We should have hired Cuonzo Martin in 2011.

Posted on: March 20, 2017 at 07:33:53 CT

But better late than never.

This current roster will thrive under Cuonzo Martin-- he's the perfect coach for our personnel. I think we're already a fairly decent defensive team that plays pretty gritty, so they're going to have no problem buying into Martin's defensive-minded, tough-nosed style. I'd like to see Martin bring an experienced offensive mind on staff, since we obviously need that.

I think we should expect at least a 10-win improvement in Year One, even if we don't end up landing a certain top recruit. Martin has done this before. His turnaround of Missouri State was more remarkable than many people give him credit for, taking them from last in the Valley to regular season champs in a three-year span. He took over for Bruce Pearl at scandal-ridden Tennessee with an entirely new roster and won 19 games his first year. And although Cal was in decent shape after the Mike Montgomery era, Martin elevated them to a Top-25 team and a top four seed in Year Two.

I was excited about the prospect of Martin six years ago, before he had ever even coached a team to the NCAA Tournament. I'm only more excited about him now.

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Edited by mizzoudiehard at 07:34:43 on 03/20/17