http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6249515


My inital reaction was one of overwhelming joy and happiness. However, as I took a few minutes to reflect on the situation I am kind of sad. I have come to dislike Anderson a little bit, which is a good thing for Missouri. That means Missouri is relevent in basketball, and I would much rather have Missouri relevent than irrelevent. The games are just so much more intense and fun when both teams are good or even great. I guess I can live with it either way, but this is definitely going to kill the meaning of the Border War hardcourt series in the same way KU's comically disasterous football team has killed the Border War football showdown. Heres to hopeing both Missouri's basketball team and KU's football team both rebound nicely and keep this as one of the most intense and hated rivalries in sports.

 

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I will still believe that when I see it. His agent has been leaking the information to get him more money. I will be surprised if he actually takes the Arkansas job just because there are so many reasons for him not to.

1. He is getting an extension and raise to 2 million a year (~10th highest paid coach in college bball) - was in the works before the season so his agent is pushing the money issue.
2. He just brought in the Pressey brothers last year who are the kids of his best friend and college room mate.
3. He is still very close to Nolan Richardson and he was run out of Arkansas on a rail enough to file a lawsuit against them.
4. An Arkansas booster shot one of Richardson's horses toward the end of his tenure. (can you say crazy)
5. At MU he is out of the Richardson shadow and building his own legacy while at Arkansas he would always be compared to Richardson.
6. 2 years ago he turned down the Alabama and Georgia jobs which are right there near his home town.
7. Last year he turned down Oregon for almost 3 million a year.
8. While Arkansas has a top recruiting class, one of its stars is a MO kid that Anderson did not recruit because he had character issues and wouldn't play his style - and he only coaches one style.

IF he goes, MU will be in a lurch considering we have no coach and no recruits signed for next year. But I don't think he does... Maybe I am too optimistic but there have been no actual facts reported by anyone related to Arkansas, Mizzou, or Anderson. Just speculation from Sexton, Richardson, and 'unnamed sources'...

 

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It is obvious he is either using this Arkansas job as a way to get more money out of Mizzou, or he has been using the Mizzou extention to get more money out of Arkansas. I do not think the way Richardson was treated will be a huge factor in Andersons decision, as it is an entirely new regime calling the shots at Arkansas now. As the article says they have honored Richardson and reached out to him recently. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, but I would love to see him stay at Missouri to hopefully keep the Border War rivalry exciting.

 

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I know you shouldn't hire a coach based upon your current personnel, but I think the VCU coach (Shaka Smart) could step into the team that MA has now and keep things rolling. We could even keep using the Fastest 40 slogan...

I'm probably overly optimistic, but if he goes, I would like to see Alden reach out to the coach of Butler (Brad Stevens). I'd also like Steve Fisher but he's pretty old. Another name people are throwing out is Buzz Williams of Marquette but I can't stand that guy... Maybe we just go after Danny Manning..

 

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Steve Fisher has said for a while that he plans to stay at SDSU until he retires.

 

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Well Mike Anderson said on March 4th that he planned to retire at Mizzou.. 19 days later he is now the coach of Arkansas..

But Fisher is like 66 years old so his is probably more believable.

 

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oh and I guess its official now..

No coach, no recruits (3 schollys to give), an the two Pressey brothers probably transfer (only 1 hurts but still)

Good thing our football team is good...

 

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I am both disappointed and greatly joyed to see him leave. While I love nothing more than watching Mizzou lose, I do like watching a good border battle with two ranked teams.

 

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