Arkansas’ Anderson “Happy” For Missouri

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When then Missouri basketball coach Mike Anderson slipped out a backdoor and dodged the Columbia media on his way to becoming Arkansas’ basketball coach, you can bet he didn’t expect to see the Tigers wind up as a conference foe the very next year. 

But that’s exactly what’s going to happen (provided the Tigers can escape the Big 12 shortly).

For his part, Anderson said all the right things in a press release yesterday:


“The University of Missouri is a wonderful fit for the Southeastern Conference and I am happy to see them join the league.  They are an excellent academic institution with a very good athletic program and a super fan base.  Arkansas and Missouri have a series history in men’s basketball which will continue next year.  I really enjoyed my time at Missouri and consider Gary Pinkel and Frank Haith good friends.  I look forward to seeing them and the Tigers as part of the SEC family.”


Uh, yeah.  There’s no question Missouri’s move to the SEC will be somewhat uncomfortable for the guy who left MU and an angry bunch of Tiger fans behind.  He won’t get a warm reception when he returns to Columbia, you can be sure of that.

But at least he left them in good shape.  At least that’s what he said last month:


“We left a very good basketball team there — one that could probably contend for a national championship.”


Wonder what Anderson’s good friend Haith thinks about that bit of pressure?