Missouri basketball coach Cuonzo Martin is entering the most crucial summer of his career.
After suffering back-to-back losing seasons for the first time as a head coach, he must move his program forward in Year 4 of his regime.
If Xavier Pinson, Jeremiah Tilmon and Mitchell Smith stick around as expected after exploring their pro options, Martin and Co. will return a veteran team with established defensive toughness.
“We have a real mature team coming back,” senior guard Mark Smith said in one of Martin’s Zoom interviews. “We have one goal. I feel like everybody is focused on one goal.