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Cuonzo talks about starting the rebuild all over
Posted on: October 11, 2021 at 08:09:05 CT
FIJItiger MU
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https://www.columbiamissourian.com/sports/mizzou_mens_basketball/a-fresh-start-is-what-martin-missouri-need/article_6efaa180-270a-11ec-9fdf-dbd1546e496d.html
With only four players returning from last season, the new-look roster has given coach Cuonzo Martin a chance to start from scratch again. Considering the collapse last season after being ranked as high as No. 10, this is a fresh start that not only Martin but the program needs.
“Getting back to the basics is good. Sometimes with older guys, they skip a few steps,” Martin said of his younger team. “They’ve been fun to coach thus far.”
Offensive inconsistency plagued the Tigers in the second half of last season, which led them to lose seven of their final 10 games.
However, the lack of offensive ability wasn’t much of a surprise, considering Martin’s teams have struggled with the same problems in previous years. While losing key players like Xavier Pinson, Dru Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon may seem like a huge downgrade, it will allow for a new offense to take their place.
Although the lack of height will pose an obstacle on defense — only three Tigers are 6-foot-8 or taller — it will force Missouri to get out on the fast break and run. Despite Tilmon’s ability to run faster than most centers his size, it still wasn’t fast enough for a consistent fast break tempo. With the big man gone now, Missouri should be free to play faster.
Another negative trend from last season was the inability to shoot the ball. When defenses are able to slow down an offense and force it to run a motion offense in the half court, it makes shooting that much more important. But the Tigers shot 32% as a team from behind the 3-point line, which ranked 262nd in the country.
To avoid another shooting struggle, Missouri should look to push the ball often in order to escape having to set up in a half-court offense. And Tigers plan on doing that as much as possible.
“We want to go as fast as we can go, we want to run through that wall,” Martin said prior to a practice last week, pointing to the east side of Mizzou Arena toward the student section.
When Missouri was at its best last season, it was mostly credited to Dru Smith or Pinson for running the offense and having a high usage rate with the ball. However, it was actually a blessing and a curse for the team. The problem with only having two or three primary scorers is that circumstances — foul trouble, off shooting nights, inconsistency — can ruin an entire team’s night.
“Everybody is going to have to contribute in order for us to win,” returning forward Kobe Brown said.
Losing key pieces Pinson, Tillmon and Smith will allow for a more spread-out attack that shouldn’t be so dependent on just one player. More passing and a balanced stat sheet should be more beneficial for the team down the road.
“A lot of people could get out and push the ball and start the transition now,” the Tigers’ lone senior Javon Pickett said. “We’re really athletic throughout the board.”
A big question mark for Missouri this year is the skill level of 7-foot-3 Jordan Wilmore. While he played limited minutes last season, it was clear he needed development. Over the offseason, the Laurel, Maryland, native lost weight and worked on his footwork which the Tigers are hopeful will pay off.
But has he developed enough to compete at a major-conference level? Only time will tell. Wilmore could prove to be an essential defensive piece by protecting the paint and rebounding. However, considering the offensive plans for Martin this season, the slower big man doesn’t exactly match the description.
It won’t take long for the Tigers to reveal their true identity this season. While some rebuilding college teams prefer an easier nonconference schedule to develop and stack up wins, Martin put together a slate that features five matchups against teams that made the tournament last season.
“It’s a tremendous schedule, and I’d be hard-pressed to find 10 better in the country,” Martin said. “That’s why you come here to play, to have a quality schedule.”
Martin and his team will probably be big underdogs for most of those matchups, throwing the new group into the deep end to see if they sink or swim will allow Martin to see what needs work for the conference schedule.
Despite the benefits of playing a tough schedule, most coaches avoid it because a collection of losses could put them on the hot seat. Martin’s resume at Missouri — he’s reached two NCAA Tournaments in four seasons — could give him some room for error, and Martin seems ready to take on the challenge.
“Coach has a lot of energy in him,” Pickett said. “I can tell he’s excited for the season.”
The game that most fans will have circled this year is the reemergence of the Border War, as Missouri travels to Lawrence, Kansas, for the first time since 2012.
The game brings back one of college basketball’s best rivalries and will be an opportunity for the Tigers to showcase the program to recruits.
“Tutors, people in the community have been telling me how it gets over there at the (Allen) Fieldhouse,” Brown said. “It should be fun.”
Recruiting will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, things that Martin and his staff will have to excel at this season. Off to a great start signing four-star recruit Aidan Shaw in late September, Martin hopes to continue the momentum and collect a top-recruiting class. But Martin knows that he and his staff won’t be able to sign recruits by themselves.
“The most important thing is to have everybody in attendance. As a fan, it’s okay to have discomfort, to disagree, that’s fine, but you have to be in attendance to support,” Martin said. “If we want to be the best, let’s show it every day because we want the best recruits and we need your help to do it.”
The results won’t come overnight, the chemistry will take time to develop and the schedule will most likely produce a lopsided record, but these are the effects of a rebuild. A fresh start is what the program and the fans need moving forward.
With only four players returning from last season, the new-look roster has given coach Cuonzo Martin a chance to start from scratch again. Considering the collapse last season after being ranked as high as No. 10, this is a fresh start that not only Martin but the program needs.
“Getting back to the basics is good. Sometimes with older guys, they skip a few steps,” Martin said of his younger team. “They’ve been fun to coach thus far.”
Offensive inconsistency plagued the Tigers in the second half of last season, which led them to lose seven of their final 10 games.
However, the lack of offensive ability wasn’t much of a surprise, considering Martin’s teams have struggled with the same problems in previous years. While losing key players like Xavier Pinson, Dru Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon may seem like a huge downgrade, it will allow for a new offense to take their place.
Although the lack of height will pose an obstacle on defense — only three Tigers are 6-foot-8 or taller — it will force Missouri to get out on the fast break and run. Despite Tilmon’s ability to run faster than most centers his size, it still wasn’t fast enough for a consistent fast break tempo. With the big man gone now, Missouri should be free to play faster.
Another negative trend from last season was the inability to shoot the ball. When defenses are able to slow down an offense and force it to run a motion offense in the half court, it makes shooting that much more important. But the Tigers shot 32% as a team from behind the 3-point line, which ranked 262nd in the country.
To avoid another shooting struggle, Missouri should look to push the ball often in order to escape having to set up in a half-court offense. And Tigers plan on doing that as much as possible.
“We want to go as fast as we can go, we want to run through that wall,” Martin said prior to a practice last week, pointing to the east side of Mizzou Arena toward the student section.
When Missouri was at its best last season, it was mostly credited to Dru Smith or Pinson for running the offense and having a high usage rate with the ball. However, it was actually a blessing and a curse for the team. The problem with only having two or three primary scorers is that circumstances — foul trouble, off shooting nights, inconsistency — can ruin an entire team’s night.
“Everybody is going to have to contribute in order for us to win,” returning forward Kobe Brown said.
Losing key pieces Pinson, Tillmon and Smith will allow for a more spread-out attack that shouldn’t be so dependent on just one player. More passing and a balanced stat sheet should be more beneficial for the team down the road.
“A lot of people could get out and push the ball and start the transition now,” the Tigers’ lone senior Javon Pickett said. “We’re really athletic throughout the board.”
A big question mark for Missouri this year is the skill level of 7-foot-3 Jordan Wilmore. While he played limited minutes last season, it was clear he needed development. Over the offseason, the Laurel, Maryland, native lost weight and worked on his footwork which the Tigers are hopeful will pay off.
But has he developed enough to compete at a major-conference level? Only time will tell. Wilmore could prove to be an essential defensive piece by protecting the paint and rebounding. However, considering the offensive plans for Martin this season, the slower big man doesn’t exactly match the description.
It won’t take long for the Tigers to reveal their true identity this season. While some rebuilding college teams prefer an easier nonconference schedule to develop and stack up wins, Martin put together a slate that features five matchups against teams that made the tournament last season.
“It’s a tremendous schedule, and I’d be hard-pressed to find 10 better in the country,” Martin said. “That’s why you come here to play, to have a quality schedule.”
Martin and his team will probably be big underdogs for most of those matchups, throwing the new group into the deep end to see if they sink or swim will allow Martin to see what needs work for the conference schedule.
Despite the benefits of playing a tough schedule, most coaches avoid it because a collection of losses could put them on the hot seat. Martin’s resume at Missouri — he’s reached two NCAA Tournaments in four seasons — could give him some room for error, and Martin seems ready to take on the challenge.
“Coach has a lot of energy in him,” Pickett said. “I can tell he’s excited for the season.”
The game that most fans will have circled this year is the reemergence of the Border War, as Missouri travels to Lawrence, Kansas, for the first time since 2012.
The game brings back one of college basketball’s best rivalries and will be an opportunity for the Tigers to showcase the program to recruits.
“Tutors, people in the community have been telling me how it gets over there at the (Allen) Fieldhouse,” Brown said. “It should be fun.”
Recruiting will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, things that Martin and his staff will have to excel at this season. Off to a great start signing four-star recruit Aidan Shaw in late September, Martin hopes to continue the momentum and collect a top-recruiting class. But Martin knows that he and his staff won’t be able to sign recruits by themselves.
“The most important thing is to have everybody in attendance. As a fan, it’s okay to have discomfort, to disagree, that’s fine, but you have to be in attendance to support,” Martin said. “If we want to be the best, let’s show it every day because we want the best recruits and we need your help to do it.”
The results won’t come overnight, the chemistry will take time to develop and the schedule will most likely produce a lopsided record, but these are the effects of a rebuild. A fresh start is what the program and the fans need moving forward.
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Cuonzo talks about starting the rebuild all over - FIJItiger MU - 10/11 08:09:05