The team is a disparate collection of players. From his own family tree, Anderson found Carroll, a 6'8" 225-pounder who every summer attended the Arkansas camp in Fayetteville but chose Vanderbilt over UAB when Anderson recruited him out of high school. "He wanted to play [at a bigger program], and that's O.K.," says Anderson. But Carroll chafed at Vandy's Princeton offense and jumped at the chance to transfer into his uncle's system, where, after sitting out the 2006--07 season, he averaged 13.0 points in '07--08 and 17.0 so far this year, while often playing at the top of the Tigers' press. "He's got the freedom to go out and make plays," says Nebraska coach Doc Sadler. "That's a big part of Missouri's success."

From Snyder's roster Anderson already had Lawrence and Lyons. The 6'7", 203-pound Lawrence was told that he wouldn't be able to play in Anderson's frenetic system. "I'm a taller guard and a white guy," says Lawrence, who averages almost 20 minutes and 8.7 points per game. "People warned me. But I'm a Tiger." Lyons (14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds) is a dangerous scorer whose 6'9", 244-pound frame presents outside matchup problems.

Guard J.T. Tiller, a relentless defender, was part of Anderson's last recruiting class at UA and transferred to Missouri to follow his coach. Zaire Taylor, another transfer (from Delaware), has made two game-winning shots this season and is such a basketball junkie that he spent all of New Year's Day in the gym working on his shooting.