The 2006–07 Missouri Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Missouri in the 2006-07 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marked the first year of Mike Anderson's tenure. Pre-season Missouri returned just two starters from the 2005-06 team, which finished 11th in the Big 12 and 12-16 overall. Guard Jimmy McKinney and center Kevin Young graduated, and leading scorer Thomas Gardner left school for the professional ranks. The coaching turmoil involving Quin Snyder had defined the previous season; the Tigers controversially fired the head coach in February in the middle of a losing streak. Athletic director Mike Alden chose Mike Anderson from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, hiring him on March 26, 2006. Anderson promised to bring "The Fastest Forty Minutes of Basketball" to Columbia, a style of play modeled after Nolan Richardson's "40 Minutes of Hell." However, Anderson's moniker did not become popular until a few seasons had passed. Anderson inherited seven players from Snyder's tenure. Junior Marshall Brown appeared to be a rising star after averaging almost double figures in scoring as a sophomore. Point guard Jason Horton, center Kalen Grimes and swingman Glen Dandridge—all of whom arrived in Columbia as a highly touted group of recruits—rounded out the junior class. Sophomore Leo Lyons returned as well, along with sophomore Matt Lawrence, who played sparingly as a freshman. The only senior on the squad was Marcus Watkins, son of assistant coach Melvin Watkins. Anderson's first recruiting class featured three junior college players in point guard Stefhon Hannah, forward Vaidatos Volkus and forward Darryl Butterfield. Hannah figured to star for Missouri right away; Anderson had plucked him away from Kansas State and Bob Huggins, who also heavily recruited him. Volkus was signed by Snyder's staff and retained by Anderson, and Butterfield was an obscure recruit from Mineral Area College. Anderson also brought in two freshmen: Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller. Lawrence was also a Snyder signee but stayed on because the school kept Watkins on staff. Tiller had committed to Anderson at UAB and followed him to MU. With the program in turmoil and the loss of so many productive players from the previous team, the media picked Missouri to finish eighth in the Big 12. Non-Conference Missouri did not have much difficulty in Mike Anderson's first three games as head coach, defeating North Carolina A&T, Army and Stetson to capture the John Thompson Foundation