Anderson was then hired in 2006 to take over the mess at the University of Missouri, rehabilitating a program that was under investigation under Quin Snyder. Anderson's first team, a collection of transfers and raw talent, went 18–12 but missed out on post-season play after a loss to Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament. His 2007–08 campaign saw the inclusion of his nephew DeMarre Carroll, a transfer from Vanderbilt, but also was hit by scandal, as a group of players (the "Athena Five", so named for where the incident took place) were arrested for a fight in a Columbia nightclub. That incident marked the second disciplinary issue of the season for Anderson's team. Before the season, starting forward Kalen Grimes had been dismissed from the team after being arrested for hitting a man with the butt of a shotgun. The Tigers finished 16–16, losing in the Big 12 Tourney to Nebraska and missing out on post-season play.