Missouri
Iowa State
@MizzouHoops Opens 112th Season with 234th Meeting with Cyclones
11/9/2017 6:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Tigers bring an exciting mixture of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers to their 2017-18 squad
Mizzou Men's Basketball (0-0) tips off the highly anticipated beginning of the Cuonzo Martin Era at home at Mizzou Arena against a familiar foe to the Tigers, Iowa State (0-0). The season-opener pits Martin's Mizzou squad against the Cyclones, a program that the Tigers have played 233 times dating back to 1909. Historically, Mizzou has only played two schools more: Kansas, 267; Kansas State, 236. The Tigers open their 112th basketball campaign with an exciting mixture of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers, with Mizzou's 2017 recruiting class ranked inside the top five nationally.
Mizzou Arena is sold out for the 2017-18 season, with the public season ticket sales total of 9,572 setting a school record. Last year's public season ticket total was 5,802.
Story Lines
- Martin's squad features last season's top three scorers (Jordan Barnett, 12.2; Kevin Puryear, 11.8; Terrence Phillips, 10.4).
- Mizzou's group of newcomers is headlined by the nation's No. 1 prospect from the 2017 recruiting class; Columbia, Missouri, native Michael Porter, Jr.
- Porter was selected as the SEC Preseason Co-Player of the Year by league media on Oct. 18.
- Porter was also named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List by the USBWA on Nov. 6.
- Porter was the fifth freshman ever included on the AP's Preseason All-America Team, joining North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, Kansas' Andrew Wiggins, Duke's Jahlil Okafor and LSU's Ben Simmons.
- All-time, Mizzou coaches are 16-2 in their debut game. Additionally, Martin is the third Tiger coach to begin his Black & Gold career vs. Iowa State (Chester Brewer, 1910-11; Craig Ruby, 1920-22).
- A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Martin began his head coaching career at Missouri State, where he went 61-41 in three seasons (2008-11), with a Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 2010-11.
- Martin's final Missouri State squad in 2010-11 defeated Murray State, where current Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm was serving as an assistant, by a score of 89-76 in the National Invitation Tournament on March 15, 2011. Prohm took over as Murray State's head coach the following season.
- Martin got his first look at Southeastern Conference Basketball in his next coaching stop: Tennessee. Mizzou's current head coach won 60.6 percent of his games (63-41) with the Vols over three seasons (2011-14). Martin's 2013-14 squad at Tennessee reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen.
- Two more 20-win seasons were added to Martin's career résumé while coaching for California, bringing his total to six 20-win seasons in nine campaigns. The Bears made two postseason trips in Martin's three seasons (2014-17) in Berkeley.
