Before us lies the mountaintop..............

Exactly three years ago, these words were spoken to Mizzou fans........

"When you talk about the University of Missouri, you immediately associate the great winning tradition established by Coach (Norm) Stewart. Having the opportunity to coach 17 seasons at Arkansas, I am familiar with Norm Stewart-coached teams. I remember their hard-nosed style of play and the passion the fans felt for their teams. Not many programs enjoyed the same type of fan support that we did during our days at Arkansas, but Missouri was one of them. The fan support and passion surrounding this program makes me so excited to call myself a Tiger. There were a lot of reasons to come to Missouri. First was our familiarity with the program and the Big 12 Conference. Mike Alden really sold me on Missouri as a whole. The fan support, the academic opportunities and of course the tremendous facilities. These aspects will allow us to attract the types of student-athletes we need to be successful. Our goal is to win a national championship and that's why we are at Missouri."

Mike Anderson's introduction as new Mizzou head coach - March 26, 2006

Mizzou fans laughed at the lofty expectations set forth by Mike Anderson's final comment. Mizzou a national champion? That's crazy talk. Mizzou is the home of tournament disappointments and fluke losses.

No one is laughing now. Mike Anderson has shown that if you say it and dream it, anything is possible. Mizzou may not win the national championship or even make it to the Final Four this year, but no one will ever doubt what is possible at Mizzou ever again. We can be champions.