Frank Haith’s Mizzou Tigers sure know how to make a grand exit. After a tumultuous introduction as head coach, which included charges of impropriety in Miami, calls for both his and Mike Alden’s jobs and a disgruntled fan base, the coach brought the Tigers full circle. With a remarkable and resounding 90-75 victory over Baylor, Haith’s Missouri squad claimed the Big 12 tournament title its final season in the conference.
Less than a week after the bitter Big 12 coaches voted him the conference’s third-best coach, behind Kansas’ Bill Self and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg (co-winners), Haith hoisted the championship trophy high above his head as those two watched from home. Tears flowed freely down the emotional coaches face as he reveled in the moment of redemption on national TV.
“It’s just been a special moment,” Haith said. “We’re really blessed. God had his hands all over this year.”
Haith was handed the reigns to an undersized, underachieving Tigers team after previous coach Mike Anderson bolted for the SEC. But with his calm, confident demeanor, he seamlessly transitioned from Anderson’s “fastest 40 minutes in basketball” into one of the most efficient, well-oiled offenses in the nation. Armed with a starting rotation of four guards and a 6’8” power-forward manning the center position, Mizzou ran and passed circles around its opposition.
In its wake, Mizzou left six ranked opponents dazed and confused throughout the season. The total could have been seven if the officials had properly called obvious fouls committed down the stretch by Kansas in Lawrence instead of the phantom ones called on Missouri. But even though the Tigers failed to win a share of the regular-season championship, winning the Big 12 title in Kansas City, to the chant of S-E-C, S-E-C by thousands of faithful fans allowed the team to exit on a high note.
After years of treated as second-class citizens in the Big 12, behind Texas and Oklahoma, MIzzou had enough and have surely left a lasting impression.
Now as the team goes forward into the NCAA tournament, it’s still fighting a measure of disrespect. Despite a No. 3 ranking, a 30-4 record and a conference tournament championship, the Tigers were handed a No. 2 seed and rated No. 8 overall in the field of 64…errr… 68. Five teams have worse records and rankings that Missouri but receive more favorable placement.
Expect Haith to use that information to motivate his team to make a deep run into the tournament. Senior starters Marcus Denmon, Ricardo Ratliffe and Kim English are determined to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. If Haith can steer the Tigers to the promised land, he’ll surely earn the respect he deserves and put the SEC on notice that change is a’coming.
The Missouri Tigers are scheduled to face Norfolk State in the first-round Fri., March 16 at 3:40 p.m.
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