Without Michael Porter Jr and anything that came along with him, would Cuonzo Martin have been the right hire for Mizzou? Because this one year was never going to be what determines his ultimate legacy or success (though it was a hell of a jump start).
There are a lot of reasons to believe the answer to this question is yes...but I think it would be fair if people said they weren’t sure. What getting Porter did is bring your program back from the dead, energize the fanbase and get Jontay here a year early. Cuonzo had a part in that but if we are honest it was mostly because of Porter. Outside of Jontay, the on court contributions of the MPJ effect are very little right now (and none for the near future and potentially forever).
So it comes down to, when MPJ is gone in three months and the initial buzz has worn off, is Cuonzo the right guy going forward? (Please don’t read this as me questioning his job security or anything like that because that’s not at all what it is).
As of now my answer to that question is yes. Ten months ago it would have been either I’m not sure or probably not. But he has convinced me he is the right guy at the right time even if all he ends up getting on the court from the Porter family is whatever Jontay does as long as he is here.
There are a lot of reasons to believe the answer to this question is yes...but I think it would be fair if people said they weren’t sure. What getting Porter did is bring your program back from the dead, energize the fanbase and get Jontay here a year early. Cuonzo had a part in that but if we are honest it was mostly because of Porter. Outside of Jontay, the on court contributions of the MPJ effect are very little right now (and none for the near future and potentially forever).
So it comes down to, when MPJ is gone in three months and the initial buzz has worn off, is Cuonzo the right guy going forward? (Please don’t read this as me questioning his job security or anything like that because that’s not at all what it is).
As of now my answer to that question is yes. Ten months ago it would have been either I’m not sure or probably not. But he has convinced me he is the right guy at the right time even if all he ends up getting on the court from the Porter family is whatever Jontay does as long as he is here.
