Dec. 7, 2006

Columbia, Mo. - By Brian Corcoran, Media Relations Student-Assistant

At guard, a 6-3 freshman from Marietta, Georgia, number 4, J.T. Tiller.

That was a pre-game announcement University of Alabama at Birmingham fans expected to hear this season when the Blazers took the court for the 2006-07 season. Those expectations changed dramatically, in late March, however, when Head Coach Mike Anderson left his boyhood home (Birmingham, Ala.) to take over the head coaching duties at the University of Missouri.

Tiller originally signed to play for UAB last season, where Anderson led the rebuilding efforts for a once struggling program. After Anderson made the move to Missouri, though, Tiller quickly followed and became one of the rare student-athletes to commit and sign with the same coach twice in one season.

"I felt like Coach Anderson was the best coach that fit my style of play," J.T. Tiller said. "I didn't want to lose out on the opportunity to play in his system because he left UAB. I didn't want to play for another coach, I wanted to play for Coach Anderson."

Speaking of style, Coach Anderson and Tiller agree on one thing and that is his style defense. From his first day at Mizzou, Coach Anderson spoke about his style of play being predicated on the defensive end of the floor and Tiller couldn't agree more.

"We want to play high-pressure defense," Tiller said. "We want to stop you from scoring and put the pressure on you on the offensive end of the floor with our transition game."

Despite his natural fit into Anderson's system, being a freshman can be tough. New to the collegiate lifestyle, freshmen must adapt to a new school, a new coach and sometimes, a completely new style of play. Playing with and against more experienced opposition, can also make it difficult to see playing time early on. That's where Tiller's defensive reputation comes into play.

"I feel like I can help this team with my defensive energy," Tiller said. "I need to bring that energy to this team every time I step on the court."

Besides Tiller's defense and energy, he can be a positive influence off the court as well, especially in the locker room.

"I'm a laid back, funny type of dude," Tiller said. "I just like to crack jokes. I like to find a way to release the pressure, I don't like all the tension and seriousness." Tiller isn't alone in his comedy stylings, stating that "Jason (Horton) and definitely Keon (Lawrence)" also like to keep things light and pressure-free for the before big games.

With a new coach and a lot of new players, there are a number of obstacles for this year's men's basketball squad to overcome. Tiller, however, is confident that this year's team is prepared to meet those obstacles and that the group has already taken a big step in the right direction.

"I think we've probably already overcame the most difficult obstacle by gelling and coming together as a team," Tiller said. "After that, everything just rolls along."

Tiller also adds that Coach Anderson played a big part in the team's cohesiveness. "He encourages one unit, one family, one team. And when that comes together, you can't break a family, and that is what Coach Anderson teaches us and encourages us to do."

Hopefully everything else will roll along, as Tiller will have many things to deal with in his rookie year. He must adapt to now playing major college basketball and all the responsibilities that come with it. "This (basketball) is ridiculous, this is really a job. If it's not basketball, it's school. There is very little time for extracurricular activities. It (basketball) really teaches you responsibility."

It sounds as if Tiller definitely has his priorities in order, which should come as no surprise. Tiller has always been able to balance the pressures of school and sports, graduating from Wheeler high school in Georgia with a 3.9 GPA.

Besides Tiller's outstanding academic accomplishments in high school, he will be able to bring a winning attitude and mind-set to the Missouri basketball team. In high school, Tiller's team finished in USA Today's Super 25 each of his last two seasons, recording a 31-1 record his junior season to earn a Georgia Class AA state championship and a top 20 national ranking to finish the season.

Missouri track and field head coach Rick McGuire might be hoping that Tiller can bring his talents outdoors to the track team this spring after basketball is finished. In high school, Tiller was an accomplished triple jumper, finishing second in the Georgia High School State Championships as a senior. Tiller hopes to try track but it may be tough with basketball.

"I want to do triple jump but I don't know if track would actually fit in with the basketball schedule, but I would love to do track."