Basketball recruits ready to help team

The new Missouri recruits show promise of fitting Anderson's system.

By Lee Zucker

Published Oct. 16, 2008

Out of the 13 players on the men's basketball roster, seven have never played for Missouri before.

Coach Mike Anderson called it refreshing to have so much youth. He also said experience is the greatest teacher in the Tigers' present situation.

The combination of youth and experience helps build depth in Anderson's team. This year, unlike any other, Anderson has the ability to develop new recruits from the start into the players he wanted to add to his system for years.

"I think the unique thing about (the recruiting class) is that we have so many of them," Anderson said. "When I came here with the guys we had, it was kind of like having freshmen, especially to play for me. Having an opportunity with this group here, I'm excited because these guys were recruited here to play a brand of basketball that shows their talents."

Since Anderson stepped foot in Missouri's locker room two years ago, the veterans have leaned on him to teach his brand of basketball and his form of recruitment, senior forward Leo Lyons said. Now that Anderson has had the chance to build with new recruits, he relies on his players to build up his freshmen.

"Hopefully the four seniors can divide the leadership and put the Missouri basketball team where I think it should be," he said. "I think their commitment this summer has really told me what they're about."

It's the leadership and experience the seniors have already provided to these freshmen, even over the summer, that are helping them transition from the high school court to the college arena, freshman guard Marcus Denmon said.

Although the gap between newcomers and veterans to the Missouri team is rather imbalanced, there are more options for Anderson to use because of the depth of the team.

"I like it because we have options and I also like it now because there's competition," Anderson said. "When there's competition, it's healthy for a basketball team."

That competitive aspect of the game, even for playing time, is something recruits often struggle to understand.

"It's a different speed," sophomore forward Justin Safford said. "Guys are a lot stronger than in high school. You have your butterflies and jitters before, but you get adapted to it. The progress (the freshmen) have made from when they got here to now at the end of the off-season has been like night and day. They've really worked hard, all of them."

The veterans have noticed their hard work and dedication to the team, Lyons said, noting that their confidence will benefit the team as a whole.

"For these guys, it's a privilege to have an opportunity to play here," Anderson said. "It's a privilege to put on that Missouri Tiger uniform. I think these guys want to be Tigers, and they're excited about the program. They want to make things happen."

The Tigers begin their season with the Black and Gold exhibition game on Oct. 29 at Mizzou Arena.