It does not exactly qualify as a secret that Kim Anderson is on one of college basketball's hottest seats. Anderson entered his third season at Mizzou with a 19-44 record through two seasons.
Year three dawned with a roster full of players that had been recruited, signed with and played for Anderson and Anderson alone. The Tigers went 5-and-7 in the non-conference season, finishing with four straight losses, including home defeats to North Carolina Central, Eastern Illinois and Lipscomb.
After repeated media inquiries, Tiger Director of Athletics Jim Sterk issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon prior to Missouri's game against LSU.
“I am aware that there are questions people have about our program, and while I appreciate that, the fact remains that we have more than half the season remaining. We are here to support Coach Anderson, his staff, and our student-athletes in any way possible, and do what we can to help them achieve success this season.
I clearly understand where our program is currently, and rest assured that we are all disappointed with where we stand entering SEC play.
It is not my preferred style to make public evaluations of our staff in the middle of a season, as that is not fair to our coaches, or players. Doing so would only offer a distraction from their need to focus on preparation for each game.
Evaluations of all staff take place throughout the year, and continue until the season is over. Any decisions that need to be made based on those evaluations will be done at the appropriate time.
We are extremely grateful for our fans and their passion for Mizzou Basketball. Going forward, we need our fans and donors to help us create a great atmosphere at Mizzou Arena. This is important not only for our current team, but for all future student-athletes considering Mizzou to know that this is a great place to receive a world-class education and compete in a sport they love at a place that supports them.”
Missouri led LSU by ten points in the first half, but lost 88-77, falling to 5-8 on the season after its fifth consecutive loss. Anderson was asked about Sterk's statement and his future following the game.
Missouri's next game is Saturday afternoon against Georgia in Athens. Anderson remains the coach...until he isn't. When that is, no one knows.
