CANDIDATE NO. 4; MISSOURI'S KIM ANDERSON: `I WANT TO BE A HEAD COACH'

Kim Anderson estimates that, in his career as first a standout player and then an assistant coach, he been involved in "probably 1,000 games in my life."

And that, said Anderson, is sufficient experience to make him an ideal candidate to become the next head men's basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University.

"I want to be a head coach. I feel like I am definitely prepared to be a head coach," said Anderson, a University of Missouri assistant, as he met the media at the Show Me Center Friday afternoon.

Anderson was the fourth and last finalist to visit the Southeast campus this week, following Fort Hays (Kan.) head coach Gary Garner, Purdue assistant Bruce Weber and Iowa State assistant Sam Weaver.

Southeast is expected to name a replacement for former coach Ron Shumate, who was dismissed last month amid an ongoing NCAA investigation, next week.

Anderson, 42, talked about why he would like Southeast to be his first head coaching job and what makes the position so attractive to him.

"I think this university and this basketball program have a lot of potential," he said. "I like the Ohio Valley Conference. I think it's a very competitive conference and that's the kind of league I want to coach in."

Anderson touched on several things that he would like to see happen to the Southeast basketball program under his direction.

"The first thing, we are recruiting student-athletes," he said. "I want to work with them on personal improvement, self improvement, to help them when they're finished playing basketball.

"The next thing I want is to play a style of basketball that is fun for the players and the fans. That's an up-tempo, aggressive style, to get the ball up the floor in a hurry. Defensively, I want to primarily play man-to-man.

"The next thing I'd like to see is community involvement. I want the basketball team to be a positive means of advertisement for our university.

"I want to try and create a family type atmosphere. I am a relatively young coach and I want to approach this job with a positive attitude. I want to encourage them. I want them to be able to come to me and talk about anything."

The 6-foot-8 Anderson is no doubt well known to anybody who has followed Missouri basketball over the years. The Sedalia native was a star for Norm Stewart's Tigers, earning Big Eight Conference Player of the Year honors in 1977 and later becoming a first-round NBA draft choice.

While at Missouri, Anderson was a three-time winner of the George R. Edwards Award for academic ability, citizenship and character and he was a two-time Big Eight All-Academic selection.

After playing one year in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers and a few seasons overseas, Anderson came back to Missouri as an assistant coach under Stewart in 1982.

He stayed at Missouri through 1985, then went to Baylor as an assistant for six seasons before returning to Missouri, where he has spent the last six seasons as one of Stewart's top assistants.

At Missouri, Anderson has been a part of two Big Eight championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. At Baylor, he helped the Bears reach the NCAA tourney for the first time in 40 years.

Anderson said he would have a big advantage recruiting in the state because of his ties here.

"I think it's a great advantage," he said. "I want to recruit the state of Missouri. I have a great relationship with the high school coaches. I'd like to get into St. Louis more. I don't want to limit it (recruiting) to Missouri, but I want to recruit the state hard."

Anderson, who said he would like to get the student body more involved in the basketball program, said the possibility of some NCAA sanctions doesn't bother him.

"Obviously you don't want to be on probation," he said. "But it doesn't bother me as far as the position goes. When I went to Baylor and Missouri, both had just been put on NCAA probation. To be honest, I would have an advantage because I've been through that."

Anderson indicated that Stewart has been behind him as he seeks to become Southeast's new coach.

"He has been very positive about this," Anderson said. "I think he understands this is a position I really want. I've gone after this in a way I've never gone after a job before.

"I've been very fortunate to have played and coached for what I consider to be one of the best coaches in the country. Much of what I believe, I have gotten from Norm Stewart. But I have my own philosophy and beliefs. I won't be Kim Anderson looking like Norm Stewart."