not be part of the final four. "We just kind of got surprised a little bit last year and I think we thought it was going to be easy to make it again," Michaels says. "What we did this year is we came in and made sure we understood it was going to take everyday getting better in order to do our goal, and so we've done that and we've gotten better every single time we touch the floor, and we're very intentional in what we do."Both the boys and girls are in action today, both against Logan Rogersville. The boys tipoff at 4pm, the girls at 8pm in Columbia. The championship and third place games will be SaturdayINTERVIEW WITH JARED BOONE<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Interview-Jared-Boone-Benton-boys-basketball-e30epm2/a-abrga02" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS MICHAELS<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Interview-Chris-Michaels-Benton-girls-basketball-e30epo6/a-abrga37" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div> FRIDAY JOURNAL<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Journal-Benton-girls-and-boys-going-to-state-together-e30epsq/a-abrga7i" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Benton boys and girls look to make history during Final Four

 Chiefs Radio Network executive producer Dan Israel has died after a battle with cancer at the age of 60.&nbsp;&nbsp;His family shared the news of his passing on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs also shared their condolences on social media. Owner Clark Hunt, head coach Andy Reid and President Mark Donovan each shared their own statements.

Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Israel was an important part of the organization for more than 35 years.

"Dan was dedicated, he was kind, and he brought joy into our building each day," Hunt said. "Through his battle with cancer over the past ten years, these qualities served as an inspiration to his coworkers and Chiefs fans alike. We will certainly miss him, and we will keep his family in our prayers."

Israel is credited with building up the network, which now has affiliates in 12 states.

"I was heartbroken to hear about the loss of Dan Israel. Over the last several years, I watched Dan battle this disease with strength and a positive attitude," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "Dan was the first person I would interview with after games. No matter how he was feeling, he always put that aside to get that interview in with a positive spin for our fans. He was a huge part of the Chiefs Radio Network and the Chiefs football team. I loved Dan Israel, and he will be missed by the Chiefs organization but never forgotten."

“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dan Israel this morning. Danny was part of every Chiefs game of my entire career, and I consider it a great privilege to have been able to watch him work as part of the Chiefs Radio Network."&nbsp; Said Chiefs President Mark Donovan.&nbsp; "He was a model of professionalism, commitment, and kindness, and he brought a passion to his work that was unmatched, even as he privately battled health conditions for years. Chiefs Kingdom was lucky to have Danny be part of their football lives for 35 seasons, and I am forever grateful to have learned so much from him in my time here. All of Chiefs Kingdom will miss Danny, and I extend my thoughts and prayers to his family.”

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742528234628.jpeg" alt="Dan Israel/Photo courtesy of 96.5 The Fan" />
 <figcaption>Dan Israel/Photo courtesy of 96.5 The Fan</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post Chiefs Radio Network executive producer Dan Israel has died after a battle with cancer at the age of 60.&nbsp;&nbsp;His family shared the news of his passing on Thursday.The Kansas City Chiefs also shared their condolences on social media. Owner Clark Hunt, head coach Andy Reid and President Mark Donovan each shared their own statements.Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Israel was an important part of the organization for more than 35 years."Dan was dedicated, he was kind, and he brought joy into our building each day," Hunt said. "Through his battle with cancer over the past ten years, these qualities served as an inspiration to his coworkers and Chiefs fans alike. We will certainly miss him, and we will keep his family in our prayers."Israel is credited with building up the network, which now has affiliates in 12 states."I was heartbroken to hear about the loss of Dan Israel. Over the last several years, I watched Dan battle this disease with strength and a positive attitude," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "Dan was the first person I would interview with after games. No matter how he was feeling, he always put that aside to get that interview in with a positive spin for our fans. He was a huge part of the Chiefs Radio Network and the Chiefs football team. I loved Dan Israel, and he will be missed by the Chiefs organization but never forgotten."“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dan Israel this morning. Danny was part of every Chiefs game of my entire career, and I consider it a great privilege to have been able to watch him work as part of the Chiefs Radio Network."&nbsp; Said Chiefs President Mark Donovan.&nbsp; "He was a model of professionalism, commitment, and kindness, and he brought a passion to his work that was unmatched, even as he privately battled health conditions for years. Chiefs Kingdom was lucky to have Danny be part of their football lives for 35 seasons, and I am forever grateful to have learned so much from him in my time here. All of Chiefs Kingdom will miss Danny, and I extend my thoughts and prayers to his family.”You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Chiefs Mourn the Passing of Chiefs Radio Network Executive Producer Dan Israel

The 11th seeded Drake Bulldogs, led by former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and former player Bennett Stirtz, controlled the pace of the game and held off a rally from the six seed Missouri Tigers, winning 67-57 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

The Tigers and Bulldogs traded blows early before Drake pulled away in the first half, controlling the tempo and keeping the ball away from Missouri, leading 30-23 at the end of the first half.&nbsp;

Drake continued to pull away to start the second half after Missouri scored the first two points, going on a 12-3 run before the Tigers could score again thanks to a layup by Tamar Bates.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Tigers would make a furious comeback, and for a moment it looked like they might have a miracle stored up.&nbsp; Missouri started inching closer and closer. Down 15 points with 12:40 remaining, the Tigers went on a 5-of-5 run from the field to get back into the game.

Mizzou's Marques Warrick clipped a rare step-back triple to cut the deficit to eight points. Caleb Grill, who led the Tigers with 14 points, opened his 3-point account on his sixth attempt at the 7:42 mark of the second half to get them out of a double-digit deficit hole again.

Mizzou battered and bruised its way to the free throw line — making seven straight in the space of three minutes — until it was a one-point game with 4:20 to play. Drake’s mistakes began to stack, with empty trips to the stripe and turnovers piling.

The misses started to pile up again, and Drake again became the aggressor in the game’s final four minutes, when Stirtz, who led the game with 21 points, made a jumper that kicked off Drake’s ride to the second round. The Bulldogs closed the game on a long 16-6 run. Mizzou made two shots from the field in the final four minutes.

Drake will now play either three seed Texas Tech or 14 seed UNC Wilmington in the round of 32 on Saturday.

Kansas falls in Round of 64 for first time since '06 to Arkansas

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- — Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points to help 10th-seeded Arkansas to a 79-72 opening-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 7 seed Kansas in the latest meeting between two of college basketball’s winningest coaches.

Johnell Davis added 18 points, including some crucial late free throws, to help John Calipari to his first tournament victory as Razorbacks coach. Freshman standout Boogie Fland played for the first time since having right thumb surgery in January and scored six points in 24 minutes.

Zeke Mayo had 18 points for Kansas (21-13), which has made 35 straight NCAA Tournaments and hadn't lost in the first round since 2006. Aj Storr finished with 15 points and Hunter Dickinson added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Thursday’s matchup was the third March Madness meeting between two of the four active win leaders in men’s college basketball. Calipari is second (876), with Bill Self of Kansas fourth (831) on the list. Both previous meetings were in the national championship game, with each winning once.

Kansas erased what was an 11-point, second-half deficit and nudged ahead 65-64 on a follow shot by Storr with less than six minutes remaining.

The Jayhawks kept the lead until Aidoo connected on a pair of free throws to put the Razorbacks back in front. Arkansas got a stop on the other end and then got a 3-pointer by Davis that gave it a 71-67 cushion with less than two minutes on the clock.

Arkansas’ edge was down to 71-69 before Davis dropped in a pair of free throws. Dickinson missed a 3 on Kansas’ next trip and Arkansas added two more free throws.

The Jayhawks got it back down to 75-72 on a 3-pointer by Rylan Griffen with 13 seconds left. The Razorbacks called back-to-back timeouts trying to get the ball inbounds. They finally did and Davis calmly sank two free throws to help close it out.

&nbsp;Kansas fell to 47-6 record in first-round games all-time.

Arkansas will get either No. 2 seed St. John’s or No. 15 Omaha in the second round of the West Region on Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742522127790.jpeg" alt="Missouri's Caleb Grill drives in for a layup during the Tigers first round matchup with Drake/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Hoops on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri's Caleb Grill drives in for a layup during the Tigers first round matchup with Drake/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Hoops on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe 11th seeded Drake Bulldogs, led by former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and former player Bennett Stirtz, controlled the pace of the game and held off a rally from the six seed Missouri Tigers, winning 67-57 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;The Tigers and Bulldogs traded blows early before Drake pulled away in the first half, controlling the tempo and keeping the ball away from Missouri, leading 30-23 at the end of the first half.&nbsp;Drake continued to pull away to start the second half after Missouri scored the first two points, going on a 12-3 run before the Tigers could score again thanks to a layup by Tamar Bates.&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742523409190.jpeg" alt="Bennett Stirtz goes for a layup between Missouri's Trent Pierce (11) and Tony Perkins (12)/ Photo courtesy of Drake basketball on X" />
 <figcaption>Bennett Stirtz goes for a layup between Missouri's Trent Pierce (11) and Tony Perkins (12)/ Photo courtesy of Drake basketball on X</figcaption>
 </figure>The Tigers would make a furious comeback, and for a moment it looked like they might have a miracle stored up.&nbsp; Missouri started inching closer and closer. Down 15 points with 12:40 remaining, the Tigers went on a 5-of-5 run from the field to get back into the game.Mizzou's Marques Warrick clipped a rare step-back triple to cut the deficit to eight points. Caleb Grill, who led the Tigers with 14 points, opened his 3-point account on his sixth attempt at the 7:42 mark of the second half to get them out of a double-digit deficit hole again.Mizzou battered and bruised its way to the free throw line — making seven straight in the space of three minutes — until it was a one-point game with 4:20 to play. Drake’s mistakes began to stack, with empty trips to the stripe and turnovers piling.The misses started to pile up again, and Drake again became the aggressor in the game’s final four minutes, when Stirtz, who led the game with 21 points, made a jumper that kicked off Drake’s ride to the second round. The Bulldogs closed the game on a long 16-6 run. Mizzou made two shots from the field in the final four minutes.Drake will now play either three seed Texas Tech or 14 seed UNC Wilmington in the round of 32 on Saturday.Kansas falls in Round of 64 for first time since '06 to Arkansas<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742521915238.jpeg" alt="Kansas forward KJ Adams dunks during the Jayhawks first round loss to Arkansas/ Photo courtesy of KU Hoops on X" />
 <figcaption>Kansas forward KJ Adams dunks during the Jayhawks first round loss to Arkansas/ Photo courtesy of KU Hoops on X</figcaption>
 </figure>PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- — Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points to help 10th-seeded Arkansas to a 79-72 opening-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 7 seed Kansas in the latest meeting between two of college basketball’s winningest coaches.Johnell Davis added 18 points, including some crucial late free throws, to help John Calipari to his first tournament victory as Razorbacks coach. Freshman standout Boogie Fland played for the first time since having right thumb surgery in January and scored six points in 24 minutes.Zeke Mayo had 18 points for Kansas (21-13), which has made 35 straight NCAA Tournaments and hadn't lost in the first round since 2006. Aj Storr finished with 15 points and Hunter Dickinson added 11 points and nine rebounds.Thursday’s matchup was the third March Madness meeting between two of the four active win leaders in men’s college basketball. Calipari is second (876), with Bill Self of Kansas fourth (831) on the list. Both previous meetings were in the national championship game, with each winning once.Kansas erased what was an 11-point, second-half deficit and nudged ahead 65-64 on a follow shot by Storr with less than six minutes remaining.The Jayhawks kept the lead until Aidoo connected on a pair of free throws to put the Razorbacks back in front. Arkansas got a stop on the other end and then got a 3-pointer by Davis that gave it a 71-67 cushion with less than two minutes on the clock.Arkansas’ edge was down to 71-69 before Davis dropped in a pair of free throws. Dickinson missed a 3 on Kansas’ next trip and Arkansas added two more free throws.The Jayhawks got it back down to 75-72 on a 3-pointer by Rylan Griffen with 13 seconds left. The Razorbacks called back-to-back timeouts trying to get the ball inbounds. They finally did and Davis calmly sank two free throws to help close it out.&nbsp;Kansas fell to 47-6 record in first-round games all-time.Arkansas will get either No. 2 seed St. John’s or No. 15 Omaha in the second round of the West Region on Saturday.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mizzou comeback bid falls short, Arkansas downs Kansas for first 1st round loss since '06

The Missouri Tigers begin their NCAA Tournament run today, taking on former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and the Drake Bulldogs. 

Missouri finished the season 22-11 and earned the sixth seed in the tournament, while Drake finished 30-3 getting the 11th seed.  

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates says while Drake wants to control the pace of the game, the Tigers aim to make it a high school affair 

"Both programs will continue to do what they've done throughout the course of the season, and we'll continue to do that as well," Gates tells reporters.  "I think at the end of the day, if their ball isn't going in and ours is going in, it can feel like things are being sped up a bit and that's kind of what we want to continue to do." 

McCollum says it is difficult to prepare for the variety of defenses the Tigers will throw at them 

"You know you can kind of get down a rabbit hole trying to figure it out, and a lot of it just comes back to conceptual basketball of just playing the right way," McCollum explains.  "Move the basketball, do what we've done all season long, and keep it pretty simple."

Former Northwest Missouri State player Bennett Stirtz, who followed McCollum to Drake, says the Bulldogs want the game played at their pace 

"We're going to have to play our game, obviously the SEC is the best conference in the nation, Mizzou will be ready to go, they play really physical, and they try to speed you up, things like that," Stirtz says.  "So, I'd just say play our speed, try not to get sped up and just play calm." 

Meanwhile Tigers guard Tamar Bates says pushing the tempo begins on the defensive end 

"We're not going to try to do anything outside of what we've done all year to speed things up," Bates says.  "I mean we'll be solid defensively and take away what we can, obviously they have some things that they're really good at on the offensive end that they've stuck too, so for us it's just about doing what we do." 

Missouri and Drake tipoff tonight at 6:35 in Wichita.  Coverage begins on KFEQ at 6pm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741919994141.jpeg" alt="Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostBy MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post The Missouri Tigers begin their NCAA Tournament run today, taking on former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and the Drake Bulldogs. Missouri finished the season 22-11 and earned the sixth seed in the tournament, while Drake finished 30-3 getting the 11th seed. Missouri head coach Dennis Gates says while Drake wants to control the pace of the game, the Tigers aim to make it a high school affair "Both programs will continue to do what they've done throughout the course of the season, and we'll continue to do that as well," Gates tells reporters. "I think at the end of the day, if their ball isn't going in and ours is going in, it can feel like things are being sped up a bit and that's kind of what we want to continue to do." McCollum says it is difficult to prepare for the variety of defenses the Tigers will throw at them "You know you can kind of get down a rabbit hole trying to figure it out, and a lot of it just comes back to conceptual basketball of just playing the right way," McCollum explains. "Move the basketball, do what we've done all season long, and keep it pretty simple."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741196162442.jpeg" alt="Bennett Stirtz/ Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman with Drake Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Bennett Stirtz/ Photo courtesy of Ginnie Coleman with Drake Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Former Northwest Missouri State player Bennett Stirtz, who followed McCollum to Drake, says the Bulldogs want the game played at their pace "We're going to have to play our game, obviously the SEC is the best conference in the nation, Mizzou will be ready to go, they play really physical, and they try to speed you up, things like that," Stirtz says. "So, I'd just say play our speed, try not to get sped up and just play calm." Meanwhile Tigers guard Tamar Bates says pushing the tempo begins on the defensive end "We're not going to try to do anything outside of what we've done all year to speed things up," Bates says. "I mean we'll be solid defensively and take away what we can, obviously they have some things that they're really good at on the offensive end that they've stuck too, so for us it's just about doing what we do." Missouri and Drake tipoff tonight at 6:35 in Wichita. Coverage begins on KFEQ at 6pm.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Missouri opens up NCAA tournament tonight against Drake

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3192025-e30cta5/a-abrdsdr" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

After Robin Pingeton announced her resignation as the head coach of Missouri women's basketball, the program has hired&nbsp; a proven winner to lead the team.&nbsp;

Missouri Athletic Director Laird Veatch announced today that Kellie Harper has been hired as the fifth head coach in Mizzou program history.&nbsp; Harper brings a championship pedigree to Columbia, including 16 postseason appearances in 20 seasons as a Division I head coach.&nbsp;

"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Kellie Harper and her family to Mizzou," Veatch says in a news relase. "Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the 'Will to Win' necessary to succeed at the sport's highest level. "

"She is nationally respected, and her experience in the SEC, her deep ties to the state of Missouri and her ability to recruit and develop championship-level players make her the ideal leader for our program. We are incredibly excited about the future of Mizzou Women's Basketball under her leadership."

A native of Sparta, Tennessee, Harper returns to the state of Missouri after most recently serving as the head coach at Tennessee from 2019 to 2024. She has previous head-coaching stops at Western Carolina, North Carolina State, and Missouri State. 

In 20 seasons as a Division I head coach, Harper has led her teams to a 393-260 record and nine NCAA Tournament berths. She has piloted her squads to 15 top-three league finishes and four conference tournament championships. In 2022-23, Harper led the Lady Volunteers to the NCAA Sweet 16 for a second consecutive season.

"I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou," Harper said. "Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program. Our family is excited to return to the state of Missouri. I look forward to working with our leadership and our student-athletes, building strong relationships throughout the community and winning championships in Columbia. The foundation is in place for success — and I can't wait to get started."

Spending five years with the Lady Vols, Harper rebuilt the historic program to national prominence. Two of her last three teams won 25 games, including a 25-9 record in 2021-22 with an 11-5 mark in SEC play and a 25-12 record in 2022-23 with a 13-3 mark against league competitors. The Lady Vols' 13 SEC wins in 2022-23 were the program's most since 2014-15 as they recorded 25 victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Overall, Harper compiled a 108-52 record at Tennessee, including a 53-24 mark against SEC competition, ranking third in winning percentage in league games behind only LSU's Kim Mulkey and South Carolina's Dawn Staley.

"I am thrilled for the hiring of Kellie Harper as Mizzou's next women's basketball coach," said former Mizzou All-American Sophie Cunningham, the program's all-time leading scorer and now a member of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. "Kellie and her husband, Jon, have experienced winning both in Missouri and in the SEC. I have so much respect for Coach Harper, and I can't wait to support her and our Tigers however I can."

"I know from experience how incredible this fan base is when they're excited about women's basketball, and I can't wait to get Mizzou Arena rockin! Congratulations to Laird, the Board of Curators and Mizzou Nation on a fantastic hire. MIZ baby!"

Harper will be formally introduced at a press conference in Mizzou Arena. Further details will be announced at a later date.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1742329509009.jpeg" alt="Kellie Harper has been selected as the new head coach of the Missouri Women's Basketball program, following the resignation of Robin Pingeton/ Photo courtesy of the NCAA" />
 <figcaption>Kellie Harper has been selected as the new head coach of the Missouri Women's Basketball program, following the resignation of Robin Pingeton/ Photo courtesy of the NCAA</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostAfter Robin Pingeton announced her resignation as the head coach of Missouri women's basketball, the program has hired&nbsp; a proven winner to lead the team.&nbsp;Missouri Athletic Director Laird Veatch announced today that Kellie Harper has been hired as the fifth head coach in Mizzou program history.&nbsp; Harper brings a championship pedigree to Columbia, including 16 postseason appearances in 20 seasons as a Division I head coach.&nbsp;"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Kellie Harper and her family to Mizzou," Veatch says in a news relase. "Kellie is a proven winner and dynamic leader who understands the 'Will to Win' necessary to succeed at the sport's highest level. ""She is nationally respected, and her experience in the SEC, her deep ties to the state of Missouri and her ability to recruit and develop championship-level players make her the ideal leader for our program. We are incredibly excited about the future of Mizzou Women's Basketball under her leadership."A native of Sparta, Tennessee, Harper returns to the state of Missouri after most recently serving as the head coach at Tennessee from 2019 to 2024. She has previous head-coaching stops at Western Carolina, North Carolina State, and Missouri State. In 20 seasons as a Division I head coach, Harper has led her teams to a 393-260 record and nine NCAA Tournament berths. She has piloted her squads to 15 top-three league finishes and four conference tournament championships. In 2022-23, Harper led the Lady Volunteers to the NCAA Sweet 16 for a second consecutive season."I am incredibly honored to be the next head coach at Mizzou," Harper said. "Missouri is a special place, and I know firsthand the passion and pride that surrounds this program. Our family is excited to return to the state of Missouri. I look forward to working with our leadership and our student-athletes, building strong relationships throughout the community and winning championships in Columbia. The foundation is in place for success — and I can't wait to get started."Spending five years with the Lady Vols, Harper rebuilt the historic program to national prominence. Two of her last three teams won 25 games, including a 25-9 record in 2021-22 with an 11-5 mark in SEC play and a 25-12 record in 2022-23 with a 13-3 mark against league competitors. The Lady Vols' 13 SEC wins in 2022-23 were the program's most since 2014-15 as they recorded 25 victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2013-14 and 2014-15.Overall, Harper compiled a 108-52 record at Tennessee, including a 53-24 mark against SEC competition, ranking third in winning percentage in league games behind only LSU's Kim Mulkey and South Carolina's Dawn Staley."I am thrilled for the hiring of Kellie Harper as Mizzou's next women's basketball coach," said former Mizzou All-American Sophie Cunningham, the program's all-time leading scorer and now a member of the WNBA's Indiana Fever. "Kellie and her husband, Jon, have experienced winning both in Missouri and in the SEC. I have so much respect for Coach Harper, and I can't wait to support her and our Tigers however I can.""I know from experience how incredible this fan base is when they're excited about women's basketball, and I can't wait to get Mizzou Arena rockin! Congratulations to Laird, the Board of Curators and Mizzou Nation on a fantastic hire. MIZ baby!"Harper will be formally introduced at a press conference in Mizzou Arena. Further details will be announced at a later date.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Missouri women's basketball tabs Kellie Harper as next head coach

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3182025-e30bb9a/a-abrbse2" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-317-e309msr/a-abr9p6j" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

For the second time in three years of the Dennis Gates era, and the 30th time in program history, the Missouri men's basketball team is in the NCAA tournament.

The Tigers earned the sixth seed in the West Region and will head to Wichita, Kansas on Thursday to take on former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and the 11th seeded Drake Bulldogs. Missouri was one of 14 schools from the SEC to earn a tournament berth.

Missouri is fresh off a 95-81 loss in the SEC Tournament to the Florida Gators, the eventual champions of the tournament.&nbsp; Drake meanwhile are the Missouri Valley Conference tournament champions, defeating Bradley 63-48.&nbsp;

There will be plenty of local connection in this matchup, aside from McCollum.&nbsp; The Bulldogs feature four former Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, including Missouri Valley Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz.&nbsp; Also off the bench is a high school standout from Plattsburg, Isaia Howard.&nbsp;

Missouri and Drake are scheduled to tipoff at 6:35pm in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.&nbsp; The game will be broadcast on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

In the same region as the Tigers are the Kansas Jayhawks who were given the seven seed.&nbsp; The Jayhawks will face  John Calipari and the tenth seeded Arkansas Razorbacks.&nbsp; That game will tipoff Thursday at 6:10pm and will be televised on CBS.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741919994141.jpeg" alt="Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostFor the second time in three years of the Dennis Gates era, and the 30th time in program history, the Missouri men's basketball team is in the NCAA tournament.The Tigers earned the sixth seed in the West Region and will head to Wichita, Kansas on Thursday to take on former Northwest Missouri State coach Ben McCollum and the 11th seeded Drake Bulldogs. Missouri was one of 14 schools from the SEC to earn a tournament berth.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Crossing the border and dancing in Wichita 🕺<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIZ</a> 🐯 <a href="https://t.co/oqJ8WLbgKD">pic.twitter.com/oqJ8WLbgKD</a>&mdash; Mizzou Hoops (@MizzouHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouHoops/status/1901401752735207708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Missouri is fresh off a 95-81 loss in the SEC Tournament to the Florida Gators, the eventual champions of the tournament.&nbsp; Drake meanwhile are the Missouri Valley Conference tournament champions, defeating Bradley 63-48.&nbsp;There will be plenty of local connection in this matchup, aside from McCollum.&nbsp; The Bulldogs feature four former Northwest Missouri State Bearcats, including Missouri Valley Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz.&nbsp; Also off the bench is a high school standout from Plattsburg, Isaia Howard.&nbsp;Missouri and Drake are scheduled to tipoff at 6:35pm in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.&nbsp; The game will be broadcast on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).In the same region as the Tigers are the Kansas Jayhawks who were given the seven seed.&nbsp; The Jayhawks will face John Calipari and the tenth seeded Arkansas Razorbacks.&nbsp; That game will tipoff Thursday at 6:10pm and will be televised on CBS.&nbsp;&nbsp;You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Missouri basketball back in the NCAA tournament

For the first time in more than 30 years, the Benton boys basketball team is in the final four.

The Benton boys basketball team finished third place in 1992.  Now, in 2025, they are back at state looking to bring home a championship.

Following the Cardinals narrow 36-32 win over Center, head coach Jared Boone says he knows how much this opportunity means for so many people.

"The southside, Benton High School, our fans that travel with us, the players, parents, past players, current players, my teammates from back in the day," Boone told reporters following the game.&nbsp; "I mean gosh it just means so much to, not only me, but a lot of people and I couldn't be more ecstatic to be able to deliver this to them."

For the first time ever, both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams will be competing for a state title, at the same time. The Lady Cardinals defeated Boonville 62-42 over the weekend.  

&nbsp;Boone says having both teams down in Columbia at the same time will be awesome

"That's kind of been the talk here lately is to get boys and girls down there and just basically have the southside take over Columbia," Boone says.&nbsp; "That's exciting and I definitely want to see, I've been down there when they was down there so I know the fans show up and just being able to experience that."

Boone knows the energy having both teams can bring, after seeing Logan Rogersville do it in 2018

"Just seeing that atmosphere there and just it's like, oh man it would be cool if the southside could experience this," Boone explains.

Benton will do just that against that very team that did it in 2018, both taking on Logan Rogersville on Friday in Columbia.  The boys tipping off at 4pm, and the girls at 8pm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741403651938.jpeg" alt="The Benton student section celebrate alongside the team after winning the Class 4 District 16 title.JPG" />
 <figcaption>The Benton student section celebrate alongside the team after winning the Class 4 District 16 title.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostFor the first time in more than 30 years, the Benton boys basketball team is in the final four.The Benton boys basketball team finished third place in 1992. Now, in 2025, they are back at state looking to bring home a championship.Following the Cardinals narrow 36-32 win over Center, head coach Jared Boone says he knows how much this opportunity means for so many people."The southside, Benton High School, our fans that travel with us, the players, parents, past players, current players, my teammates from back in the day," Boone told reporters following the game.&nbsp; "I mean gosh it just means so much to, not only me, but a lot of people and I couldn't be more ecstatic to be able to deliver this to them."For the first time ever, both the Benton boys and girls basketball teams will be competing for a state title, at the same time. The Lady Cardinals defeated Boonville 62-42 over the weekend. &nbsp;Boone says having both teams down in Columbia at the same time will be awesome"That's kind of been the talk here lately is to get boys and girls down there and just basically have the southside take over Columbia," Boone says.&nbsp; "That's exciting and I definitely want to see, I've been down there when they was down there so I know the fans show up and just being able to experience that."Boone knows the energy having both teams can bring, after seeing Logan Rogersville do it in 2018"Just seeing that atmosphere there and just it's like, oh man it would be cool if the southside could experience this," Boone explains.Benton will do just that against that very team that did it in 2018, both taking on Logan Rogersville on Friday in Columbia. The boys tipping off at 4pm, and the girls at 8pm.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Benton boys and girls basketball headed to state

With no Mark Mitchell in the second half, senior Tamar Bates took over and helped lead the #21 Missouri Tigers to an 85-73 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC Tournament.&nbsp;

Missouri held a narrow lead over Mississippi state all through the first half, their largest lead only ever getting to eight points, but after 20 minutes led the Bulldogs 39-34.&nbsp;

Starting the second half, it was announced that Mitchell was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury, leaving a hole in the Missouri lineup, but the Tigers never wavered and continued trading blows throughout the second half, until late.&nbsp;

Caleb Grill broke the 17th and final tie of the game with a dunk with 4:05 remaining in the second half to put the Tigers up 71-69.&nbsp;Missouri finished the second half hitting six of its final seven field goals, while the Bulldogs hit just one of their final nine attempts from the field.

Bates led the Tigers with 25 points, shooting a blistering 8-12 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc while going a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line.&nbsp; Tony Perkins added 20 points

Missouri will play Florida next in the tournament.&nbsp; The Tigers beat the Gators 83-82 in their lone matchup this season.&nbsp; Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm, coverage will begin at 5:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741919994141.jpeg" alt="Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X" />
 <figcaption>Missouri's Tamar Bates drives in during the first round of the SEC Tournament/ Photo courtesy of the SEC on X</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostWith no Mark Mitchell in the second half, senior Tamar Bates took over and helped lead the #21 Missouri Tigers to an 85-73 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the second round of the SEC Tournament.&nbsp;Missouri held a narrow lead over Mississippi state all through the first half, their largest lead only ever getting to eight points, but after 20 minutes led the Bulldogs 39-34.&nbsp;Starting the second half, it was announced that Mitchell was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury, leaving a hole in the Missouri lineup, but the Tigers never wavered and continued trading blows throughout the second half, until late.&nbsp;Caleb Grill broke the 17th and final tie of the game with a dunk with 4:05 remaining in the second half to put the Tigers up 71-69.&nbsp;Missouri finished the second half hitting six of its final seven field goals, while the Bulldogs hit just one of their final nine attempts from the field.Bates led the Tigers with 25 points, shooting a blistering 8-12 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc while going a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line.&nbsp; Tony Perkins added 20 pointsMissouri will play Florida next in the tournament.&nbsp; The Tigers beat the Gators 83-82 in their lone matchup this season.&nbsp; Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm, coverage will begin at 5:30 on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM).

Missouri rolls through second half to beat Mississippi State, advances in SEC tourney

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3132025-e304e5r/a-abr36ui" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

The #21 Missouri Tigers open the SEC Tournament on Thursday, after earning a first round bye, taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Mississippi State advanced after beating LSU 91-62 in the opening round.&nbsp; In one game against the Bulldogs this season, the Tigers won on the road 88-61.

Missouri ended the season on a three game losing streak, with losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Kentucky.&nbsp; But even with that, Tigers head coach Dennis Gates doesn't believe there's any sort of fatigue

"No fatigue, no mental, emotional fatigue or anything like that, our guys have done a great job, if you look at our minutes distribution they've been below 30 minutes," Gates told reporters before the tournament.&nbsp; "And when you can do that with your depth, you obviously extend health, you extend the possibility of having mental or emotional fatigue that has not crept into our program."

The Tigers had a bounce back season this year, despite suffering a slump near the end, posting a 21-10 overall record in the regular season, and going 10-8 in the SEC one year after going through an 0-18 conference schedule.&nbsp; Gates hopes his team uses this SEC tournament as a springboard in preparing for the NCAA tournament.&nbsp;

"When you look at the history of the NCAA tournament, some winners have finished right where we are, some have finished right where we are," Gates says.&nbsp; "So, we're excited about the SEC tournament, it's an opportunity for us to win an SEC tournament championship, and that's our approach."

Missouri and Mississippi State will tipoff at 6pm on Thursday.&nbsp; Coverage on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) will begin at 5:30.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741833881515.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Mizzou Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Mizzou Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe #21 Missouri Tigers open the SEC Tournament on Thursday, after earning a first round bye, taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.Mississippi State advanced after beating LSU 91-62 in the opening round.&nbsp; In one game against the Bulldogs this season, the Tigers won on the road 88-61.Missouri ended the season on a three game losing streak, with losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Kentucky.&nbsp; But even with that, Tigers head coach Dennis Gates doesn't believe there's any sort of fatigue"No fatigue, no mental, emotional fatigue or anything like that, our guys have done a great job, if you look at our minutes distribution they've been below 30 minutes," Gates told reporters before the tournament.&nbsp; "And when you can do that with your depth, you obviously extend health, you extend the possibility of having mental or emotional fatigue that has not crept into our program."The Tigers had a bounce back season this year, despite suffering a slump near the end, posting a 21-10 overall record in the regular season, and going 10-8 in the SEC one year after going through an 0-18 conference schedule.&nbsp; Gates hopes his team uses this SEC tournament as a springboard in preparing for the NCAA tournament.&nbsp;"When you look at the history of the NCAA tournament, some winners have finished right where we are, some have finished right where we are," Gates says.&nbsp; "So, we're excited about the SEC tournament, it's an opportunity for us to win an SEC tournament championship, and that's our approach."Missouri and Mississippi State will tipoff at 6pm on Thursday.&nbsp; Coverage on KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) will begin at 5:30.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

#21 Missouri to open SEC Tournament against Mississippi State on Thursday

The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured the contracts of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones, freeing up&nbsp;$49.446 million in salary cap space

The report on the move came from a source telling ESPN's Field Yates on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

The moves were needed to clear the cap space to needed to cover the Chiefs' activity in recent weeks. They placed the franchise tag on guard Trey Smith and re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Hollywood Brown.&nbsp; They also added in free agency, most notably picking up offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Kristian Fulton.

This is the fourth time Mahomes has reworked his contract since before the 2021 season. He signed a revised contract in 2023 that moved up some money he was scheduled to receive in later years of his contract, and a restructure in March 2024 created $21.6 million of salary cap space.

Mahomes is signed through the 2031 season at a total cost of almost $500 million.

-ESPN's Adam Teicher contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723743945433.jpeg" alt="Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during Chiefs practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Chiefs have restructured the contracts of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones, freeing up&nbsp;$49.446 million in salary cap spaceThe report on the move came from a source telling ESPN's Field Yates on Wednesday morning.&nbsp;The moves were needed to clear the cap space to needed to cover the Chiefs' activity in recent weeks. They placed the franchise tag on guard Trey Smith and re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Hollywood Brown.&nbsp; They also added in free agency, most notably picking up offensive tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Kristian Fulton.This is the fourth time Mahomes has reworked his contract since before the 2021 season. He signed a revised contract in 2023 that moved up some money he was scheduled to receive in later years of his contract, and a restructure in March 2024 created $21.6 million of salary cap space.Mahomes is signed through the 2031 season at a total cost of almost $500 million.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721584304820.jpeg" alt="Chris Jones rides to the locker room following practice waving to fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chris Jones rides to the locker room following practice waving to fans/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>-ESPN's Adam Teicher contributed to this reportYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones restructure to help out Chiefs cap space

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3122025-e302no0/a-abr12ha" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

Missouri Western State University will be searching for a new men's basketball coach after Will Martin announced his resignation today Athletic Director Andy Carter announced.

"Will is a class-act who has led our program with love, passion and integrity," Carter said in a news release from the university.&nbsp; "I appreciate his dedication to our student-athletes and our university. We thank him for his efforts of elevating our program back to respectability."

Martin spent seven total seasons on the Griffon sidelines, including the last five as head coach.&nbsp; He compiled a 77-70 overall record and a 51-56 mark in MIAA conference play.&nbsp; Joining the staff in 2018 as an assistant under Sundance Wicks, Martin was elevated to first-time head coach in the Spring of 2020. 

He led the Griffons to an NCAA Tournament berth during the Covid-shortened season of 2020-21, MWSU's 18-13 record in 2024-25 was the program's highest regular-season win total in 22 years.

"I am extremely grateful for my time at Missouri Western," Martin said."I will forever be humbled by the opportunity to be a Head Coach for this entire community, and appreciative to everyone who made it possible. I am proud of the success we were able to have on the court, in the classroom, and in the community."

"Most importantly, I will forever cherish the wonderful relationships cultivated in my time here. Thank you to my staff and all the student-athletes I was blessed to coach. Your hard work, sacrifice, and dedication undoubtedly served to leave the program better than we found it. Griffon Nation will always hold a special place in my heart!"

The search for Martin's replacement begins immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591383897177.jpeg" alt="Will Martin/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Will Martin/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostMissouri Western State University will be searching for a new men's basketball coach after Will Martin announced his resignation today Athletic Director Andy Carter announced."Will is a class-act who has led our program with love, passion and integrity," Carter said in a news release from the university.&nbsp; "I appreciate his dedication to our student-athletes and our university. We thank him for his efforts of elevating our program back to respectability."Martin spent seven total seasons on the Griffon sidelines, including the last five as head coach.&nbsp; He compiled a 77-70 overall record and a 51-56 mark in MIAA conference play.&nbsp; Joining the staff in 2018 as an assistant under Sundance Wicks, Martin was elevated to first-time head coach in the Spring of 2020. He led the Griffons to an NCAA Tournament berth during the Covid-shortened season of 2020-21, MWSU's 18-13 record in 2024-25 was the program's highest regular-season win total in 22 years."I am extremely grateful for my time at Missouri Western," Martin said."I will forever be humbled by the opportunity to be a Head Coach for this entire community, and appreciative to everyone who made it possible. I am proud of the success we were able to have on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.""Most importantly, I will forever cherish the wonderful relationships cultivated in my time here. Thank you to my staff and all the student-athletes I was blessed to coach. Your hard work, sacrifice, and dedication undoubtedly served to leave the program better than we found it. Griffon Nation will always hold a special place in my heart!"The search for Martin's replacement begins immediately.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

MWSU to begin search for new head coach as Will Martin resigns

The Kansas City Royals have been trimming down their camp roster over the past weeks, and some of the more notable moves came on Sunday and Monday as pitchers Noah Cameron (The Royals #5 prospect),&nbsp; Luinder Avila (#19), and Eric Cerantola (#28) were all optioned to Triple A Omaha and assigned to minor league camp.&nbsp;

Along with those three pitchers, who had all been added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, the Royals optioned outfielder Tyler Gentry (#25) to Triple-A, and he will also head to Minor League camp.

In his first big league camp, Cameron wasted no time showing why the Royals protected him from the Rule 5 draft last offseason.&nbsp; The pitcher from St. Joseph allowed four earned runs across 10 inning with one walk and seven strikeouts in four Cactus League appearances, with one start.&nbsp; He also recorded one save.&nbsp;&nbsp;He’ll now head to Triple-A at the beginning of the season trying to build on the 2.32 ERA he posted there in nine starts at the end of last season.

Manager Matt Quatraro was impressed with Cameron, and it's become a matter of when, not if, he gets to Kansas City to make his major league debut.

“He was really impressive, first and foremost,” manager Matt Quatraro tells reporters. “His poise, delivery, stuff, command, all those things were outstanding. He could not have had a better camp. Fortunately for us right now, with pitchers being healthy and guys that are established big leaguers, he’s going to have to wait his turn, so to speak.

“But we’re really excited about what we saw. And you know how this goes. It could be a moment’s notice that we need him and need him to help us win.”

Cameron was solid in three innings Sunday, his first Cactus League start, allowing one unearned run with two strikeouts. He’s always been a strike-thrower in his Minor League career, and that didn’t waver when he got on the mound in front of big league coaches.

“It’s definitely helped, for sure,” Cameron said Sunday. “Just being around everybody and having the locker room atmosphere. Whenever [my debut] comes, just having relationships with these guys takes all the stress off of you a little bit. Just having confidence in me, knowing that whenever I do go up or whatever that looks like, knowing that I deserve to be there and can help the team win.”

-MLB.com's Anne Rogers contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741572394248.jpeg" alt="Noah Cameron/ File photo" />
 <figcaption>Noah Cameron/ File photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostThe Kansas City Royals have been trimming down their camp roster over the past weeks, and some of the more notable moves came on Sunday and Monday as pitchers Noah Cameron (The Royals #5 prospect),&nbsp; Luinder Avila (#19), and Eric Cerantola (#28) were all optioned to Triple A Omaha and assigned to minor league camp.&nbsp;Along with those three pitchers, who had all been added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, the Royals optioned outfielder Tyler Gentry (#25) to Triple-A, and he will also head to Minor League camp.In his first big league camp, Cameron wasted no time showing why the Royals protected him from the Rule 5 draft last offseason.&nbsp; The pitcher from St. Joseph allowed four earned runs across 10 inning with one walk and seven strikeouts in four Cactus League appearances, with one start.&nbsp; He also recorded one save.&nbsp;&nbsp;He’ll now head to Triple-A at the beginning of the season trying to build on the 2.32 ERA he posted there in nine starts at the end of last season.Manager Matt Quatraro was impressed with Cameron, and it's become a matter of when, not if, he gets to Kansas City to make his major league debut.“He was really impressive, first and foremost,” manager Matt Quatraro tells reporters. “His poise, delivery, stuff, command, all those things were outstanding. He could not have had a better camp. Fortunately for us right now, with pitchers being healthy and guys that are established big leaguers, he’s going to have to wait his turn, so to speak.“But we’re really excited about what we saw. And you know how this goes. It could be a moment’s notice that we need him and need him to help us win.”Cameron was solid in three innings Sunday, his first Cactus League start, allowing one unearned run with two strikeouts. He’s always been a strike-thrower in his Minor League career, and that didn’t waver when he got on the mound in front of big league coaches.“It’s definitely helped, for sure,” Cameron said Sunday. “Just being around everybody and having the locker room atmosphere. Whenever [my debut] comes, just having relationships with these guys takes all the stress off of you a little bit. Just having confidence in me, knowing that whenever I do go up or whatever that looks like, knowing that I deserve to be there and can help the team win.”-MLB.com's Anne Rogers contributed to this reportYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Despite being sent to Omaha, Royals management impressed with Noah Cameron

By MATT PIKESt. Joseph Post<div><iframe src="https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/KFEQ-Morning-Sports-3112025-e30135g/a-abquvd8" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

A trio of Missouri Tigers have been honored by the Southeastern Conference with end of season awards announced on Monday. 

Caleb Grill was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, while junior Mark Mitchell was named all SEC third team.  Sophomore Anthony Robinson was named to the SEC All-Defense team.

Grill is the second Tiger to be named the Sixth Man of the Year by the conference.  He ranked second on the team overall, and first during conference play, in points per game.

Meanwhile Mitchell led the team in points per game.  He also ranks second on the team in rebounds, first in blocks, third in assists, and fifth in steals.  

Robinson became just the second Tiger to be named to the all defense team, and the only underclassmen in the conference in the last two seasons.  Robinson leads Mizzou and ranks 38th nationally with 2.03 steals per game, swiping 61 in 30 games as a sophomore.

The trio is set to lead Mizzou into the postseason, starting on Thursday when the Tigers play in the SEC Tournament Second Round at 6 p.m. against either Mississippi State or LSU.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741647573422.jpeg" alt="The Tigers surround Caleb Grill in celebration.&nbsp; Grill was named the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year on Monday/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Athletics" />
 <figcaption>The Tigers surround Caleb Grill in celebration.&nbsp; Grill was named the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year on Monday/ Photo courtesy of Mizzou Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostA trio of Missouri Tigers have been honored by the Southeastern Conference with end of season awards announced on Monday. Caleb Grill was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, while junior Mark Mitchell was named all SEC third team. Sophomore Anthony Robinson was named to the SEC All-Defense team.Grill is the second Tiger to be named the Sixth Man of the Year by the conference. He ranked second on the team overall, and first during conference play, in points per game.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741647678389.jpeg" alt="Mark Mitchell/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Mark Mitchell/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile Mitchell led the team in points per game. He also ranks second on the team in rebounds, first in blocks, third in assists, and fifth in steals. Robinson became just the second Tiger to be named to the all defense team, and the only underclassmen in the conference in the last two seasons. Robinson leads Mizzou and ranks 38th nationally with 2.03 steals per game, swiping 61 in 30 games as a sophomore.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741647939636.jpeg" alt="Anthony Robinson/ Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Anthony Robinson/ Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The trio is set to lead Mizzou into the postseason, starting on Thursday when the Tigers play in the SEC Tournament Second Round at 6 p.m. against either Mississippi State or LSU.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Trio of Tigers earn SEC Awards

Two Bishop LeBlond seniors that helped in turning the football program around, have officially signed their letters of intent to continue playing football in college.&nbsp;

Wide receiver Trey Icke will stay in St. Joseph, signing with Missouri Western State University, while tight end&nbsp;Jacob Winkelbauer is joining a Benedictine Ravens team that came one game shy of a national championship berth last season.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741639995161.png" alt="Bishop Leblond's Trey Icke (left) and Jacob&nbsp;Winkelbauer (right) signed their NLI's to continue playing football in college.&nbsp; Icke signed to Missouri Western State University while&nbsp;Winkelbauer will play at Benedictine/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Bishop Leblond's Trey Icke (left) and Jacob&nbsp;Winkelbauer (right) signed their NLI's to continue playing football in college.&nbsp; Icke signed to Missouri Western State University while&nbsp;Winkelbauer will play at Benedictine/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostTwo Bishop LeBlond seniors that helped in turning the football program around, have officially signed their letters of intent to continue playing football in college.&nbsp;Wide receiver Trey Icke will stay in St. Joseph, signing with Missouri Western State University, while tight end&nbsp;Jacob Winkelbauer is joining a Benedictine Ravens team that came one game shy of a national championship berth last season.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741640898856.jpeg" alt="Trey Icke/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Trey Icke/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>Icke will go play for head coach Tyler Fenwick at Missouri Western State University, staying at home.&nbsp; For him, it was a talk with Griffons linebacker coach Colin Mcquillan that made Western the perfect fit.&nbsp;"Everything was so good, the facilities are great, and their strength and conditioning coach he just topped it off, I had to go after talking to him," Icke tells reporters.&nbsp;Winkelbauer will also stay close to home, albeit a little farther away, joining the Benedictine Ravens, a team that this past season came one game shy of a trip to the national championship.&nbsp; Winkelbauer points to the culture of the Ravens as to why it was the right choice.&nbsp;"Good stuff, and the players they all liked it, they all looked like they bought into the program and I think they're going to be going some places in a few years," Winkelbauer says.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/3/1741645080279.jpeg" alt="Jake Winkelbauer/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Jake Winkelbauer/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>It will be a slight transition at the next level for both Icke and Winkelbauer after playing four years of 8-man football in high school, shifting to 11-man in college.&nbsp;&nbsp;Winkelbauer though, feels like it won't feel that different.&nbsp;"We run a lot of 11-man schemes in our eight man game, so I feel like it won't be too hard,"&nbsp;Winkelbauer explains.&nbsp;And for Icke, he says it's just a transition back to a way that he's played nearly his whole life.&nbsp;"I played tackle football, 11-man, since I was five, so hopefully it's not that different, not that hard," Icke says.&nbsp;Icke and Winkelbauer were part of two district championship teams at LeBlond, including a second place finish at state in 2022.&nbsp; A massive turnaround happened in their time, with the Golden Eagles not having a winning season prior to that since 2012.&nbsp;When it comes to the legacy they hope to leave, Winkelbauer points to something coaches have told them, about how their senior class really shifted the culture"From all the seniors beating up on the freshman, like killshots every practice, and we kind of welcomed freshman, became friends with them, we were more of a team I'd say for the past two years, and that was nice," Winkelbauer says.&nbsp;Icke echoes that, saying that as a group the seniors really focused on helping to build up the freshman and underclassmen"Instead of like tearing them down, we were like building them up, making them get better to carry on this tradition, and to just go all the way through to the district championship each year," Icke says.&nbsp;Icke recorded 20 carries for 144 yds and 88 receptions for 1307 yds with 24 total touchdowns in his senior year.&nbsp; On defense he tallied 77 tackles, three sacks, three ints, one blocked punt, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.&nbsp; He was tabbed first team all-state recognition his senior year and second- team all-state recognition his junior year, as well as being an all-district selection his sophomore year.In his senior season, Winkelbauer had 47 catches for 816 yards with 16 touchdowns.&nbsp; On defense he recorded 70 tackles, 17 for loss, with 10 sacks.&nbsp; He forced two fumbles and had one interception. He earned first team all state in his senior year and was a second team honoree in his sophomore season.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;