MPJ is Back. How Good is Mizzou?

(Nashville, TN) – Missouri’s dramatic turn around this season was supposed to be built around Michael Porter Junior. The turn around came, but Porter just joined the team last week. Mizzou was 8-24 last season and enter Friday’s NCAA Tournament game with a record of 20-12.

Porter played in exactly two games. There was a two minute appearance during the season-opening win over Iowa State and played 23 minutes in last weekend’s loss to Georgia. So the Tigers achieved a twelve game improvement with exactly NO contribution from Michael Porter Junior.

How good can the Tigers be WITH MPJ?

We may not ever know, or at least until Sunday. During Friday’s game, they will have Porter back in the lineup, but they will also be playing without Jordan Barnett, so the Tigers still are not a full strength.

First year head coach Cuonzo Martin says he’s proud of how his short-handed team held together this season and that he believes Porter’s addition will be a great help, but the Tigers will truly miss Barnett.

 

 

The earnest Martin has long been a coach that has praised and appreciated those men and coaches that have impacted his life and career. He often quotes his former Purdue mentor Gene Keady, and one of those key contributors to Martin’s development is his Friday coaching opponent, Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton.

Martin says Hamilton has been an important role model in his life.

 

 

Martin is proud of how his team has kept its collective focus during the roster upheaval, injuries and distractions faced by the huge hype surrounding Porter’s original signing with Mizzou, and then the continual questions about whether he would ever return.

Martin recognizes his players have done a good job of pressing on. He says basketball can teach great life lessons and he feels it’s his responsibility to help the players learn some of those lessons.

 

 

Mizzou and Florida State (20-11) play the final game of the day here in Nashville. The schedule tip time is 8:50 p.m.

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