Mizzou has hired Kim Anderson -OR- Coach Anderson returns to Mizzou

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  18 hours ago

Anderson on the road: "The last two games have not been good at all. The Arkansas game wasn't great."

Anderson: "I think that we've improved as a team. I think guys have improved individually. I think guys have figured out how hard it is."

Anderson said strength (or lack thereof) is "a major glaring area." Said it's something #Mizzou needs to and can improve this offseason.

Anderson: "When you get to this time of year, you've got to be mentally sharp and physically fresh. It's hard when you're not winning."

Anderson: "We haven't talked much about after the season." Said they'll sit down and visit with players individually after the year.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  5 minutes ago
#Mizzou finishes regular season at 9-22, 3-15 in SEC play after a 52-43 loss to Mississippi State.

Tigers are the first team to score fewer than 50 points against Mississippi State since Georgia in a 61-49 loss in 2008.

43 points is #Mizzou's second-lowest scoring output of the season. Only an 86-37 loss at Kentucky was worse.

#Mizzou's lost 15 straight road games, a streak that dates to Feb. 4, 2014, at Florida.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  8 hours ago
Anderson of new AD Mack Rhoades: "I'm excited to have him a board." He called him a "phenomenal fundraiser."

Anderson said he doesn't know Rhoades personally but is looking forward to meeting him; knows other coaches who have spoken highly of him

Anderson said South Carolina isn't an opponent that will make it easy to pick up the offense against because of how aggressive they are on D

Anderson said he thinks #Mizzou is playing better defensively down the stretch. Said Tigers had gotten lackadaisical in middle of SEC play.

Anderson: Chemistry has been a problem for #Mizzou. "Part of that is youth. Part of that is we've played a lot of different lineups."

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  25 minutes ago
#Mizzou PG Keith Shamburger held out of starting lineup for SEC Tournament opener for disciplinary reasons but will play. Isabell to start.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  8 hours ago

#Mizzou ends its worst season in 48 years with a 63-54 loss to South Carolina in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

Tigers finish the season 9-23, setting a record for most losses in school history.

Anderson: "Hopefully, we'll understand just how difficult it is to play college basketball."

[jbcarol]

Austin Kim @AustinKKim  ·  8 hours ago

Mizzou's guys look like they need to step away from basketball for a couple of weeks or so. Start fresh.

[jbcarol]

Tod Palmer @todpalmer  ·  19 hours ago
#Mizzou failed to score 80 in a game this season, the first time that has happened since 1951-52, which predates the shot clock by 35 years.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  · 
[Jonathan] Williams said the Tigers need to build a better connection with the coaching staff, too.

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  Mar 13
Johnathan Williams III's scoring average (11.9) is lowest for Missouri scoring leader since Bud Heineman (11.8 ppg) in 1950-51 season.


But more than Aaron Harrison's 11.3 ppg.

[jbcarol]

Tod Palmer @todpalmer  ·  3 hours ago
Loftin said "we all admire and respect" #Mizzou hoops coach Kim Anderson, Rhoades' job will be to figure out what he and other coaches need.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  17m 17 minutes ago
ICYMI: Tim Fuller set to leave #Mizzou basketball staff after four seasons, the last three as associate head coach http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/fuller-leaving-missouri-basketball-staff/article_ec325ce1-0d17-5da4-8e33-4060f7dc0a50.html ...

[jbcarol]

 Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS  ·  9h 9 hours ago

Missouri sophomore Johnathan Williams III is considering transferring and should announce a decision soon, a source told @CBSSports.


Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  8h 8 hours ago

Regarding report that Johnathan Williams III is considering transferring from #Mizzou, he also thought about it after his freshman season.

Williams was unhappy with his role as a freshman, told me in January he was actually excited about having Anderson because he was a big man.

The biggest reason Williams said he didn't transfer after last season was he said he didn't want to sit out a year.

Johnathan Williams III reportedly considering transferring from #Mizzou http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/reports-williams-considering-transferring-from-missouri/article_0658757d-4189-5b70-bbd4-abacabd5b6df.html ...

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  21h 21 hours ago

Williams' father said: "He fit in real good with Coach Anderson." Was complimentary of work coaches put in with him.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  Mar 31

Williams' father said Williams only arrived at this decision in the last couple of days

[jbcarol]

Missouri transfer restricted from leaving for 25 schools

Johnathan Williams III has made if official: he will be transferring out of Missouri, along with Deuce Bello. Both players are former top 50 recruits, and Williams was actually the leading scorer and rebounder for Missouri last season.

Anderson has released a list of schools that Williams is banned from transferring to, and it is extensive: the SEC, the Big 12, Illinois and Arizona...

The SEC I get. Missouri is in the SEC, and as a coach, you don't want a guy transferring out of your program and directly into the program of a team that you're competing against. Well, maybe "competing" is a better way to phrase it after what happened this season, when the Tigers went 3-15 in the league.

But to restrict the entire Big 12, which, I'm assuming, is due to the Big 12/SEC challenge, seems petty and spiteful. And to block Arizona, who Missouri plays in 2016-17, and Illinois, who is their Border War opponent, feels unnecessary.

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  Apr 10

Missouri didn't make Chaminade star Jayson Tatum's final four, but was there ever a reason to think the Tigers would? http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/tatum-trims-list-to-four-missouri-left-out/article_ce459bfb-2528-5616-93f3-62795c137979.html ...

The nation's top-ranked recruit -- as some consider Tatum to be in the 2016 class -- doesn't often sign with the worst-ranked team in a conference -- as Missouri was last season in the SEC while finishing 9-23 overall.

Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward, has grown up in St. Louis, and Missouri began recruiting him early on under Frank Haith and associate head coach Tim Fuller and continued to make efforts to pursue him over the past 11 months since Kim Anderson took over the program.

It's hard for anyone to know how hard they pushed to get him to consider playing for the Tigers, for whom he would have been an instant star as arguably the program's most heralded recruit ever.

It's just as hard to know if there was ever a chance Missouri could have convinced Tatum to sign. His connection to Missouri is that he's from the state, but that can be flimsy for someone who grew up in St. Louis if they didn't have relatives who went to school in Columbia...

[jbcarol]

 Blake Toppmeyer @btoppmeyer  ·  16h 16 hours ago

Michael Porter Sr. is not taking the Washington men's basketball assistant coaching position, per source with knowledge of the situation

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  Apr 14

Mizzou AD Mike Alden about to meet with reporters, an exit interview of sorts.

Alden says consistency has been lacking in hoops program. Says MU never capitalized on Snyder & Mike Anderson's Elite 8 teams

Alden on hoops program: "It's going to take time - not decades - but some time and a lot of focus on some critical areas."

Alden on Miami investigation and how it affected Mizzou: "We certainly did our due diligence. We were excited when we brought Frank here."

Alden says more than ever before schools want immediate gratification with new hires, cites escalating salaries as factor

[jbcarol]

 Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  20h 20 hours ago

Missouri posts associate head basketball coach on HR page. Generally school required to post ad for five business days before making hire.

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  4h 4 hours ago

Blog: A closer look at Missouri's 2015-16 roster with the additions of Payne, Woods http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/a-closer-look-at-missouri-s---roster-with/article_13c4ec2d-f9d7-5073-a8e9-2304353d8a42.html ...

John A. Logan College transfers Martavian Payne and Russell Woods are officially in the fold as part of the Missouri basketball team's 2015-16 roster — leaving the Tigers with 12 of a possible 13 scholarships accounted for —



Point guard

Wes Clark, 6-0, 185-pound junior (10.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.1 apg, 31.4 percent 3-point)

Tramaine Isabell, 6-0, 180-pound sophomore (4.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 30.8 percent 3-point)

Terrence Phillips, 5-11, 170-pound freshman (7.7 ppg, 8.7 apg, 4.2 spg)

Jimmy Barton, 5-9, 160-pound sophomore (walk-on)

Shooting guard

Namon Wright, 6-5, 200-pound sophomore (6.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.6 apg, 38.8 percent 3-point)

Martavian Payne, 6-2, 190-pound junior (15.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 36.9 percent 3-point)

Cullen VanLeer, 6-4, 195-pound freshman (23.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.6 apg, 40 percent 3-point)

Small forward

Montaque Gill-Caesar, 6-6, 215-pound sophomore (9.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 apg, 30.9 percent 3-point)

D'Angelo Allen, 6-7, 220-pound sophomore (3.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.7 apg, 45 percent 3-point)

Power forward

Jakeenan Gant, 6-8, 207-pound sophomore (4.9 ppg, 2.2 apg, 0.3 apg, 7.1 percent 3-point)

Russell Woods, 6-8, 215-pound junior (14.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)

Kevin Puryear, 6-7, 225-pound freshman (20.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg)

Center

Ryan Rosburg, 6-10, 264-pound senior (3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg)

Hayden Barnhard, 6-11, 225-pound sophomore (walk-on)

Of course, these days college basketball teams rarely conform to the traditional positions with most using a point guard, two wing players and two big men, one of whom might defend in the post by often operates away from the basket offensively the way departing forward Johnathan Williams III did for the Tigers in Coach Kim Anderson's first season.

Given that, and Anderson's preference to play with multiple ball-handlers on the floor at once, there will be players who likely occupy multiple roles...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  · 
Russell Woods on committing to #Mizzou: "I just felt this was a great place to be. Coach Anderson, Coach Loos and Fulford did a great job."

[jbcarol]

 Mizzou Basketball @MizzouHoops  ·  Apr 23

Congratulations to @RyRos44, who has been named to the Winter @SEC Academic Honor Roll! #Rhino ✏️

Ryan Rosburg

[jbcarol]

 Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  4h 4 hours ago

Updated story on Mizzou officially hiring Corey Tate, with quotes from Tate & Anderson http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/mizzou-officially-adds-tate-to-basketball-staff/article_924c398f-cc99-5974-8169-8b2c44a377b5.html ...

Corey Tate's St. Louis Eagles Nike EYBL team still has sessions in Houston (May 8-10) and Minneapolis (May 23-25)

[mizzouman]

Mizzou Basketball @MizzouHoops  ·  Apr 23

Congratulations to @RyRos44, who has been named to the Winter @SEC Academic Honor Roll! #Rhino ✏️

Ryan Rosburg

Our GPA guy... 

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  2h 2 hours ago

Brownsburg (IN) SG KJ Walton begins his visit to #Mizzou today and could commit and take Tigers' one remaining scholarship on 15-16 roster.

KJ Walton said of #Mizzou: "The coaching staff's great. I've got a great relationship with Coach Anderson, Coach Fulford."

Brownsburg (IN) Coach Steve Lynch on KJ Walton: "KJ has great first-step quickness. He's a very explosive player." Can get to front of rim.

Walton acknowledged a big reason he was under-recruited was because of academic struggles early in high school - he feels confident he's put himself in position to qualify academically.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts @NextCats  ·  May 14

On the blog: Taylor County basketball star David Sloan picked up a scholarship offer from Missouri earlier today http://bit.ly/1GazSJ1

[jbcarol]

Q&A with Kim Anderson

He filled a vacancy on his staff last week when he officially hired former MU player Corey Tate for the position created by the departure of former associate head coach Tim Fuller. He's signed recruits Terrence Phillips, Martavian Payne and Russell Woods and last weekend received a verbal commitment from K.J. Walton to take the final open scholarship on next season's roster.

He's also working for a new boss in Mack Rhoades.



Q: Are you anticipating somebody leaving?

A: No, not necessarily. ... It's May. I think there's still a lot of movement in coaching. Internally, I don't know if anyone's going to leave this staff. ... I could potentially add another position, too, so we're talking whether it would be "Special assistant to the head coach" or ... .

Q: Like what (former Auburn Coach) Tony Barbee was last year at Kentucky?

A: Something like that or, I don't even know what the name of the position would be. Now, it would be restricted. There would only be certain things you could do...

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  May 19

#Mizzou announced the signing of Brownsburg (Ind.) shooting guard K.J. Walton, who committed on a visit to Columbia on May 8.

Kim Anderson on K.J. Walton: "He is an outstanding athlete who has the ability to score from multiple guard positions."

Anderson also said Walton has the "potential to be an elite defender." He averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals as HS senior.

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  18h 18 hours ago

Missouri basketball notes: Anderson will have to adjust to new personnel - Columbia Daily Tribune http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/anderson-will-have-to-adjust-to-new-personnel/article_36e90916-522d-5fd4-be46-79d447d56616.html ...

Anderson admits it's a team that doesn't have much size, with senior Ryan Rosburg the only true center on the roster, joined by thinner forwards Jakeenan Gant and D'Angelo Allen along with newcomers Russell Woods, a 6-foot-8 junior college transfer, and Kevin Puryear, a 6-7 freshman.

Tigers have options on the perimeter with KJ Walton joining returners Wes Clark, Montaque Gill-Caesar, Namon Wright and Tramaine Isabell along with newcomers Martavian Payne, a junior college transfer, and freshmen Terrence Phillips and Cullen VanLeer.

"We're going to have to look at how we play," Anderson said Wednesday. "Whether we play with four guards? We're going to be probably smaller."

How exactly the players fit together in the high-low motion offense Anderson adopted from Kansas Coach Bill Self during his time at Central Missouri and began installing last season at Missouri remains to be seen.

"You've got to be willing to change. You've got to be willing to do that," he said. "But you also just spent 12 months and didn't have a great year teaching an offense to a guy, and now you're going throw that out the window. So it'll basically be like me riding in here again and starting over."

Anderson had great success with the offense during his tenure at Central Missouri, which culminated with a Division II national championship two seasons ago. He believes in it, and he in no way thinks Missouri's struggles last season — when they averaged 60.5 points and shot 40.3 percent from the field — were the result of the system being flawed.

[jbcarol]

 Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  8h 8 hours ago

From today's P-D: Mizzou puts faith in freshman floor general http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/mizzou-puts-faith-in-freshman-floor-general/article_5fca7f86-1e46-56e4-99b5-9ba53a85fb96.html ...

Rob Fulford had watched Terrence Phillips play basketball for four years and loved everything he saw from the point guard at Oak Hill Academy.

But one pivotal question nagged at Fulford: Why was he the only one so smitten?

Phillips, a 5-11 natural passer with NBA bloodlines, wasn't commanding much interest despite playing for one of the country's high-profile prep programs, a place that's produced scores of Division I recruits and NBA players.

Fulford, the former coach at Huntington Prep in West Virginia who joined Mizzou's staff last summer, called longtime Oak Hill coach Steve Smith to solve the mystery.

"I said, 'Coach, what am I missing? Terrence's recruitment, from a high-major standpoint, there aren't a ton of people involved with him,'" Fulford said. "He said it best, 'Rob, I'm just telling you, they're missing the boat on this one.'"

Missouri coach Kim Anderson, after some urging from Fulford, soon became the captain of that boat...

[jbcarol]

Jeff Rabjohns @JeffRabjohns  ·  May 20
Indianapolis Tech 2016 G @Cj_Walker1 said his final 7 are Butler, Florida State, Wichita State, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Missouri and Illinois.

Cj Walker @Cj_Walker1  ·  May 20
And my Top 7 are (No Order)
Butler                 
Flordia State.       
Wichita State
Xavier
Pittsburgh
Missouri
Illinois

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 17h17 hours ago

Blog: Texas A&M, Ole Miss will join Arkansas as Missouri's permanent basketball rivals http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/texas-a-m-ole-miss-will-join-arkansas-as-missouri/article_8ea56f0b-ea8c-5882-8083-56477c34f317.html ...

Still, not a terrible draw for the Tigers picking up a school it already has some history with in Texas A&M and another in Mississippi that has finished no worse than tied for sixth in the league standings the last three seasons and that is investing in basketball with the opening of a new arena this season.

Missouri is 21-22 all-time against Arkansas, 1-4 all-time against Mississippi and 16-13 all-time against Texas A&M.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik Jun 3

#Mizzou Coach Kim Anderson was inducted into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Hall of Fame on Wednesday night in KC.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria  20m20 minutes ago Manhattan, NY
The Canadian U19 pool is impressive and includes:
Dillon Brooks
Teki Gill-Caesar
Chris Egi
Justin Jackson
Jalen Poyser

but no Jamal Murray

[jbcarol]

Sonny Bairos ‏@sonnybairos 4h4 hours ago

Montaque Gill-Caeser not playing #FIBAU19 due to back spasms. Would've certainly made team. Decided to concentrate on getting fully healthy.

[jbcarol]

Kellis Robinett ‏@KellisRobinett 5h5 hours ago

Bruce Weber says he has talked with Kim Anderson about playing a recurring K-State/Missouri game in KC http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/kansas-state/article23843920.html ...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  2 minutes ago

Anderson said Wes Clark has a dislocated elbow and is done for the year.

Anderson said he was going to Illinois recruiting on Wednesday night, and he said he looked out and "the right propeller quit propelling."

Anderson said there were police cars, fire engines and ambulances when the plane landed in St. Clair, Mo.

Anderson getting choked up talking about the first responders to the emergency landing.

Anderson: "I don't know how much danger we were in," but he said he wanted to thank everyone.

Anderson got a ride back to Columbia from some first responders and said he learned a lot about their jobs.

Anderson: "You just kind of pick it up and keep going." Said Tigers just have to keep trying to figure out how to win a game.

Wes Clark ‏@Im_back_15 14h14 hours ago

By the grace of god, it's official... I'm back 🙏

[Inhogswetrust]

Kellis Robinett ‏@KellisRobinett 5h5 hours ago

Bruce Weber says he has talked with Kim Anderson about playing a recurring K-State/Missouri game in KC http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/kansas-state/article23843920.html ...

I actually think for them that is a great idea......................Maybe should do so in football as well. That is kind of a way to slap KU which is a good thing for both!

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 2h2 hours ago

Missouri basketball players chose to stick together and are looking to lead a turnaround - Columbia Daily Tribune http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/returners-putting-in-work-so-they-can-try-to-lead/article_38d8523e-c603-584a-bc86-46dfb5b2f178.html ...

Gloom gripped Missouri basketball fans long before March, when a dreary season ended. If there was relief that it was over with a loss to South Carolina in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, there remained fear that things would get worse in the offseason with an exodus of players from an already-depleted roster.

The news on March 31 that leading scorer and rebounder Johnathan Williams III was planning to transfer — along with Deuce Bello's departure a week later — added to the growing dread.

It appears those concerns were for naught...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik  Jun 17
Blog: Clark glad to be back on court and other #Mizzou basketball notes http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/clark-glad-to-be-back-on-court-and-other-mu/article_77925501-e465-5325-8db2-9a1b6438c4d5.html ...

More than four months have passed since Wes Clark walked off the court in agony at Colonial Life Arena with a dislocated right elbow in the second half of the Missouri basketball team's loss to South Carolina.

He was back on the floor, handling the ball and running with his teammates without restriction Tuesday afternoon in 5-on-5 workouts in the practice gym at Mizzou Arena and felt pretty fortunate.

"I think he's good," Anderson said. "I think at the beginning — I don't know what he said — but I think he had a little soreness when he extended, but to me he looks pretty good. I think we're still being a little bit cautious, but he's basically I think looked pretty good on the court."

• Gaining strength is a top priority for much of the Tigers' underclassmen-laden roster. Anderson said his players are doing weight training five days a week at this point in the summer under the direction of strength and conditioning coach Matt Herring.

"We're doing some new stuff in the weight room," Anderson said. "Last week we spent a lot of time testing. We actually tested them on some stuff from the NBA pre-draft camp, so they can kind of compare themselves with guys, and then when we complete that we're going to rank them out. We may not share the thing as a group, but with each guy we're going to kind of show them where they're at relative to the average, and I think that's been good. We've just done more evaluation in the weight room. We evaluate the guys every day now in the weight room. Matt and the two people that help him every day, they evaluate every player every day, which kind of gives a little motivation maybe to work in the weight room."

• No matter the results of their efforts in the weight room this summer, the Tigers are still going to be undersized next season. Anderson is preparing to adjust to that reality and has had his players working with more four-out, one-in sets during offseason workouts.

"We're probably going to spread the floor more," he said...

[jbcarol]

 Dave Matter ‏@Dave_Matter Jun 25

More online #Mizzou hoops notes if you missed yesterday: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/mizzou/eye-on-the-tigers/mizzou-rookies-impress-anderson-veterans/article_d6c22031-c0d2-5ea0-a8bf-3337de11066a.html ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. • Summer workouts began last week for Kim Anderson's Missouri basketball team, with 11 of the team's 13 scholarship players for the upcoming season taking part.

Sophomore guard Montaque Gill-Caesar is still in Canada nursing his sore back, while junior forward Russell Woods, a junior college transfer, is taking one last course before he can enroll at Mizzou. Gill-Caesar had planned to play for Canada's U-19 team this summer, but when he experienced some back spasms earlier this month, he opted to pull out of the tryouts but stay in Canada for a few weeks while taking an online course.

Anderson said he expects Gill-Caesar to rejoin the Tigers in July. Anderson said he has no concerns about Woods making it to campus and expects him in Columbia by August at the latest.

"They have added an energy, a youthful exuberance," Anderson said. "They're talented, but they know they have to get better, too. Their work ethic has been phenomenal. They're in the gym late at night. They're in the gym after practice. They've brought something to the table. ... The new guys have come in with an enthusiasm and exuberance that I think have helped everybody. They've helped the old guys, too."

After a 9-23 season and last-place finish in the SEC, the roster makeover seems to have lifted the spirits of the veterans who experienced last year's misery.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik  51m51 minutes ago
ICYMI: #Mizzou assistant Fulford looking to assert himself more in second season http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/fulford-looking-to-assert-himself-more-in-second-season/article_fcfa90ff-74f4-569c-b032-3174f20e23d8.html ...

Missouri assistant Rob Fulford couldn't recall the eye-popping moments from his first year coaching in Division I basketball.

To Fulford, there weren't any.

"It was a great learning experience for all of us, myself included, and the other members of the coaching staff and the players," Fulford said last week. "I think one of the things that you find out real quick in a situation like that: Teams have got to come together from a leadership standpoint on the floor, off the floor. You see when things aren't going well what guys you can really count on and, honestly, what guys that you can't.

"There's not that big an adjustment from high school to college," Fulford said. "I think it just has a different name. Coaching's coaching. Some of your better coaches in college now were high school coaches."

Now that Fulford — who marked the one-year anniversary of his hiring Tuesday — has had a chance to see that firsthand, Kim Anderson is looking to hear more from him this season. They, along with assistants Brad Loos and Corey Tate, are tasked with turning around a team that went 9-23 and finished last in the SEC.

"He's a very good basketball coach," Anderson said...

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik Jun 29

Blog: Anderson likes what he's seen from Tigers' newcomers http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/sec-teleconference-anderson-likes-what-he-s-seen-from-tigers/article_621740ff-26a9-5317-b545-982bab34ab39.html ...

Missouri Coach Kim Anderson: We've had a good summer so far, and we're in Week 4 of our summer school, and so we're nearing the end of the halfway mark. I've been really pleased to have Wes Clark back. His elbow injury seems to have healed very well. I think he still has some soreness, but I think that's pretty common for the type of injury that he had. So it's good to have him back. He's a guy that is a junior, and we're a young team. We have nine freshmen and sophomores on our team, so having that type of leadership back is really good.

"All of our guys are on campus with the exception of Russ Woods, who's finishing a course in junior college. He should be in in August, and then Teki Gill-Caesar—his plan was originally to be part of the Canada U19 team. He had some back issues that have plagued him for quite a while now. He's still in Canada, and the plan was for him to stay there the first four weeks, so that's kind of a rundown of our team."

On Missouri's crop of newcomers ...

"I really like our recruiting class. I guess very few coaches ever come on and say they didn't like their recruiting class, but these guys have really brought an energy level to our program and an exuberance. They're guys, they're in the gym all the time. And it's a good mix of guys. Terrence Phillips is a point guard who's just got an unbelievable amount of energy. Cullen VanLeer's a guy who can really shoot the basketball. Martavian Payne is a junior college player who's kind of a combo-type guard. Kevin Puryear from Kansas City, from Blue Springs South, won a state championship. He's a rugged, 3-4 type player. K.J. Walton from Indianapolis, who signed pretty late, has really been (a surprise). I knew he was a good player. He's probably better than I thought he was. Then I think (adding) Russ Woods, I think that will add something on the inside. So I like the group. I think they'll bring something to our team. Even though they're still young, I think they'll bring an energy level that will help us."

On how offensive and defensive schemes have evolved since moving from Central Missouri ...

"We did a lot of the same things last year. I think this year's team, we're not going to be real big. So I think we'll probably play maybe a little bit more spread. I think it remains to be seen..."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/MizzouHoops/status/635559013271236609

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 14h14 hours ago

Blog: #Mizzou showing signs of improved chemistry this preseason (and other notes) http://www.columbiatribune.com/blogs/courtside_view/tigers-showing-signs-of-improved-chemistry-this-preseason-and-other/article_0b20ff31-1390-529c-a347-176185aaf0d4.html ...

A summer of strength-training and conditioning combined with individual skill development — work that has continued over the past month since the start of the fall semester — has left Kim Anderson feeling better about his Missouri basketball team's chances of beginning a turnaround after a 9-23 season.

"They've worked hard in the weight room. We're probably in better condition than they were a year ago, are stronger than they were a year ago," Anderson said Friday afternoon...



Missouri lost three of its top four scorers — including top scorer and rebounder Johnathan Williams III — from what was the worst offensive team in the Southeastern Conference a year ago. The recruiting class he signed in his first full season didn't crack the nation's top 50. So the Tigers don't have much in the way of star power to try to lift them out of the league's cellar.

"The important thing for this team is going to be to play well together, to have good chemistry," Anderson said.

[jbcarol]

D1 Circuit ‏@D1Circuit  7h7 hours ago
Arkansas Wings F Mitchell Smith has committed to Missouri #SEC #Tigers @WingsElete @wingscoach10

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik Sep 19

Updated: Mitchell Smith, a 6-10 forward from Van Buren, Ark., becomes #Mizzou's first commit in 2016 recruiting class http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/arkansas-forward-smith-commits-to-missouri/article_cb35187c-4447-54df-ba86-4a3bba0753a9.html ...

[jbcarol]

Gabe DeArmond ‏@GabeDeArmond 17m17 minutes ago

Gabe DeArmond retweeted Russ Wood

As has been speculated for months. No #Mizzou visit for St. Louis product.

Russ Wood
‏@RussHoops

4-star PF Tyler Cook eliminates Arkansas, is down to Iowa & Florida. Iowa goes in-home Wed, Florida goes in-home Thur

[jbcarol]

 Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 4h4 hours ago

From today's Tribune: Tigers open practice today with plenty of questions http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/tigers-open-practice-with-plenty-of-questions/article_90fbbb9c-af30-5fb4-af7e-0ec05da1b005.html ...

Kim Anderson doesn't expect to have to do much to motivate a group of Missouri basketball players eager to avoid a repeat of last year's 9-23 season.

"The guys that are here, that stayed, I think they have a desire to obviously improve on the way that we played last year, the way the season went," he said. "It was a tough year. It was a challenging year. I really don't talk much about it. It's almost like you hope you get a do-over, but you don't."

The closest thing is to do better this season, and the Tigers will begin full-scale efforts toward that end today when they hold their first official practice.

It will be the first of 30 training sessions between now and the team's regular-season opener Nov. 13 against 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Wofford.

A year of familiarity with Anderson's staff and the college game has given returning players such as Namon Wright a better idea of how to maximize that time...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 12h12 hours ago

Minnesota big man Reed Nikko committed to Mizzou tonight after visiting Columbia this weekend. He's Tigers' 3rd commit in 2016 class.

Nikko said he got a chance to talk to #Mizzou players and heard "them talk about how much they enjoy the staff." Said that was tipping point