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We continue our season preview coverage with Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin. He has had success everywhere he has been: the 1994 Elite 8 as a player at Purdue, the 2010 CIT title as coach at Missouri State, a Sweet 16 as coach at Tennessee, 2 straight 20-win seasons as coach at Cal, and an NCAA tourney appearance in his very 1st year as coach at Missouri in 2018. The Tigers backtracked last year with a 15-win season but hope to get things going in the right direction this year. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Martin about being a great 3-PT shooter and having a brutal non-conference schedule.
You were a player/assistant to Gene Keady at Purdue: what made him such a great coach, and what was the most important thing that you learned from him? Coach Keady pushed us to become men and challenged us to be great in all walks of life. I learned the kind of work ethic it takes when the lights are off and when no one is watching to truly be successful. That is where the separation happens: the extra time that you put in.
You set a school record with 8 3PM in a 1994 Sweet 16 win over Kansas and your 45.1 career 3P% remains the best in school history: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Again, it is putting in the time and getting those extra reps up. When I got to Purdue, I really could not shoot the 3-ball and was encouraged not to because it was not part of my game…but I made it part of my game. I worked at it and worked at it and made it a part of my lifestyle. The repetition just gets to a point where you do not think about it because you have put in the time. Every shot feels the same and feels like it is going in.
In the 2010 CIT title game as head coach at Missouri State you beat Pacific: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was a great experience for those guys: any time you win a championship at any level it is special.
In the 2011 World University Games you were an assistant to fellow Boilermaker Matt Painter on team USA: could you have imagined at the time that Draymond Green would become a 3-time NBA champ? Yes, because of the type of guy he is in terms of how much he wants it and how hard he works on his craft. It does not surprise me: it only works out for guys like that.
You spent 3 years as head coach at Cal: how do you think that your job would have changed had the state legislature passed a Fair Pay to Play Act while you were still in Berkeley? Recruiting-wise you are still looking at players based on their character, work ethic, and who fits your system both on and off the court so that part would not change. It is still unknown what all the rules will be from an NCAA standpoint so it is hard to say how you would approach it differently in California compared to other states, regardless of your own state legislature.
Your brutal non-conference schedule includes games against Xavier/Butler/Illinois/West Virginia and 1 of Oklahoma/Stanford: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? True road games are always great and give our guys a chance to grow. The SEC is pound-for-pound one of if not the deepest and best leagues in the country so it is good to get those opportunities early and then learn from them.
You have 3 juniors on your roster named Smith (Dru/Mark/Mitchell): was that just a happy accident, and how is Mark’s left ankle doing after having surgery last March? Happy accident but we are thrilled to have all three who bring different things to the table for us. Mark is back and fully in the fold practice-wise.
Reed Nikko is the only senior on the roster: how much pressure is there on him to be a leader this year? Reed has always been a great locker room guy: just steady. He is one of the most vocal guys we have on the court and one of those guys who does not change his demeanor for anything.
There were 7 SEC teams who made the NCAA tourney as top-10 seeds last March: where do you think that your conference ranks among the best in the nation? As I said, one of the strongest in the country. Every night is a battle with how deep the league is. We were picked 13th in the preseason in the SEC. If we do end up finishing 13th that will mean this will be one of the greatest seasons for any conference in history!
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I expect to be as good as anybody and compete for an SEC title.