FYP

Knowing what we know about Memphis and Coach Cal; I'm not sure Memphis is who I'd strive for.

I think CBB is more like football than we'd like to admit. The Blue Blood schools pick first, the 2nd tier schools in major conferences get the remnants...unless you're willing to pay for them.

Maybe I'm jaded here, but there's a reason the most talented team in MU history ended up nearly blowing the entire athletic department apart and set the program back 1/2 a decade+. That team was dirty, I absolutely believe it.

And besides, how many of those schools you reference have sustained success? It's usually a 2 or 3 year run, then they have to figure out how to go get another star and you're waiting another 4 or 5. How is that a lot different than what Anderson's doing. MU had a legitimate shot at Final 4 team, they just couldn't hit a couple of shots against U-Conn. Now we're searching for perimeter players that can play D and get us back to that level.

I'm not convinced that Anderson's any further away than he should be. His program is consistently competitive and it's absolutely capable of doing damage in the tournament. Should the University of Missouri have any claims to a higher standing than that?

I realize that he has a fair share of Marty in him, but the best Norm Stewart teams would shit down the throat of the best Anderson teams. Yeah, terribly small sample size at present, but the point remains.

I used Memphis because it's such a joke. Louisville might be a better comp. Even the niche that places like Gonzaga and Marquette have carved for themselves.

Anderson has had a nice run in the tournament. Quin had one, too, with similarly mehhish results in the regular season.

I see Mizzou as fully capable of being a consistent top 4 program in the conference. Most years probably being the 4.

RockMNation had a great write up about how much Norm benefitted from the internet not being around during his tenure.

http://www.rockmnation.com/2011/3/6/...l-say-it-again

- Norm's best days are behind him! (After going 59-21 in the 1970-71 through 1972-73 seasons, Mizzou falters to 12-14 after the departures of John Brown and Mike Jeffries.)

- We've peaked as a program! (Mizzou goes just 27-31 in 1977-78 and 1978-79 after three strong years.)

- Norm can't win the big one! (Mizzou wins the Big 8 in 1979-80 and 1980-81 with Steve Stipanovich, Jon Sundvold and Ricky Frazier, but loses in the first round to Lamar in 1981.)

- NORM CAN'T WIN THE BIG ONE!! (Two-seed Mizzou loses in the Sweet 16 to six-seed Houston in 1982.)

- HE WASTED TALENT!!!! (Two-seed Mizzou loses to seven-seed Iowa in the second round in 1983.)

- Norm's best days are behind him!!! (Mizzou goes just 34-28 with NIT bids in 1983-84 and 1984-85 after Stipo and Sundvold leave.)
We're settling for mediocrity!! (11-seed Mizzou loses to UAB in the first round in 1986.)

- NORM CAN'T WIN THE BIG ONE!!!!!11!!!! WE'RE WASTING TALENT!!! (Mizzou loses as a higher seed in the first round in three of four years from 1986-87 to 1989-90. The glow from reaching No. 1 in the country in 1990 lasts about a week.)

- NORM'S AN EMBARRASSMENT!! (Mizzou gets put on probation.)

(Sub-meme: "THE NCAA HATES US. KANSAS IS THE ONE DOING THE REAL CHEATING.")

- Norm's best days are behind him! (Mizzou limps to 19-14 in 1993 with Anthony Peeler and a bunch of juniors, advancing to the NCAAs only because they won the Big 8 Tournament and getting thumped by Temple in the first round.)

(Silence during 1994 ... and probably 1995 too.)

- Norm's best days are behind him!! It's so obvious!! (Mizzou goes 51-47 in the three seasons following Tyus Edney.)

Tony Mitchell
Ricardo Ratliffe (don't know where people are getting that he's related to Anderson)
Mike Dixon (had an offer from Arizona)
Stepfon Hannah (by far the best JUCO available when Anderson took the job, Anderson had to fight Bob Huggins to get him)

He's going to land Otto Porter, who he has no relation to.

Final verdict on Anderson's recruiting will come based on the 2012 recruiting class. He has an enormous class to fill and is targeting some prime prospects. If he lands one of Jarnell Stokes/Archie Goodwin, I think that answers some questions.

Dixon? He doesn't qualify. I think we all know why we were in on Mitchell--because everyone else knew he wouldn't qualify.

JUCO guys are nice, but they won't build a program. No offense, Snyder Cat.

Mike Dixon was a top 50 player when he committed to Missouri, and he had an offer from Arizona. It was a big get at the time, and the first major "win" of Anderson's time at Mizzou.

Say what you will about Mitchell, but he was a five-star player who had offers from Kansas State (Martin wanted him bad, bad enough to blow whistles about him after he decommitted) and Georgetown.

Anderson had had some misses, but the 2010 class was the first class he committed with some success to point to. Worked out pretty well.

Porter has been the No. 1 target for 2011 outside of Beal and is going to sign with Missouri.

We'll see what 2012 brings on the recruiting trail. That will be when I make my final*determination on Anderson's recruiting.

Pinkel turned the football program around by putting up a wall around the state of Missouri. He has also made inroads in Texas. MA has been a disaster in the state of Missouri despite the tremendous talent that has been there.

The backcourt this year could be Hansbrough, Alec Burks, and Denmon. THAT is a Final Four team. If he could sign two of the top 3 players in the state each year, we would be a top 10 program.

This problem certainly isn't unique to MA. Off the top of my head, MU has failed to land Jaron Rush (UCLA), Brandon Rush (KU), Derrick Hood (Arkansas), Jahadi White (Georgetown), Loren Woods (Wake Forest), Chris Carrawell (Duke), Tyronn Lue (Nebraska), Tyler Hansbrough (UNC), and Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame). If Anderson can't get kids like this to stay at home, find someone who can.

Here are the top players in Missouri since Anderson became coach.

2008
Scott Suggs (hasn't done crap at Washington and has been outplayed by the less-heralded Kim English)
Travis Releford (the balding one has had some nice moments waving towells for ku. And I hear his mom loves the job she got at ku)
John Brandenburg (went to Virginia, disappeared. Now averaging 2 pts/2 boards at Colgate)
Anthony Booker (Couldn't hack it at falling-apart SIU, transferred to ISU)

2009
Michael Dixon (top player in-state). By the way, had offers from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Purdue, Oklahoma and Wake Forest
Alec Burks. Who was a three-star and, by any account, has FAR exceeded expectations for him. Colorado has gotten a big return from taking a chance on a skinny, 6-2 sophomore guard.

2010
Ricky Kreklow (top player in-state in a weak year).

2011
Brad Beal (top player in-state. Missouri almost got him to flip in December)
Otto Porter (will be the No. 2 guy by the time the final rankings come out. Going to be a Tiger)
B.J. Young (Never got a Missouri offer because he doesn't play defense, is a huge qualifying risk and is a hothead)
Ben McLemore (likely going to ku, but it isn't over yet)

2012 is another weak class (Missouri will offer Jordon Granger, but that's it.)
2013 features a couple of potential studs in Travis Jorgenson (PG from Rock Bridge, Missouri will be in good shape unless ku offers) and Ish Wainright, who loves Mizzou and will be a five-star if he grows two inches.

I would hardly call not guessing right on Alec Burks "being a disaster" in Missouri.

Don't forget Larry Hughes.

McLemore and Beale this year.

Missouri is a very, very good state for basketball talent, far more so than the football program.

Anderson has institutional advantages that Pinkel doesn't, and he still doesn't recruit as well in-state as Pinkel does.

Burks grew four inches his Sr. year and shot up recruiting boards. He stayed with Colorado because no one showed a scintilla of interest in him beforehand, and he's a loyal guy.

Missing on Burks is a disaster. Missing on Hansborough is a disaster.

Colorado hit on Burks. He wasn't a highly-touted guy, but it's Anderson's job to know when there's a diamond in the rough. He should have at least been on his radar enough to pull him away from Colorado when he started to blow up.

There are plenty of reasons for missing out on those guys, but there are no excuses.

As far as I'm concerned, Anderson will always have a team somewhere in the 20-40 range. He was the right man for the job when we hired him. He's left the program better than he found it, and I appreciate that. Other than a fluke elite-eight run, he is what he is.

This is true, but Colorado was on him, and Mizzou wasn't. It's not like we had to choose between him and an All-American. This wasn't Bill Self trying to make room for Xavier Henry or Lance Stephenson. Lottery picks out of the state of Missouri can't wind up in Boulder. Gainesville is bad enough. Boulder is unacceptable under any circumstance.

Duncan put together about as good of a defense as possible, but the above is where I stand.

Good dude. Wish him well. But Missouri can do better.

(And Young not playing defense shouldn't be a problem for Anderson's system. A plus, actually.)

Cincinnati plays a grind it out half court style and they have suffocating half court defense. They give up something like 60 ppg. They are almost nothing like us.

I said it earlier in the thread, this team with Anderson is a third tier team that will consistently be in the top 20, but never make a serious run for a title.