Oct. 14, 2009

Columbia, Mo. -

Missouri Basketball hosted its annual preseason Media Day on Wednesday afternoon as Head Coach Mike Anderson and the 2009-10 Tigers met with members of the local and regional media on the floor of Mizzou Arena.

Below are some quotes from Anderson about the start of the season, as well as quotes from selected Tiger student-athletes.

Basketball practice for the 2009-10 season tips off on Friday at 5 p.m. The Tigers will have a closed opening workout, but will host their annual Black & Gold Game next Friday (Oct. 23) during Homecoming Weekend at 8 p.m. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and UM System President Gary Forsee will serve as the honorary coaches for this season’s intra-squad scrimmage at Mizzou Arena. Tickets are just $5 and Mizzou Students will be admitted free with an ID.

Head Coach Mike Anderson

Opening statement:

“Friday tips off the start of practice. I think our guys are looking more forward to it than I am because, number one, we’ve been in conditioning mode for about a month. The 6 a.m. conditioning practices, along with the individual workouts have been pretty intense. I like to say our guys are working extremely hard. They understand it’s going to be a tremendous task following up one of the most successful seasons in the history of the school. The label, the tag is on our basketball team this year. A lot of teams are going to be playing (gearing up to play) that team from last year. The opponents we play this year are going to be playing that team they saw last year. The challenge for our coaching staff is to get our guys prepared for what’s going to take place. We’ve just got to put on our hardhats and really get prepared to become the team that gets better as the season goes on. I thought last year you saw a team that started out in one fashion and I think that at the end, we were probably playing some of the best basketball of any team I’ve been associated with as a coach. This is year four, there’s a lot of expectations. But no one expects more than this coach and this basketball team. I’m excited about what’s taking place, the kids we have in place and how hard they’re working.”

On replacing what the Tigers lost in last year’s graduates:

“Well I think what takes place now, is last year, your strength was in your forwards. You had a guy like DeMarre Carroll who was the heart and soul of our basketball team especially at the forward position. I thought J.T. (Tiller) was that guy at the guard position, even last year. His role really increases now at that position. I think if you’re going to start a team, you’ve got to have good guards. I think guys like J.T. and Zaire Taylor give us that. The question that remains out there with the leaving of DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence, those questions will be answered by guys like Justin Safford, (Laurence) Bowers, (Keith) Ramsey, (Kim) English, (Marcus) Denmon, (Steve) Moore, I mean you can go on and on. We’ve got all those guys. You talk about those guys that have been sitting there and now they have an opportunity. So how do we replace it? That’s the million dollar question, ‘how do we replace them?’ I think our guys are going about it the right way. They want bigger roles. They have the opportunity to audition in front of me and my staff each and every day, starting Friday.”

On the Big 12 preseason rankings:

“They probably should have ranked us last with all we lost. You know how I feel about polls. That’s just somebody’s opinion. I think last year they put us at seventh. If you look at our basketball team and what we have, there are a lot of question marks. What’s going to take place with our team? That’s the fun part as a coach, to put all that together. But that’s their opinion. If I was voting I may have put us a little lower than that.”

On Missouri’s defense behind leaders J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor:

“Well I think they understand that our team is a team that’s going to hang our hats on defense. J.T. was the defensive player of the year, one of the best in the country. Just think, how many guys on that Wooden list, which he’s on, how many of those guys averaged single figures (last year)? That tells you what kind of impact he has on a game. The kid is a winner. And obviously he can score. Memphis was supposed to be one of the best teams in the country in terms of defense, this guy scores a career high on them. He’s going to have to step that up, and I think he will. I think his role continues to expand. Zaire Taylor, he showed flashes that he can score, so I’m sure he’ll be able to do that. We’ve also got some other guys that will be in position to help our basketball team score. But I think we’re going to continue to be that team that every time you hear them beat the drum, it’s going to be about our defense. Our defense will create some easy options (on offense).”

On replacing forwards Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll:

“Well I want our guys to improve. If you look at Bowers, you see the potential for him to be a guy who can score double figures. He can rebound. He’s as strong as he’s ever been. He’s as healthy as he’s ever been. I expect him to be even more productive than he was last year. Justin Safford, I think he gives you the versatility of a guy who can go inside and outside. That’s going to be to our advantage. Keith Ramsey, he’s one of those guys too, he’s a slashing forward. Steve Moore gives us a guy with some girth. He’s really improved. He’ll get the reps he didn’t get last year. He will be a work in progress as we go throughout the course of practice and as we get into the non-conference. I think by conference time you’re going to see a guy that’s really prepared. He’s going to be the guy that gives us some strength and some size in there. Even our young guys, (John) Underwood, you’ll see him. This guy is almost 6-foot-10 and he’s long. He’s picked it up already. He came here at about 190 (pounds), I think he’s up to 200 now. We gave him three square meals a day and he picked up (weight) quick. He’ll amaze you with his athletic ability. He’s going to help our basketball team. They learned from those guys last year about what it takes. I feel confident in our big guys this year.”

Tiger Student-Athlete Quotes:

Sophomore Forward Steve Moore

On Preparing For His Sophomore Season and Having a Bigger Role:

“The off-season was good, but I think we are all ready to get out here and start practicing on Friday. We had a chance to play behind Leo and DeMarre last season and now all of us have a chance to play some bigger minutes and contribute a little more.”

On Stepping in for Lyons and Carroll This Season:

“I learned a lot from those guys. I had a chance to play against them everyday. They were two really good players and we’ll just try to fill their production as a group. We have some good players here.”

Senior Guard J.T. Tiller

On Playing For Coach Anderson:

“It’s great. Not many people get to play the way we do. It’s definitely a unique system, but it allows us to go out there and play to our talents.”

On Taking a New Leadership Role This Year:

“We had some great guys to learn from last year. Those guys laid the groundwork and set it up for players like Zaire, Keith, myself and Justin to lead this year. The things that happened last year are in the past though. We have got to make our own way as a team. It’s already a new season.”

Freshman Guard Mike Dixon

On Playing With Some Great Guards:

“No doubt about it, we have some talented guards, great guys to play with and I’m looking up to those guys every day. I look at it as an opportunity to learn from them and make myself better when I get on that court.”

On Staying In-State and Playing For Mizzou:

“It’s exciting to be playing for your home state school. It’s what you want to do when you grow up in Missouri. I wasn’t always the biggest college fan growing up, but being here and being around this program, it made me want to be a Missouri Tiger.”