NOW WE CAN TALK by ST

Ever meet that guy in a bar who maybe had a few and is trying to impress a woman or even you with some stories that just don't sit right? You're thinking if this clown was such a good athlete or so freaking smart, how come he's ordering dollar drafts, wearing crappy clothes and pulled up in a 1991 Nova. Similar situation to the Oregon search for a men's hoop coach. They were out there acting as if they'd been superstar ballplayers with a PHD, who'd dated Halle Berry and Charlize Theron. Truth was they'd had some moments on the hardwood, barely got their undergrad B.S and had one date with a really pretty girl who never called back. Now when I hear the name Mike Anderson from Missouri I'm thinking "now you're being reasonable". Mizzou is a school who has had some success, but never reached the Final 4. Anderson looks like a heck of a coach, but approachable unlike Tom Izzo, Jamie Dixon or Billy Donovan. I see him as realistic though it's far from a lock. The Tigers reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA's last March, then the 2nd round last month. They return their top 3 scorers in Marcus Denmon, Lawrence Bowers and Kim English along with 3 pretty high level recruits. But the Big 12 looks loaded with traditional powers like Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma State to go with rising programs like Baylor, Texas A & M and even though down a bit, Oklahoma is an excellent basketball school. For a boost in annual salary it appears he's a legit candidate. Plus personally I love his Nolan Richardson influenced "40 minutes of Hell" style. It would require a serious relocation as he was born & raised in Birmingham, went to school and played for Richardson at Tulsa then became an assistant at Arkansas before taking his 1st D-1 head gig at Alabama/Birmingham prior to landing in Columbia as the Missouri boss. And now, according to USA Today, the Ducks have been granted permission to speak with Anderson. This is a guy I consider a worth successor to Ernie Kent. Perhaps all this nonsense will pay off in the end. Your thoughts?