then a memorable win over their arch rival Kansas at home, where the Tigers climbed back from a 14-point halftime deficit to win the game after Zaire Taylor's game winning shot with 1.3 seconds remaining. Mike Anderson's 2008–09 Tiger team finished their last home game of the season by beating #5 Oklahoma on senior night. The Tigers went undefeated at home, winning 18 games. The Tigers then won the Big 12 Conference tournament by defeating Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor (Mar. 14) on successive nights. Victories over Cornell, Marquette and Memphis pushed the Tigers into the Elite 8, where top-seeded UConn ended Missouri's run with an 82–75 win. Anderson was also one of ten finalists for the 2008–09 Henry Iba Award. The other 9 finalists were John Calipari, Memphis; Bill Self (eventual winner), Kansas; Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh; Mike Montgomery, California; Stew Morrill, Utah State; Matt Painter, Purdue; Oliver Purnell, Clemson, and Brad Stevens, Butler. On March 31, 2009, Anderson signed a 7-year extension at Missouri, passing up an offer from the University of Georgia. The extension increased Anderson's base salary to $1.6 million and up to $2.2 million with incentives. The offer Anderson reportedly turned down from Georgia was worth more than $2 million a year. Anderson also turned down a $3 million a year offer to coach the University of Oregon during the summer of 2010. Final two seasons (2009–2011) Anderson's teams went 23–11 and finished fifth in the conference in both of his final two seasons with Missouri. The Tigers made the NCAA tournament both years but never finished above third place in conference during his tenure. This three-year span was the first time the team had made three or more consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament since 2003. That same three-year span is the first time the Tigers had won more than 20 games three years in a row since 1980–1983. Leaving Missouri During the final month of Anderson's tenure at the University of Missouri, his name became linked with the Arkansas opening because of John Pelphrey's increasingly unstable job status. On March 4, 2011, Anderson dismissed the rumors, telling Columbia Tribune sportswriter Steve Walentik he planned to stay at MU for "a long time, retire here." On March 14, Arkansas fired Pelphrey. Nine days later, Anderson accepted the head coaching position at Arkansas. The departure stunned Missouri fans, especially in light of Anderson's comments to