Truman's Tales
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Missouri basketball became an SEC contender overnight

By Eric Quackenbush

DALLAS - MARCH 13: The Missouri Tigers mascot cheers on the basketball team during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Dr. Pepper Big XII Championships at the American Airlines Center March 13, 2003, in Dallas, Texas. The Tigers defeated the Cornhuskers 70-61. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
DALLAS - MARCH 13: The Missouri Tigers mascot cheers on the basketball team during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Dr. Pepper Big XII Championships at the American Airlines Center March 13, 2003, in Dallas, Texas. The Tigers defeated the Cornhuskers 70-61. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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For all the time spent making up reasons why the Missouri Tigers “aren’t SEC,” there’s no doubt the Tigers’ detractors will pay attention to Mizzou this winter.

In late March, the face of Missouri’s basketball program changed overnight. Former head coach Kim Anderson was fired, and Cuonzo Martin accepted a $21M job offer to become the Tigers’ next head coach.

Since then, some players left the program while others remain, and the Tigers hit a windfall in recruiting, landing the No. 1 recruit in the nation, in addition to two top-40 recruits.

From an outside perspective, Martin made his recruiting efforts seem effortless. The man has so much recruiting experience, that it’s become second nature to him.

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When Missouri became a member of the SEC, “OG” SEC fans turned up their noses to the Tigers, while seemingly welcoming Texas A&M with open arms. “The Tigers aren’t SEC.”

While geographically, their argument makes sense, from a competitive standpoint, it’s nonsense. In its first five years as an SEC institution, Missouri football won two SEC East titles.

In track and field, golf, wrestling, baseball, softball, and soccer, the Tigers have been among the conference’s best competitors. Basketball has been lacking, but the winds of change shifted, and that will come November.

According to ESPN staff writer Myron Medcalf, Missouri’s changes will affect the outcome of the Tigers’ 2017-18 season. A new blueprint for success is in place, and Mizzou is ready to take on the challenge of competition in the SEC.

"Missouri becomes an SEC contender overnightThe Tigers embody the redemptive powers of a college basketball program willing to invest. With Cuonzo Martin’s $21 million deal, the Tigers also gained Michael Porter Jr., the No. 1 recruit in America, per ESPN.com, and a legit chance to compete for an SEC crown and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013."

Like it or not, Missouri is SEC. What’s more, victory will feel even greater when the Tigers reign victorious over the blue bloods of Kentucky, which, if you recall, the eight-win Tigers had on the ropes until late in the game.

Next: The face of Missouri basketball

After a successful offseason of recruiting and rebuilding the program, Coach Martin is ready to lead the Tigers and, once again, prove the SEC’s naysayers wrong.

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