zooguy96 said:
Cuonzo made the elite 8 when he had 3 NBA players he didn't recruit.
He's not that good of a coach. Kennedy-esque.
I remember the Tennessee Vols fans and boosters apparently being very upset with Cuonzo Martin's last year there in 2013-2014. That Tennessee team finished with an 11-7 record in the SEC and made the NCAA Sweet Sixteen (two of the SEC losses were to the Aggies because of Antwan Space last second threes), but the fans felt the team had underachieved. Plus Bruce Pearl's NCAA show-cause was coming to an end and there seemed to be a movement to bring Pearl back. If I recall correctly, several thousand Vols fans signed a petition to bring back Pearl and boosters went out of their way to give Martin hints that he wasn't welcome by no longer letting him use their private plane(s) for recruiting trips, and so forth.
Ironically, Martin splits for Cal Bears after that season and in three seasons there makes the NIT once and the NCAA tournament once (in 2015-2016).
Meanwhile, since then, in three seasons under first Donnie Tyndall (1 season) and Rick Barnes (2 seasons)...Tennessee has yet to even get to the NIT. And in those same three seasons Auburn who hired Bruce Pearl also has yet to even get to the NIT.
Tennessee under Tyndall and Barnes looked pretty well coached and played hard (IMO) but the roster talent simply was not there. Pearl has been recruiting really well at Auburn per the recruiting rankings, but it has often been a mix-mash of transfers and JUCO's with high school recruits that just hasn't had a team yet that meshed very well.
If Missouri was to actually get back to the NCAA in Martin's first season there, while Tennessee and Auburn continued to sit the post-season out, that would continue the irony.
I agree that Martin's coaching looks pretty suspect...but the dude does seem to know how to play the recruiting game.