Q&A with Coach Mike Anderson
COACH MIKE ANDERSON HAS MIZZOU’S PROGRAM OFF TO GOOD START, by Wayne Hodges
COLUMBIA, Mo – What’s that loud roar we hear to the east? It’s none other than the intimidating “black and gold” clad hoopsters of Missouri University; Elite 8 participants in the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Hey, it’s like ‘Tony the Tiger’ says: “They’re GRREEAATT!!!” ‘This latest edition of Tigers, however, already looks remarkably different than the veteran savvy unit primarily responsible for last season’s school record 31 victories. Gone are team leaders DeMarre “Junkyard Dog” Carroll and fellow low-post grad Leo Lyons. Carroll, an all-Big 12 performer, was selected with the 27th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Together, the two-headed monster of Carroll and Lyons went on to average a ridiculous 31 points and 13 rebounds per game. But that’s old news. This season, the Tigers are as quick and athletic as ever thanks to a strong veteran backcourt and another solid recruiting class. If the influx of new talent serves as an indication, the Tigers appear determined to prove last season’s dominant NCAA tournament run was no fluke. Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Coach Anderson. He took time to discuss his expectations for the upcoming season.
HODGES: Coach, first of all, congratulations on last season’s ‘National Coach of the Year’ honors. With the defections of both Carroll and Lyons, you obviously lost a boatload of scoring and rebounding along the interior. Also gone from the mix is 3-point specialist Matt Lawrence. Taking all of this into consideration; can you talk about your expectations for this season?
COACH ANDERSON: Well, anytime you lose an all-conference player like (DeMarre) Carroll and a talent like (Leo) Lyons it’s going to leave a big void. That being said, we expect to improve upon what we accomplished last season in spite of the fact we have a really young team. There’s no question right now we’re a work in progress. Our roster is comprised of 9 freshmen and sophomores. But, we won’t use that as an excuse. We feel we’ve added some quality pieces that should fit in very nicely with our veteran players.
HODGES: Speaking of new pieces, can you provide us with a run-down of some of the players you’ll be counting on this season to step-up and produce? Especially with the departures of Carroll, Lyons and Lawrence?
Mizzou shooting guard J.T. Tiller
COACH ANDERSON: I think our success begins in the backcourt. We’re expecting big years out of J.T. Tiller (pictured above) and Zaire Taylor; both will be seniors. Kim English is another player we’re counting on to mature as a leader. Justin Safford is a guy who came on strong towards the end of last season. He’ll get more of an opportunity to contribute. Keith Ramsey will be asked to produce on the low block. Steve Moore, a guy not many people have heard of, is actually one of our most improved players. He’s been great in practice. So, we’re not lacking talent. We have several players that are capable of contributing solid minutes.
HODGES: Coach, as I watched your team play last season, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a group of players defend with as much energy and purpose as your squad. Can you talk a little bit about your popular defensive style which is nationally known as “40 Minutes of Hell?”
COACH ANDERSON: Defensively, we try to disrupt what people want to do. And there’s certainly a method to this madness. We call it “organized chaos.” We recruit kids that are thirsty and like to guard. And now we’re starting to see the fruits of our hard work. Last season, we were one of the best defensive teams in the country. We were near the top in most key defensive categories; which included defensive field goal percentage, steals, turnovers forced and giveaway/takeaway ratio.
HODGES: In my opinion, the Big 12 will prove to be the best basketball conference in the nation this season. The league is already off to a great start in the “Big12/Pac 10 Hardwood Series.” The Kansas Jayhawks feature a battle-tested core of veteran players surrounded by a top 5 recruiting class. The same can be said for the Texas Longhorns in the south. Oklahoma and Kansas State have highly touted freshmen on their rosters as well. Can you give us your prognosis for which teams will contend for the Big 12 crown?
COACH ANDERSON: I believe you just named a few. Kansas is certainly expected to be one of the best teams in college basketball. Rick Barnes is a tremendous recruiter at Texas. They seem to bring in great talent each and every year. And this season is no exception. Jeff Capel’s Oklahoma team is always well-prepared. There’s just no getting around it. The Big 12 is a tough, physical basketball league. But we’re certainly looking forward to competing in what we hope will be another exciting season.
HODGES: In the aftermath of the Quin Snyder era, many fans were slow to embrace your aggressive, defensive style. Mizzou Arena, as gorgeous as it is, sat half-empty on most game nights. Today, things are obviously much different. With last season’s Elite 8 appearance; interest in the program has soared through the roof. You continue to attract outstanding athletes to Columbia. And Mizzou Arena, as a byproduct, is starting to sell-out regularly. Can you take a moment to describe your relationship with the fans? It seems like everybody’s on the bandwagon right now.
COACH ANDERSON: I’ve always believed that as a team, as a coaching staff, and as a player, you have to give fans a reason to come watch you play. We play a very fun, exciting style that captivates the viewing audience. We don’t have a bunch of McDonald’s All-Americans. But we have a tough group of ‘blue collar’ athletes that don’t mind mixing it up and playing hard. And it’s our own unique style. We want to give our fans and the community a team they can be proud of. In all honesty; I really do believe we have something very special brewing here.
Wayne Hodges, an MBA from St. Mary University, is the Editor-in-Chief of “Mass Appeal News.” He is also a candidate for Kansas Senate District #7, an adjunct professor, and MPA at the University of Kansas. Wayne welcomes your comments at whodges@massappealnews.com
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July 8th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Hodges, this is your best Q&A yet…everybody in Columbia knows Coach Anderson is the man. I’m glad he turned down the all-mighty dollar from Georgia University to stay at Mizzou. His program is up and coming and I’m glad to be a witness. GO TIGERS ALL THE WAY TO THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
July 8th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Forty Minutes of Hell is back and it ain’t going nowhere. Tigers to the Final Four in Indianapolis sure has a nice ring to it. GO MU
July 8th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Good to see the Missouri Tigers gettin some pub on your website…I’ve always liked Coach Anderson and the intense style of defense his teams play…even when he was the coach at UAB. This year’s team looks smaller on paper so we should be even quicker than we were last year. MIZZOU IS LOOKIN TO WHIP SOME KU TAIL COME TOURNEY TIME!
July 8th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Its gonna be tough for MU without Junkyard Dog. Kansas has the X kid comin in. And K-State got Wally Judge. I like Coach A and all. But Mizzou will be lucky to finish in the top half of the Big 12 this year. But next season, look out. Mizzou will be back on the map.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Nah, sorry Wild Thang. But KU rules the Big 12. Check out this equation: Collins + Aldrich + Xavier = 6th straight Big 12 regular season championship & 2nd NCAA title in 3 years.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I’m thinkin about startin a new website called: IHATEKANSAS.COM. Anybody interested?
July 10th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Nah, yow got it all wrong. The sleeper in the Big 12 this year iz my K-State Wildcats. Clemente can play. And our recruiting class is dope. Can’t wait to see the boyz in purple.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Nice feature on Mizzou…I’m a big fan of Mike Anderson and his “40 Minutes of Hell” style. AD Mike Alden made a smart move by locking this guy up with a nice contract. Move over ‘Stormin Norm Stewart’ there’s a new sheriff in town. And he goes by the name of Anderson.
July 11th, 2009 at 11:10 am
tHINGS aRE lOOKIN’ uP fOR oLE mIZZOU!!! Go TIGERS!!!
July 12th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Yes, things are definitely looking up in Columbia, MO. We know J.T. Tiller, Zaire Taylor and Kim English will be counted on heavily to produce. But keep an eye out for Justin Safford and Steve Moore. These guys don’t get alot of attention. But Anderson expects both to become really good players by season’s end.
July 12th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Alot of people think this is gonna be a down year for MU because Carroll and Lyons are gone. But I think we’re gonna surprise alot of people. Go ahead, sleep on us if you want to.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
MU rules the Big 12 now sucka…
July 28th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Hodges, way to give Mizzou some love…if you want readers, this is best way to do it. GO TIGERS!!!!!
August 6th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Dick Vitale has Kansas ranked #1 and K-State ranked #39 but doesn’t have Mizzou listed anywhere in his top-40??? What a farce??? We will use the disrespect as motivation to beat on the state of Kansas this year. GO TIGERS!!!!!!!
October 11th, 2009 at 7:42 am
The Tigers will win the Big 12 this season. The Jayhawks arent focused. They’re too busy fighting each other.