Missouri Basketball: Martin gets his Mann; two request transfer
More changes are on the horizon for Missouri basketball. Head coach Cuonzo Martin has added another piece to his coaching staff, and two Mizzou athletes are moving on.
For the foreseeable future, the Missouri basketball program will be in a state of flux. The latest in this ever evolving story starts with a new addition to Coach Martin’s coaching staff.
According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, “per a source,” Martin plans to add Oakland Univeristy’s assistant coach Cornell Mann to the last assistant coaching position on his staff.
According to SEC Country, Mann most recently coached at Oakland University (Michigan). He was named an assistant coach in June 2016. Prior to coaching for the Golden Grizzlies, Mann served four years at Iowa State in the same capacity, as the lead defensive coach.
While at Iowa State, the team finished with an overall record of 99-40, and made four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, which was a school record under Mann.
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Mann has 15 years of coaching experience include periods with Central Michigan, Dayton, and Western Michigan. These programs also had appearances in the NCAA Tournament under the guidance of Mann.
For the Tigers, that means defensive awareness and technique will improve and become a lot more dynamic than it was under former coach Kim Anderson’s staff.
Hughes and Walton request to transfer
Not surprisingly, later in the evening, freshman guard Frankie Hughes and sophomore guard KJ Walton, were granted their releases to transfer from the program.
Will there be more? The possibility certainly exists, and with a program that is undergoing a transformation and transitioning from one coaching regime to another, change is bound to happen.
With any luck, the Tigers may be able to fill those vacancies with the likes of a couple more big-name recruits visiting over the weekend.