Anderson's third season at Mizzou in 2008–09 brought with it many questions: How well would he be able to blend his seven new players (five freshman and two transfers) with the remaining Tigers from the previous season including the only two remaining players from the Quin Snyder era? After failing to reach the post season his first two seasons would Mike Anderson be able to lead his Tigers to an NIT or NCAA post season tournament? Missouri was picked to finish 7th in the Big 12 by the coaches. The Tigers season got off to a great start with a 9–1 record including wins over USC and Cal and a close loss to a top 25 team (Xavier) in Puerto Rico. The Tigers finished their non-conference schedule with a record of 13–2. The team lost the conference opener but responded by winning eleven of their next twelve Big 12 games including a last-second win at Texas, which earned them a national ranking, and 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.