Cuonzo Martin on managing fans’ expectations:
I think that my job as a coach is to do my job. And that means developing men on and off the basketball court. Putting ourselves, in position to win basketball games, making sure that we are successful in the classroom, the community and doing all those things. For me, I can't get caught up in those things (the hype surrounding the program).
Martin on Columbia’s showing of love to recruits this past weekend:
The fanfare and all of the stuff that comes with it, the expectations, that goes with the territory. I think that's what makes great programs great. They go through that and learn from that. And are able to weather the storms, whether they are negative or positive. They continue to push forward. That's the biggest key.
I can control the guys when I see them when we talk about different things like being positive. Or playing and being in the community with a level of humility and to just try to do the right thing. Sometimes it's hard when you're a young guy and you see a lot and it feels good. But we can not lose sight of the task at hand.
Cornell Mann on what type of offense Martin is looking for the team to run:
Coach Martin wants those guys to be able to go out and play and not look to the sideline throughout. That's how it was at Iowa State as well with Coach Hoiberg.
Stevie Wonder can see how much excitement is going on around here. So we'll be able to show that [the great Missouri fan base] easily. When people begin to look us up on the Internet, websites, etc. They'll be able to see it themselves.
Those guys came in with a hunger and a feel for wanting more. I commend them on hard they. If that the level, and that's the only level that will be accepted, then we will have a fun time and the fans will enjoy watching them play.
Michael Porter Sr. on whether he expects any issues between new players and Kim Anderson holdovers:
You know, in the absence of communication thoughts can run wild. So not until those guys get here and they get to know each other and they get a real sense of what kinda guys are coming in, there could be some of that. I don't sense that from Kevin (Puryear) and Terrence (Phillips) and some of the other guys that I've spoken with.
But I think that it would be less than honest if you didn't wonder what it would be like as a player. But I know that we as a staff are gonna treat em equally. That's the great thing about coach Martin. Everybody's the same. EVERYBODY is the same. Everybody has to go 100% in every single drill, you've gotta be on time and you have to go to class.
So in that sense, there will be no favorites. Each guy is gonna have to stand or fall on his own in that regard. So I think that when they (the players) see how he is and how we the staff relate to them, I think we'll be fine.
Porter on whether he ever expected to be coaching the Mizzou men 10 years ago, when his primary job was as a Christian rapper:
I didn't know where it was gonna go. To be honest with you, I started coaching my kids just because they were getting older. I was gone so much, so I cut back on my traveling to coach and train them. And the whole coaching side of it just grew from there.
Obviously, when Robin came here, we talked about how cool it could be one day if we were able to work together. Turns out Mizzou was that place that it could happen and so we came.
I don't think that you ever walk into a career path knowing where it's gonna lead you. You just go in trying to do the best you can. You make mistakes, you have some successes and you live with it and let the chips fall where they may.
God has blessed us and the chips have fallen in a way that we could end up at Mizzou. I couldn't think of a better place that we could ever be.