Following a disastrous 2016-17 season, Missouri and Cuonzo Martin recruited so well, that the Tigers are favored to win the 2018 National Championship.
Transforming a losing culture to a winning one is no simple task. A full transformation doesn’t occur in one offseason, but for Missouri, it has – at least on paper.
If the Tigers’ recruiting success holds true on the basketball court, then head coach Cuonzo Martin may have pulled-off the impossible. Right now, odds-makers have Missouri at 16/1 to win the National Championship.
While I’m not much of a gambler – I typically lose, when I do, I would think that a turnaround of such odds is unprecedented. If Missouri wins the championship this season, it will be its first.
Missouri Tigers Basketball
While instant success would be a major boon for Missouri’s basketball program, Coach Martin and fans alike understand that a single winning season does not create a dynasty.
If the Tigers are able to win a championship, the season will have been a major success, but 24 hours later, that title win is history, and Missouri must continue to build upon its success through successful recruiting.
Scheduling is another matter that goes a long way in a team’s success, as Missouri is projected to have a favorable non-conference schedule in 2017-18.
While the “bill” to schedule those opponents is also much less, the likeliness that Missouri has a successful record against them is also likely. With games against Miami (Ohio), Green Bay, Utah, North Florida, and Stephen F. Austin (among others), the Tigers should finish on top.
Impressing veteran athletes is no easy task for “newbies.” Then again, Missouri has never had such a recruiting class, before. However, veteran guard Kassius Robertson has never played D1 basketball, either.
That doesn’t speak to Robertson’s ability to be a difference maker on the court, or a major contributor to Mizzou’s game plan this season. While he is impressed by the Tigers’ rookies, he is also excited about his opportunity to play for Mizzou.
"Robertson held his own against the Wildcats’ constellation of stars — he matched future NBA lottery pick Malik Monk with 16 points — but more important was the taste. That day, Robertson had sampled major college basketball on one of the game’s grandest platforms."
According to Dave Matter of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Coach Martin is also impressed with Robertson’s abilities, as he shot 41 percent as the main guy for Canisius.
"He’s a guy who’s battle-tested. He’s been in games. He’s competed at a high level. Anytime you shoot 41 percent being the main guy … I can only imagine what he’ll shoot when he’s not the focal point of everything you’re doing. Now he can just catch and shoot and play. He understands what it takes."
Not only does Robertson provide experience for Missouri, but on a team mostly filled with first-year players, he also brings maturity and his own brand of leadership.