Missouri Tiger Basketball Head coach Mike Anderson spent the first five minutes of his post-game press conference re-iterating his vision of Missouri basketball and chiding the media for jumping to conclusions regarding the suspensions to Stefhon Hannah, Darryl Butterfield, Marshall Brown, Jason Horton, and Leo Lyons.
Anderson opened his post-game press conference with a statement concerning the suspensions, emphasizing what his intentions had always been as Mizzou basketball coach, saying one of his main goals is to turn his players "into productive citizens." Anderson expressed empathy with his suspended players but also a sense of fatherhood.
"I’m like these kids’ father. So, when kids make mistakes, you’ve got to discipline," and later saying, "What gets lost is they’re still kids. They’re kids and they make mistakes. We’re grown-ups and we make mistakes, but I think the most important thing is, can we learn from it?
Anderson concluded his statement by praising his shorthanded squad’s performance in their loss to Nebraska. He also thanked the Mizzou fans, saying that "they almost willed" a Mizzou victory.
There were no guarantees about when the suspended players would return, but Anderson did say it was possible they would return for the Kansas State game on Saturday. Anderson made it clear that the most important thing for him is to help his players learn a lesson.
"My job is more than just to coach. I’m a teacher too, and I’m trying to teach them about life."
Dowload/listen to Mike Anderson (mp3 4:55)
