SEC BASKETBALL PREVIEW ARKANSAS

Anderson arrives on scene

Mike Anderson’s first trip to SEC media days as Arkansas’ head coach brought back memories of his trips to the meetings during his tenure as an Arkansas assistant.

— First in a series previewing SEC basketball teams

Mike Anderson has flown to Birmingham, Ala., for SEC basketball media day many times.

“I used to sneak on that plane and my father would pick me up and I’d go and hang out with my mom and my dad,” said Anderson, who grew up in Birmingham as the sixth of eight children born to Willie and Lucy Anderson. “Then I’d jump on the plane again to fly back to Fayetteville.”

That was Anderson’s media day schedule during Arkansas’ first 11 seasons in the SEC, when he was in the midst of a 17-year tenure as a Razorbacks assistant under Coach Nolan Richardson.

Anderson would catch a ride with Richardson, who was traveling for a media appearance.

Thursday was different.

This time Anderson flewto Birmingham and made the short drive to suburban Hoover to represent the Razorbacks at media day astheir first-year coach.

“I never envisioned being here, especially when I left,” Anderson said, referring to Richardson’s firing late in the 2001-2002 season. “It’s a great opportunity, and it’s something I’ve prepared for, and it’s more special to be here today because I’m from Birmingham.

“I get a chance to come back to a place I’m very familiar with, and I also get to work at a place I’m very familiar with. That’s a doubly good thing.”

Anderson went 1-1 as Arkansas’ interim coach in March of 2002 and interviewed for the job, but it went to Stan Heath.

So Anderson left for his first head coaching job at Alabama-Birmingham, where he went 89-41 in four seasons with NCAA Tournament appearances his last three seasons. Then it was on to Missouri for five seasons, where Anderson went 111-57 with NCAA Tournament appearances his final three seasons.

Given Anderson’s success since leaving Arkansas and his connection to the program during its glory years under Richardson - 13 NCAA appearances, 3 Final Fours and a national championship over 17 seasons - Anderson was a popular choice to be the Razorbacks’ next coach last spring after John Pelphrey’s firing.

“When Mike told me he was going to take the Arkansas job, I asked him, ‘Do you ever think about how blessed you are?’ ” said Lee Anderson, Mike’s older brother who attended media day as a television photographer. “I told him, ‘You didn’t get the job all those years ago because of circumstances, but God had a plan for you. He took you to UAB, to Missouri, then brought you back to Arkansas. You’re back where you should be, and now you’re seasoned and ready to take Arkansas back to where they were and will be again.’ ”

Arkansas had a run of 22 NCAA Tournament appearances in 26 years from 1977-2002 under Eddie Sutton and Richardson with 10 Sweet 16s and 4 Final Fours, but the Razorbacks have 3 NCAA Tournament appearances - with 1 victory - in the 9 years since Richardson’s firing.

Attendance has steadily declined at Walton Arena, which opened during the Razorbacks’ national championship season of 1993-1994.

Anderson was hired to bring back the victories and the fans.

“I’m following the legends of Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson,” Anderson said. “Now I’m in that seat, and that’s an awesome assignment and it’s one I take real seriously.”

Kentucky Coach John Calipari and Auburn Coach Tony Barbee both went against Anderson’s UAB teams in Conference USA. Calipari was Memphis’ coach and Barbee was his assistant.

Anderson’s Missouri team also beat Calipari in his last game at Memphis in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional in 2009.

“Mike’s going to do a great job at Arkansas,” Calipari said. “They’ll play that fast-paced, aggressive style. They’ll press and try to create the tempo they want, and they’re going to be really good.”

Barbee said Anderson is “a great addition” for the SEC.

“His teams are really well prepared, they play extremely hard, and the style he plays as a coach is difficult to play against,” Barbee said. “The pressure his teams put on an opponent is hard to prepare for, because you don’t see that every game. “

Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy played at UAB and said he and Anderson have several mutual friends who support the Blazers.

“I don’t have any questions Mike will do great things in bringing Arkansas basketball back to the level where everybody wants it,” Kennedy said. “He’ll get it rolling quickly.”

Anderson’s Missouri team beat Vanderbilt 85-82 in overtime at Mizzou Arena last season.

“The crowd was going crazy and their defense was stifling,” Vanderbilt senior guard John Jenkins said. “I’m sure Arkansas will be doing the same thing this year.

“Coach Anderson will have a great impact there.”

Lee Anderson pointed out his brother has spent nearly as much of his life in Fayetteville as in Birmingham.

“Mike left here when he was 19 to go to college, and he was at Arkansas for 17 years,” Lee Anderson said. “It’s his second home.”

Mike Anderson said his connection to the Razorbacks provides special incentive.

“It gives me the focus and the energy to do what I’ve got to do,” he said. “That’s to get our program back to where we’re talking about Arkansas as one of the top teams in the country.”

Next: Florida

Sports, Pages 17 on 10/28/2011