Tiger basketball hopes to move on from past arrests

Three players were arrested last year, leading to a zero-tolerance policy.

By Jacob Beran

Published Nov. 13, 2008

As the MU football season draws to a close, Tiger fans across the campus and nation are already anticipating the start of the men's basketball season. The Tigers not only hope to improve on last year's season on the court, where the final buzzer sealed the Tigers' fate against Nebraska in the Big 12 tournament, but also off of the court.

Last year's squad saw three players - Darryl Butterfield, Stefhon Hannah and Jason Horton - arrested in two separate incidents.

In July, after DeMarre Carrol was shot in the ankle outside the now-defunct Club Tropicana in downtown Columbia, coach Mike Anderson implemented what he called a "zero-tolerance policy," which states players must be home by midnight on weekends and by 11 p.m. on weeknights.

Three players were arrested later in the season during the week of Jan. 27, 2007, and were only suspended from play. Hannah was later expelled from the team because of sub-standard grades.

"Our policy remains consistent from last year," athletic department spokesman David Reiter said.

Last year's arrests aren't weighing down coach Mike Anderson and the basketball team this season, though.

"We've turned the page," Anderson said. "We're not going to look back on last year because the only thing we're worried about is being successful this season."