New coach Haith will lead experienced group of Tigers

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Frank Haith first was the mystery backup plan. Then he became the sketchy hire. He now is the coach making do with less at Missouri.

Haith is getting ready for his first season at Missouri after an offseason filled with questions. He was identified in a Yahoo Sports investigation into scandal at the University of Miami, where he was the basketball coach before he was hired by the Tigers.

And now he is short-handed before his first game at his new job. Forward Laurence Bowers is out for the season with a knee injury. Haith insists nothing has changed in his expectation to contend for a Big 12 championship.

"Losing Laurence Bowers obviously hurts our team," Haith said. "But I will tell you that our guys have handled that very well."

Players say they haven't lost faith in the coach Missouri turned to after Purdue's Matt Painter said no.

"We were never the all-airport team," senior guard Kim English said. "You know, the big tall guys you see walking around the airport. We were never that. But the mission doesn't change."

Missouri ran end-to-end for five seasons under Mike Anderson, pressing constantly and averaging 22 victories. The Tigers lost to Cincinnati in the second round of the NCAA tournament last spring and made an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2009. Anderson parlayed that success by jumping to Arkansas.

Minus Bowers and down to eight scholarship players, Haith wants to run, too. He can envision scenarios when he has four guards on the floor at the same time, although he plans on less full-court pressure to avoid foul problems.

Senior Marcus Denmon was an all-Big 12 guard last season, emerging as a leader and averaging 16.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals. He's at the top of an experienced core of holdovers that includes fellow guards English and Michael Dixon and forward Ricardo Ratliffe.

Sophomore Phil Pressey and Dixon likely will share point guard duties. Redshirt freshman Kadeem Green, who is healthy after missing a year due to injury, and junior transfer Earnest Ross could help fill the void on the front line.

"Of course it's a huge impact with Lawrence being one of our senior leaders," Denmon said. "Being that it happened early, we have time to be able to work on the things we need to work on."

Denmon was the team's top 3-point shooter, making 82 with 45 percent accuracy, and was among the Big 12 leaders in several categories. He shot 50 percent overall and topped 20 points a dozen times. English was inconsistent and had a big drop in production last season with his 10-point average down four points from his sophomore season. He shot just 37 percent and didn't start four games.

"I could write a book about last year. My mind was everywhere," English said. "It was the most disappointing, sad, frustrating, mad, upsetting, losing year of my life. I played the worst basketball I've ever played."

English said getting away from the sport for a while after the season allowed him to approach his senior with a fresh outlook.

"I really had to focus on the now," English said. "My mind is as clear as it's ever been."

Ratliffe was the junior college player of the year before transferring to Missouri, and he thought his first season was a bit of a learning experience. Bowers predicts a breakout season.

"I felt last year he came in with a lot of expectation, a lot of hype, being a JUCO All-American," Bowers said. "He had a pretty good season, but I just know how good of a player he is. I'm expecting him to have a big-time year."

Missouri opens Sunday at the One State, One Spirit Classic at Missouri Southern.