What could have been with Anderson
Extra Points
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: Sports
I believe that John Pelphrey is a good coach and is putting the pieces together to put Arkansas in position for a return to national respect and competitiveness.
But, wow!
You would be hard pressed to find an Arkansas fan who did not retire "Woo, Pig Sooie" for the "M-I-Z...Z-O-U" chant over the past two weeks.
That's because former Nolan Richardson-assistant Mike Anderson had Hog fans seeing shades of yester-year as his Tigers captured the Big 12 tournament title and advanced within a game of the Final Four before bowing out in a hard-fought 82-75 loss to top-seeded UConn.
He did it using the up-tempo, pressing style of play that he and Richardson perfected over the course of 17 years in Fayetteville. During that time, Richardson and his right-hand man won nearly 400 games and reached three Final Fours including the school's only championship in 1994 and a runner-up finish the following year.
As Anderson's "Fastest 40 Minutes" version of Richardson's pressure wrought havoc on the Tiger's opponents, including a thrilling 102-91 victory over No. 2 seed Memphis in the Sweet Sixteen, it left Arkansas fans regretting the fact that Anderson got away.
It is a shame that Anderson had no chance of being the 11th Arkansas basketball coach.
Not after Richardson was fired after uttering the phrase, "If they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take the job tomorrow," following a disappointing loss at Kentucky.
Until that point, many believed Anderson was the likely successor, but Richardson's messy firing effectively ended any chances of the pupil carrying on the teacher's legacy.
Anderson was too close to Richardson and there were too many egos involved - Richardson, former athletic director Frank Broyles and former chancellor John White - and too many burnt bridges to allow an Anderson-Arkansas union.
Looking back, it may have been the biggest mistake Arkansas has ever made.
Anderson was quickly hired as the head coach at UAB and recently said, "The minute I left (Arkansas), I left it behind."
The cupboard had been left bare for new Razorbacks coach Stan Heath, but things would have been different had Anderson gotten the job.
Current Philadelphia 76er's superstar Andre Igoudala was committed to the Razorbacks when Richardson was fired and asked for his release when Anderson was not hired. It's safe to say Igoudala would have made a sizeable impact on the program.
J.J. Sullinger transferred to Ohio State and was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes after averaging 9.4 points as a freshman for the Hogs.
Wen Mukubu never fit in Heath's system and transferred to play for Anderson at UAB. Mukubu averaged 14 points per game as a senior for the Blazers.
Those three players along with Jonathan Modica, Rashard Sullivan, Blake Eddins, Larry Satchell, Alonzo Lane and Dionisio Gomez would have formed the core of Anderson's first team.
But none of that ever came to fruition. Since Richardson was fired, Arkansas has been to three NCAA tournaments and won one tournament game. Meanwhile, Anderson has been to four NCAA's and one NIT while at UAB and Missouri. Anderson has won six NCAA tournament games and advanced to both the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.
Anderson took over a UAB program that was 44-45 in three seasons prior to his hiring and Missouri program riddled by an NCAA investigation from previous coach Quinn Snyder's tenure.
Despite less than stellar circumstances Anderson managed to rebuild both programs in remarkable time. Since Anderson's Blazers defeated Memphis in his final season in Birmingham the Tigers have run off 61 consecutive Conference USA victories. This season Anderson recorded the first 30 win season in Missouri basketball history.
Over the past seven years Anderson has gone 153-76 with his patented in-your-face style of pressure basketball captivating fans. Arkansas is 119-98 over the same period of time and has fallen from the ranks of elite programs as fan interest has waned.
Who knows, maybe it worked out for the best that Anderson was able to get out from under his mentor's shadow and imprint his own legacy on his own program.
Like the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. One thing has become painfully obvious, though.
It looks like Arkansas needed Mike Anderson a lot more than Mike Anderson needed Arkansas.
Jimmy Carter is a staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.
But, wow!
You would be hard pressed to find an Arkansas fan who did not retire "Woo, Pig Sooie" for the "M-I-Z...Z-O-U" chant over the past two weeks.
That's because former Nolan Richardson-assistant Mike Anderson had Hog fans seeing shades of yester-year as his Tigers captured the Big 12 tournament title and advanced within a game of the Final Four before bowing out in a hard-fought 82-75 loss to top-seeded UConn.
He did it using the up-tempo, pressing style of play that he and Richardson perfected over the course of 17 years in Fayetteville. During that time, Richardson and his right-hand man won nearly 400 games and reached three Final Fours including the school's only championship in 1994 and a runner-up finish the following year.
As Anderson's "Fastest 40 Minutes" version of Richardson's pressure wrought havoc on the Tiger's opponents, including a thrilling 102-91 victory over No. 2 seed Memphis in the Sweet Sixteen, it left Arkansas fans regretting the fact that Anderson got away.
It is a shame that Anderson had no chance of being the 11th Arkansas basketball coach.
Not after Richardson was fired after uttering the phrase, "If they go ahead and pay me my money, they can take the job tomorrow," following a disappointing loss at Kentucky.
Until that point, many believed Anderson was the likely successor, but Richardson's messy firing effectively ended any chances of the pupil carrying on the teacher's legacy.
Anderson was too close to Richardson and there were too many egos involved - Richardson, former athletic director Frank Broyles and former chancellor John White - and too many burnt bridges to allow an Anderson-Arkansas union.
Looking back, it may have been the biggest mistake Arkansas has ever made.
Anderson was quickly hired as the head coach at UAB and recently said, "The minute I left (Arkansas), I left it behind."
The cupboard had been left bare for new Razorbacks coach Stan Heath, but things would have been different had Anderson gotten the job.
Current Philadelphia 76er's superstar Andre Igoudala was committed to the Razorbacks when Richardson was fired and asked for his release when Anderson was not hired. It's safe to say Igoudala would have made a sizeable impact on the program.
J.J. Sullinger transferred to Ohio State and was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes after averaging 9.4 points as a freshman for the Hogs.
Wen Mukubu never fit in Heath's system and transferred to play for Anderson at UAB. Mukubu averaged 14 points per game as a senior for the Blazers.
Those three players along with Jonathan Modica, Rashard Sullivan, Blake Eddins, Larry Satchell, Alonzo Lane and Dionisio Gomez would have formed the core of Anderson's first team.
But none of that ever came to fruition. Since Richardson was fired, Arkansas has been to three NCAA tournaments and won one tournament game. Meanwhile, Anderson has been to four NCAA's and one NIT while at UAB and Missouri. Anderson has won six NCAA tournament games and advanced to both the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.
Anderson took over a UAB program that was 44-45 in three seasons prior to his hiring and Missouri program riddled by an NCAA investigation from previous coach Quinn Snyder's tenure.
Despite less than stellar circumstances Anderson managed to rebuild both programs in remarkable time. Since Anderson's Blazers defeated Memphis in his final season in Birmingham the Tigers have run off 61 consecutive Conference USA victories. This season Anderson recorded the first 30 win season in Missouri basketball history.
Over the past seven years Anderson has gone 153-76 with his patented in-your-face style of pressure basketball captivating fans. Arkansas is 119-98 over the same period of time and has fallen from the ranks of elite programs as fan interest has waned.
Who knows, maybe it worked out for the best that Anderson was able to get out from under his mentor's shadow and imprint his own legacy on his own program.
Like the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. One thing has become painfully obvious, though.
It looks like Arkansas needed Mike Anderson a lot more than Mike Anderson needed Arkansas.
Jimmy Carter is a staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Weaver
posted 4/01/09 @ 8:27 AM CST
I was a freshman at UA during the Richardson implosion; it was saddening enough to see Nolan--one of my childhood heroes--give the UA a vote of no confidence and get drummed out as he did. (Continued…)
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