July 6, 2006

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Columbia, Mo. - Optimism and anticipation circulate through the University of Missouri men's basketball camp as Head Coach Mike Anderson takes the reigns for his first season in Columbia. Noted for his defensive-minded, fast-paced approach to the game of basketball, Anderson's arrival has reinvigorated the Tiger faithful and sparked optimism surrounding a program looking to rekindle the postseason magic of its the not-so-distant past.

From his opening press conference, Anderson spoke of Mizzou's history, tradition and winning. He spoke of his coaching style, predicated on defense, and how it was going to help the Mizzou nation not only rally around their basketball program once again, but identify it as one similar to the great teams fielded by legendary sideline boss Norm Stewart.

He spoke of winning championships, including the "Big One" and his quest to raise banners inside the gorgeous 15,061-seat Mizzou Arena. After all, if any coach in the Big 12 Conference knows about winning championships, it's Anderson. As a player, the Birmingham, Ala., native won an NIT title under Nolan Richardson at the University of Tulsa and won numerous Southeastern Conference titles alongside his mentor (Richardson) at the University of Arkansas. The duo worked together to make 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, three appearances in the Final Four and two appearances in the national title game, culminating with a national championship trophy at the conclusion of the 1993-94 season.

As a head coach, Anderson guided a once down-trodden UAB program back to postseason glory. The 46-year-old led the Blazers to four consecutive postseason appearances, three consecutive NCAA berths, a spot in the Sweet 16 and a Conference USA title in 2003-04. He took over a program that had won just 13 games the season before his arrival and turned it into one of the nation's biggest draws, highlighted by his exciting approach to the game, a .685 winning percentage and four straight 20-win campaigns.

How fast can Anderson make his mark at Mizzou? ... He already has. Consider this, the first year head coach has seven newcomers entering his program, coupled with the return of starters Marshall Brown and Jason Horton and letterwinners Glen Dandridge, Kalen Grimes, Matt Lawrence, Leo Lyons and Marcus Watkins. New to the Tiger family are a pair of the nation's top 150 high school standouts (Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller) and junior college All-American Stefhon Hannah. He also welcomes JUCO posts Darryl Butterfield and Vaidatos Volkus and four-year transfers DeMarre Carroll (Vanderbilt) and Michael Anderson (UAB) as he looks to return Mizzou basketball to its accustomed place among the nation's most visible programs and make Columbia, Mo., once again one of the most feared destinations in college basketball.

Perimeter Preview

Two-year starter Jason Horton leads the Mizzou backcourt, which welcomes key newcomers, Stefhon Hannah, Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller in addition to the return of sophomore sharp-shooter Matt Lawrence.

The leader of a relatively young, athletic unit, Horton returns as the most experienced Tiger after having started each of his first two seasons in Black & Gold. The junior from Dallas has made a team-leading 42 starts in two years and has logged an average of 30.7 minutes per game over his tenure. Among team-leaders at 32.7 minutes per game during Big 12 play last season, Horton saw his productivity increase in Conference action, posting improved numbers of 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and a 1.95-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Overall, Horton averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds, but paced the club and ranked fifth in the Big 12 Conference with 4.5 assists per game. His 4.5 assists ranked second all-time amongst Missouri sophomores and his 121 total dimes ranked fourth. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound floor general also ranked among Big 12 leaders with a 1.66-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (in all games) and became just the sixth Tiger to record 100 assists in back-to-back seasons.

Jason Horton returns after ranking among the Big 12 leaders in assists per game last season

Another improved element of Horton's game came on the defensive end where he recorded a team-leading 43 steals and routinely held opposing guards in check. Horton held Oklahoma's Terrell Everett to just 4-of-11 shooting in Mizzou's 71-69 win in Norman, Okla., and forced the All-Big 12 guard into seven turnovers. He also put the clamps on McDonald's All-America guard Byron Eaton of Oklahoma State, holding him to just two points and six turnovers.

"Jason gives us an experienced player in the backcourt and I believe this style of play will help showcase his abilities," Head Coach Mike Anderson said. "Jason was among the top assist guys in this league a year ago and he'll fit well into what we do. It's always easier to speed up your game as opposed to slowing it down and I believe Jason will benefit from that."

Joining Horton as a returner in the backcourt is the 6-foot-7 Lawrence. Lawrence impressed the Tiger faithful not only with his efficient play, but his willingness to take and hit big shots. Lawrence finished fifth on the team with nine three-pointers and shot a team-leading 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. The St. Louis native hit multiple treys in games vs. Arkansas and Nebraska and buried a huge triple with 12:36 remaining in Mizzou's upset win at No. 22 Oklahoma. One unheralded aspect of Lawrence's game as a rookie was his ability to protect the basketball, as he averaged just one turnover per 17.2 minutes of action, while recording seven steals and dishing out five assists.

Matt Lawrence had a knack for making big shots as a freshman

"When I see Matt Lawrence, I see a savvy player," Anderson said. "He brings a high basketball IQ and he's obviously a very good perimeter shooter. Matt brings a good understanding of how to play the game and that becomes apparent when you watch him."

A complement to Horton and Lawrence is the junior college All-American Hannah. One of the most coveted players during the 2006 late signing period, Hannah signed with Missouri, after initially being recruited by Anderson to UAB. Listed by many recruiting analysts to be the top "pure" point guard entering the Division I ranks from JC ranks this season, Hannah flashed his versatility early and often for Head Coach Greg Heiar's Indians and led his club to a 27-3 overall mark and a No. 1 National Junior College Athletics Association ranking. Hannah averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 assists and 3.1 steals as a sophomore and earned Panhandle Conference Player of the Year recognition. Ranked among the Top 10 guards in the junior college ranks, Hannah ranked No. 17 nationally with his 6.5 assists per game and No. 11 with 3.1 steals, abilities that should pay dividends in Anderson's fast-paced system. Another inherent trait with regards to Hannah's game is his knack for winning. Over his junior college career, Hannah led Chipola to a combined 60-7 overall record, including a fourth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan. During his rookie campaign the Indians were a school record 33-4 overall and Hannah earned All-Panhandle Conference accolades after averaging 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists.

"Stefhon is a winner," Anderson said. "He's won at every level of basketball and he does the things it takes to win basketball games. As a point guard, he has the ability to control the game on both ends of the floor. He plays very hard defensively and is certainly a good distributor of the basketball. Stefhon can also score. He was a scorer in high school and scored at a high level in junior college and we are obviously excited to have him in our program."

One of the more highly-regarded players entering the program this season is the high school standout Lawrence. The top scorer in the state of New Jersey as a senior (31.2 ppg.), Lawrence scored a remarkable 843 points during his final campaign to lead Weequahic High School to a 24-3 record and a berth into the New Jersey playoffs. A first team All-State pick at guard, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard became just the third player in Essex County history to top the 2,000-point plateau and added 8.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists to his impressive scoring numbers. A high school All-American that ranked among Rivals.com's Top 101 high school performers, Lawrence earned the nickname "Human Pogostick" due to his acrobatic dunks and athleticism, which helped him win the slam dunk championship at the New Jersey State Intercollegiate Athletics Association All-Star Game. He also won MVP honors in the contest after scoring a game-high 35 points.

Lawrence's stock continued to soar throughout the spring of his senior season when he led his AAU club to the Albert C. Donofrio Classic title. Lawrence averaged 34.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals in the five-game event and hit game-winning treys in the semifinals and finals. In that championship game, Lawrence scored a game-high 35 points despite facing the highly-touted combo of McDonald's All-Americans Wayne Ellington (North Carolina signee) and Gerald Henderson (Duke signee).

"Keon is a competitive young man that has a flare for the game of basketball," Anderson said. "The competition he faced while growing up helped to shape that. Remember, he is a freshman, but there are some things with Keon's game that you can't teach. He has tremendous instincts and feel on the offensive end and his biggest charge now will be to develop the rest of his game, along with his body. As his body develops, that will allow him to become a better defensive player."

Also entering the program is the freshman guard Tiller. A native of Marietta, Ga., Tiller originally signed with Anderson at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but followed the first year head coach to Columbia and is now a Tiger. One of the finest athletes in the state of Georgia last year, Tiller earned all-state recognition on the hardwood, but was also a nationally-ranked triple jumper and recorded a leap of 47-02.25" to finish second at the Georgia State High School Championships. A big guard at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Tiller fits the mold of Anderson guards to the "T" and brings a level of defensive-minded toughness that could allow him to see time at both backcourt slots. As a senior, Tiller was ranked among the nation's top 150 high school recruits and was tabbed the No. 37 guard by rivals.com. One of the top eight guards coming out of Georgia, the well-rounded Tiller averaged 14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.8 steals at Wheeler High School, a program that finished in USA Today's Super 25 high school poll twice during his high school career.

"When you talk about J.T., you talk about a guy that has won," Anderson said. "Everywhere he has played, he has won. When he steps on the floor, defense is on his mind and that defense will lead to offense. J.T. is an aggressive defender and a good distributor of the basketball and in time, he'll have a chance to really excel."

Filling out the backcourt is returning junior Nick Berardini and junior newcomer Michael Anderson Jr. Berardini enters his third season with the program and has been a selfless, team-first player since his arrival. Anderson, also a walk-on to the program, is the son of Coach Anderson and began his collegiate career at UAB before transferring to Mizzou. Anderson will sit out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA transfer guidelines.

Post Preview

Similar to the perimeter, the Tiger post is highlighted by the return of a talented junior starter, Marshall Brown. The athletic, 6-foot-6 forward started 27-of-28 games as a sophomore and is the top returning scorer (9.6 ppg.) and rebounder (4.8 rpg.) from the 2005-06 squad.

This game-winner by Marshall Brown gave the Tigers a 64-63 win over Nebraska

A fan-favorite initially for his acrobatic dunks, Brown quickly earned the reputation of being a game-clincher as he produced game-winning plays in contests at No. 22 Oklahoma and against Nebraska in the regular-season finale. Brown went toe-to-toe with Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, Oklahoma's Taj Gray, scoring a career high 21 points, which included two clutch free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining to break a 69-69 tie. The win gave Mizzou a 2-0 start in Big 12 play and handed OU its lone home loss of the season. The Austin, Texas, native also added six boards and a block to go with his 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. Brown flashed the heroics yet again in the regular-season finale vs. Nebraska, hitting a mid-lane floater with three seconds left and the Tigers trailing 63-62. The bucket secured a Mizzou win on Senior Day and helped teammates Jimmy McKinney and Kevin Young end their home careers with a victory.

"Marshall fits the mold in terms of up-tempo basketball," Anderson said. "As with each of these guys, there will be a learning curve, but I feel Marshall is willing to learn and willing to put in the work to become successful. I believe Marshall rebounds the ball well and he can really run the floor. Hopefully he'll be a guy that can slash to the basket for scoring opportunities and will be able to guard some of our opponent's better players to help us on defense. He's also one of our more experienced guys coming back, so we are excited to see Marshall develop."

In addition to his 9.6 points per game, Brown reached double figures 14 times, including 20 points in the opener vs. Sam Houston State and a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double against Eastern Illinois. Perhaps one of Brown's most unheralded performances came in the win over Kansas State on Feb. 12, where the Tigers snapped a six game losing streak. Brown scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed four rebounds, but his biggest play came following his own free throw miss, where he snared the errant shot over two Wildcats to keep the Tigers in possession late in the contest. Joining Brown on the block is senior forward Marcus Watkins. Despite his 6-foot-4 frame, Watkins makes up for his size with his athleticism and high basketball IQ. Watkins started six games during his first season in Columbia and helped the Tigers to a 5-1 record during that stretch, which included a 3-1 start to Big 12 play. Watkins logged 12.1 minutes per game as a junior in a reserve capacity, but finished strong, sparking a highly-anticipated senior season. Watkins helped carry the Tigers during Senior Day against Nebraska, scoring 11 points over a span of 4:46 midway through the second half to keep Mizzou close. With leading scorer Thomas Gardner on the bench, Watkins hit 4-of-4 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws to keep the Tiger deficit at eight, setting the stage for Mizzou's late-game surge and last-second win.

Marcus Watkins helped carry the Tigers to a 64-63 win over Nebraska with 11 points

"A guy like Marcus is very valuable to our basketball team," Anderson said. "He's a knowledgeable player and he's a coach's son. When Marcus is on the floor, he tends to think like a coach. This is his senior season, so he is looking to make an impact."

A third fixture at forward is junior Glen Dandridge. Like Watkins, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Dandridge made great strides during the second half of Big 12 play and saw his playing time rise dramatically under Interim Coach Melvin Watkins. Dandridge averaged 9.0 minutes per game on the season, but saw that time increase to 11.4 under Watkins, who took the reigns with seven games remaining. Dandridge rewarded Watkins and the Tigers by nearly doubling his scoring and rebounding output to nearly 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game and is in position for a breakout junior campaign following his late-season production. A native of Goochland, Va., Dandridge tied a career high with eight points in Mizzou's win over Kansas State and enjoyed an eight-point, seven-board effort against Colorado early in the Big 12 season. Dandridge made three starts on the year, including the dramatic 89-86 overtime win over Kansas and played a season high 20 minutes in a start at K-State. Tabbed as a sharp-shooting wing, Dandridge flashed his athleticism down the stretch, improving both on the glass and on the defensive end and could be one of the many Tigers to flourish in Anderson's up-tempo system.

Glen Dandridge came on strong during the second half of Big 12 play

"Hopefully this can be a coming out party for Glen," Anderson said. "He was one of those guys pegged with the potential label for a couple of years and hopefully this will be an opportunity for him to gain confidence and showcase his abilities. It's the same for a lot of these guys, they need a shot of confidence and that will come with playing and hopefully winning.

"Glen can really score," Anderson continued. "He can shoot the basketball and I think he has a tremendous physical presence. He has size, he can rebound and there are a lot of good things Glen can do to help this team."

Another player anticipating the move into Anderson's system is sophomore forward Leo Lyons. Lyons played in 25 games as a rookie and averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds, but displayed the type of play which have many feeling that Anderson's system could be tailor made to his skill set. An athletic, 6-foot-9 forward, Lyons battled through the customary growing pains of many collegiate freshman, but still played big roles in wins against Oklahoma State and Louisiana Monroe. Against Monroe, Lyons scored a career high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and narrowly missed a double-double with seven rebounds. In the following contest against OSU, Lyons hit all-three shots from the floor and grabbed five boards in the 69-61 win over the Pokes in the Big 12-opener.

Leo Lyons should benefit from Mike Anderson's up-tempo style of play in his second season with the program

"He's another one of those guys labeled with potential," Anderson said. "The key for Leo is to find his role on this basketball team and we'll define that role from day one. Once he understands that role, then he'll know what to expect day-in and day-out.

"On the floor, we see Leo as a skilled forward," Anderson said. "He's a guy with good size and skills and that's something we want to incorporate into our program, but again, like with Glen (Dandridge) the key will be for Leo to understand his role and gain confidence in his abilities."

While Brown, Watkins, Dandridge and Lyons provide considerable depth at forward, junior Kalen Grimes gives the Tigers some added muscle underneath. Like Dandridge, Grimes played improved basketball during the latter portions of his sophomore campaign and saw his productivity rise along with his playing time. Although he averaged 11.5 minutes per game on the season, that number rose to 12.8 over his final 20 games, which included a career-high 20 minutes against Eastern Illinois and 17 in games vs. Illinois, Louisiana Monroe, Texas A&M and Nebraska in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament. Grimes also increased his rebounding numbers during that stretch and averaged a team-best one board per every 3:45 of playing time. Perhaps Grimes' most efficient game came at home against Iowa State, where he grabbed a career high nine boards and tallied 11 points to narrowly miss his first career double-double. Second on the team in shooting percentage (49.1), Grimes also ranked second with 16 blocked shots and third with 36 offensive rebounds.

Kalen Grimes gives the Tigers some muscle in the paint

"For his size, Kalen is very athletic," Anderson said. "He can run the floor and is very rugged and that will help establish our game in the post. Defensively, he'll be able to body up on some of the league's bigger post players and he's a good shot-blocker. Once Kalen's role is defined, he'll become more comfortable with how to play the game."

Three newcomers also enter the fray in the post, although DeMarre Carroll, a transfer from Vanderbilt, will sit out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA transfer guidelines. Junior college transfers Darryl Butterfield and Vaidatos Volkus will be eligible, however, and should bolster Mizzou's rebounding and scoring abilities in the paint.

A tough, gritty performer, Butterfield adds size and muscle to Mizzou's frontcourt and brings solid experience after playing two seasons at the junior college level. An All-Region performer for former Mizzou standout Corey Tate at Mineral Area College, Butterfield is still learning the game of basketball after playing just two seasons in high school and two more at the JUCO level. A former prep quarterback at Miami's Carol Senior High School, the 6-foot-7, 225-pound Butterfield played on the same team as New York Giant second round selection Sinorice Moss and turned his focus to hoops after suffering hip an ankle injuries as a sophomore. Butterfield went on to earn team MVP accolades at Carol after averaging 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds and earned a scholarship to State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Mo., where he averaged 6.0 points and 5.8 boards for the 17-12 roadrunners. He then transferred to Mineral Area after the retirement of Coach Billy Barton, but finished his junior college career for Tate, averaging 8.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in an up-tempo system similar to Anderson's run-and-execute style of play being implemented at Mizzou.

"One thing I like about Darryl is that he wants to learn and become the best player he can possibly be," Anderson said. "He's an athletic guy that has the skills to play both inside and outside with the ball in his hands. He plays extremely hard and brings a level of maturity about him. He'll help this team in a number of ways and the transition for him into this system should go a little more smoothly after playing a similar style last season in junior college."

Like Butterfield, Volkus gives the Tigers another mature presence in the paint with the added ability to shoot from the perimeter. A standout at one of the nation's premiere junior college programs (Redlands Community College), Volkus was one of six players to average better than 8.0 points per game at Redlands after logging norms of 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds for Head Coach Steve Eck's squad. Third on the team with a 60.5 percent field goal percentage, Volkus earned honorable mention all-conference accolades as a freshman and should give Mizzou another quality piece on Anderson's first team in Columbia.

"I love his toughness," Anderson said. "He brings a blue-collar approach to the way he plays. He'll fight you to the end on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor and you want guys like that on your side. He takes tremendous pride in the way he competes and he has the opportunity to be one of our better post defenders."

It's easy to see why optimism surrounds this Mizzou basketball camp heading into Mike Anderson's initial season in Columbia. With a solid returning nucleus, seven new faces and a coaching staff experienced in the art of the program renaissance, Tiger fans are highly anticipating the 2006-07 campaign as Anderson's run-and-execute style of basketball prepares to make its Show-Me State debut in November.