WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Fans who attend Thursday’s Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Basketball game at 7 p.m. at the West Plains Civic Center will see a familiar face on the opponent’s bench.
Former Grizzly Basketball standout Robert Yanders will be coaching the We Are United Prep team from Nixa.
Yanders played for the Grizzlies from 1998-2000 and is the program’s only two-time NJCAA All-American honoree. He helped the Grizzlies win their second NJCAA Region 16 Championship title and earn their highest national ranking at that time at No. 2.
Following his graduation from MSU-WP in May 2000, he transferred to Missouri State University to play for the Bears and led the team in numerous categories during his two years with the program.
He graduated from MSU in May 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in community education and recreation and played professionally oversees for teams in France, England and Scotland before returning to the Springfield area.
Yanders founded We Are United as a way to help young men and women develop their athletic, educational, professional and life skills, according to the We Are United website, WeAreUnitedBasketball.com. We Are United also promotes good citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical help.
Yanders is looking forward to coming back to West Plains for the game. “My time in West Plains included some of the best moments of my life. The community and the fans are the best. I will forever love them. They made me a professional, on and off the court,” he said.
Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Jared Phay also is looking forward to the match-up with Yanders and his team. “We are excited about having Coach Yanders back in our gym. I know he has a great program with We Are United,” Phay said.
Thursday’s game will be the Grizzlies’ last of the fall semester. They will return to the court Jan. 5 at Moberly to face Region 16 rival Moberly Area Community College in a 7 p.m. contest.
Their first home game of the spring semester will be Jan. 8 against another Region 16 rival, State Fair Community College. Tip off is 7 p.m. in Joe Paul Evans Arena at the West Plains Civic Center.
For more information about the Grizzly Basketball program, visit www.msuwpgrizzlies.com or call 417-255-7991.
Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities by providing accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities. Missouri State-West Plains offers associate degrees and credit and non-credit courses and serves as a delivery site for bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by Missouri State University in Springfield.
