Frank Haith?s seven-year coaching stint at Miami provided an opportunity to see a cross-section of the Southeastern Conference as the Hurricanes played at least one SEC opponent each season.
Haith faced six programs from the SEC from 2004 to ?11, some multiple times. But while he gained a fair amount of familiarity, there was a lot of catching up to be done when Mizzou switched conferences.
Traveling with his iPad, the second-year coach watched footage of SEC teams throughout last summer?s recruiting trips. Six months later, those early scouting sessions will get a test as the Tigers play their first SEC game tonight against Alabama at Mizzou Arena at 6.
?I prepared myself like I did last year with my first year in the Big 12,? Haith said. ?We watched a lot of tape on these teams this summer to get a feel for the league and how they play. This league is more athletic, uptempo and pressing.
?Teams in the Big 12 didn?t press. There was more position defense, physical play and pattern offense. I think the SEC is more attack-oriented, dribble-drive and stuff like that.?
Haith will be coaching in his third conference in as many years after leading Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mizzou in the Big 12. And coincidentally, Alabama was the final opponent he faced with Miami, losing in the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2011.
The Crimson Tide will present the first example of the style Haith expects to see throughout conference play. Alabama relies heavily on a four-guard attack, and the Tigers are likely to see a variety of presses.
The hype surrounding the start of the SEC basketball schedule won?t approach the atmosphere for football. But it is a momentous night in the transition of the program.
?This is history,? forward Laurence Bowers said. ?It will be an historic day for Missouri and we?re going to embrace it. We definitely want to make our first SEC game a memorable one.?
The Tigers received considerable respect during the preseason when they were picked to finish third behind Kentucky and Florida with Phil Pressey voted the favorite to win player of the year honors.
Mizzou?s chances of competing for a championship appear to have improved with Kentucky?s slow start and the overall poor showing by the league in nonconference play. The Tigers are the highest ranked team in the SEC this week at No. 10, one spot ahead of Florida.
But the Tigers weren?t about to denigrate their new league, which ranks No. 9 in the Ratings Percentage Index behind the Missouri Valley Conference.
?We know we?re in for a lot of wars,? center Alex Oriakhi said. ?It?s going to be more physical than it was (in nonconference) with better athletes.?
Haith fared well against the SEC while at Miami, posting a 5-5 record, not bad considering that seven of 10 games were played on the road. The Hurricanes won at Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi State.
He has gone head-to-head with Alabama coach Anthony Grant, Ole Miss? Andy Kennedy and Florida?s Billy Donovan.
The Tigers also have a player with SEC experience in guard Earnest Ross. The junior guard is in his first year at Mizzou after playing at Auburn for two seasons and sitting out last season.
Haith joked that he might ask Ross for advice when the team met Monday night. Ross seemed to think he could actually provide some input.
?Just about the type of play we?re going to experience and types of environment we?ll play in,? he said. ?There are some crazy environments in the SEC. They play very physical and the refs let you get away with a lot of stuff.?
Mizzou dealt with a variety of styles during nonconference play and emerged with an 11-2 record. Some of the Tigers? biggest challenges have come against teams that press.
They wilted against Louisville in their first loss and handled the pressure well against Virginia Commonwealth. Haith said Alabama will be similar.
But in a final analysis of the first two months, he was ultimately pleased.
?I?m really encouraged,? he said. ?We?re 11-2 and off to a great start. To do that with all the guys we lost, that?s pretty good. I?m proud of the staff and players for where we are. But we have a long way to go.?
Haith faced six programs from the SEC from 2004 to ?11, some multiple times. But while he gained a fair amount of familiarity, there was a lot of catching up to be done when Mizzou switched conferences.
Traveling with his iPad, the second-year coach watched footage of SEC teams throughout last summer?s recruiting trips. Six months later, those early scouting sessions will get a test as the Tigers play their first SEC game tonight against Alabama at Mizzou Arena at 6.
?I prepared myself like I did last year with my first year in the Big 12,? Haith said. ?We watched a lot of tape on these teams this summer to get a feel for the league and how they play. This league is more athletic, uptempo and pressing.
?Teams in the Big 12 didn?t press. There was more position defense, physical play and pattern offense. I think the SEC is more attack-oriented, dribble-drive and stuff like that.?
Haith will be coaching in his third conference in as many years after leading Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mizzou in the Big 12. And coincidentally, Alabama was the final opponent he faced with Miami, losing in the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2011.
The Crimson Tide will present the first example of the style Haith expects to see throughout conference play. Alabama relies heavily on a four-guard attack, and the Tigers are likely to see a variety of presses.
The hype surrounding the start of the SEC basketball schedule won?t approach the atmosphere for football. But it is a momentous night in the transition of the program.
?This is history,? forward Laurence Bowers said. ?It will be an historic day for Missouri and we?re going to embrace it. We definitely want to make our first SEC game a memorable one.?
The Tigers received considerable respect during the preseason when they were picked to finish third behind Kentucky and Florida with Phil Pressey voted the favorite to win player of the year honors.
Mizzou?s chances of competing for a championship appear to have improved with Kentucky?s slow start and the overall poor showing by the league in nonconference play. The Tigers are the highest ranked team in the SEC this week at No. 10, one spot ahead of Florida.
But the Tigers weren?t about to denigrate their new league, which ranks No. 9 in the Ratings Percentage Index behind the Missouri Valley Conference.
?We know we?re in for a lot of wars,? center Alex Oriakhi said. ?It?s going to be more physical than it was (in nonconference) with better athletes.?
Haith fared well against the SEC while at Miami, posting a 5-5 record, not bad considering that seven of 10 games were played on the road. The Hurricanes won at Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi State.
He has gone head-to-head with Alabama coach Anthony Grant, Ole Miss? Andy Kennedy and Florida?s Billy Donovan.
The Tigers also have a player with SEC experience in guard Earnest Ross. The junior guard is in his first year at Mizzou after playing at Auburn for two seasons and sitting out last season.
Haith joked that he might ask Ross for advice when the team met Monday night. Ross seemed to think he could actually provide some input.
?Just about the type of play we?re going to experience and types of environment we?ll play in,? he said. ?There are some crazy environments in the SEC. They play very physical and the refs let you get away with a lot of stuff.?
Mizzou dealt with a variety of styles during nonconference play and emerged with an 11-2 record. Some of the Tigers? biggest challenges have come against teams that press.
They wilted against Louisville in their first loss and handled the pressure well against Virginia Commonwealth. Haith said Alabama will be similar.
But in a final analysis of the first two months, he was ultimately pleased.
?I?m really encouraged,? he said. ?We?re 11-2 and off to a great start. To do that with all the guys we lost, that?s pretty good. I?m proud of the staff and players for where we are. But we have a long way to go.?
