Frank Haith has received his first sigh of relief as head coach of the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team with the official announcement that star point guard Phil Pressey is staying amid the coaching transition of Mike Anderson moving on to Arkansas. Fallout is predictable in situations like this, where a new coach attempts to sway the current players to adapt rather than transfer, but Pressey in particular was vital to any immediate success for Haith and his staff.
Pressey, son of former NBA player Paul Pressey, came in as a highly regarded recruit as the No. 9 overall point guard in the country. During his freshman season, he set Mizzou freshmen records for steals and 3-pointers and he led all Big 12 freshmen in assists and 3-pointers made. He scored a season high 17 points on the road against Kansas, hitting four threes and serving six assists in the process -- perhaps the single best showing of what's to come in a promising career.
While there is more work to do for Frank Haith in terms of convincing fans and even players to buy into the coaching change, the ability to retain Pressey makes a great statement about the stability and immediate future of Missouri's run of success.
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