Column: Anderson, the man for MU
Published March 3, 2006
With Senior Night around the corner and the basketball season coming to its merciful end, perhaps it's time to join the team (and the athletic department) in looking ahead to next season.
The past 30 days have all but obliterated the Tigers' chances for postseason play, with an NCAA Tournament bid about as likely as a tuition cut. In case you were lucky enough to be in a coma, here's a quick recap.
Tuesday's loss at Iowa State left the Tigers at an abysmal 11-15 in the midst of what could be the most disheartening month MU men's basketball has ever seen.
The nightmare began Jan. 21, when the Iowa State Cyclones curb-checked MU at home, whipping the Tigers by 24. Since then, the team has lost 10 of the past 11 games, and plays with about as much intensity as a litter of sleepy kittens. Its lone victory came against Kansas State at the Centennial Celebration/Head Coach Career Fair.
And aside from the former Tigers whose names surfaced at the All-Century Game (including Anthony Peeler and Jon Sundvold), there are a few national candidates to replace former coach Quin Snyder who merit discussion. So in true MC Hammer fashion, let's break it down.
John Calipari: As Hammer might put it, you can't touch this. Calipari is in his sixth season at Memphis, and his Tigers are No. 3 in the nation. His team has won 15 games in a row, and at 25-2, should be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Calipari has plenty of reasons to stay put. His standout sophomore point guard, Darius Washington Jr. comes to mind, along with a relatively young team and a solid recruiting base. Not to mention the city's sacred B's: blues and barbeque.
John Beilein: Although the West Virginia coach is more likely than Calipari to leave his post, I'm not sold on Beilein's interpretation of the game. His teams live and die by the three-point shot — the Mountaineers have launched more than 800 this season — and that brand of basketball might not fly in the interior-dominated Big 12.
Beilein also is fond of the zone defense, one that MU consistently proves it doesn't understand. That's not to say it can't be taught, but in the short-run, Beilein could have serious problems with the players he would inherit.
Mike Anderson: The Alabama-Birmingham coach is by far the best fit for MU's roster. Anderson's "40 minutes of hell" utilizes the full-court press from buzzer to buzzer, wearing out opponents and increasing the number of possessions in the game.
It's athleticism over execution. What better for a team that couldn't handle the elementary ball-screens of the motion offense? Anderson has the best chance of harnessing the raw talent of players such as sophomore Marshall Brown, freshman Leo Lyons and sophomore Glen Dandridge and his style would mean a fresh, exciting direction for MU basketball.