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Mizzou Basketball: Fans have a right to be excited about recruiting class

By Leigh Oleszczak

Mar 29, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds All-American West forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) drives to the basket against East forward PJ Washington Jr (25) during the 40th Annual McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 29, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds All-American West forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) drives to the basket against East forward PJ Washington Jr (25) during the 40th Annual McDonald's High School All-American Game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mizzou basketball locked down another recruit in the form of Jontay Porter and now look poised to be one of the best teams in the SEC next season. MU fans deserve this after the last three seasons they’ve had to endure.

The last time that Mizzou basketball made it to the NCAA Tournament was in 2013 when they made it in as a nine-seed and fell to the eight-seeded Colorado State Rams. Not long after that, head coach Frank Haith split for Tulsa and the Tigers hired Kim Anderson in 2014 to become the next leader for the school.

The Kim Anderson era was short lived, though not short enough for a lot of Tiger fans, and he never led the team to double digit victories in any of his three seasons in Columbia. It was rough watching Missouri basketball while Anderson was at the helm, but now things are finally starting to go Mizzou’s way.

Tiger fans first got excited when there was word that top recruit Michael Porter Jr. could be de-committing from Washington and joining his hometown squad. That soon became a reality and with Porter’s commitment came the hope that other big name guys would soon be wearing the black and yellow as well.

Blake Harris and Jeremiah Tillman soon joined that list, making Mizzou noticeable in a sport they’ve been forgotten in for awhile now. Once Michael Porter Jr.’s younger brother Jontay Porter announced he’d also be playing in Columbia, the excitement was at an all-time high for the University of Missouri.

https://twitter.com/JontayPorter/status/866808504996118530

To be honest, I sometimes think it’s silly to get overly excited about recruits. Kansas fans rarely are doing the Charleston over inking big name recruits and I doubt Alabama football fans are throwing parties to celebrate their team landing a top name guy.

Those two schools are different though and haven’t had to go through what Mizzou basketball did the past three years. MU was terrible in basketball and nobody was going to games in Columbia. They were a laughing stock and should have been running away with the SEC, but instead, they struggled to win games and even lost to schools like Eastern Illinois, Lipscomb, and North Carolina Central.

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Cuonzo Martin’s hiring has already turned the program around and Missouri Tigers fans are ready to see their school play some competitive basketball. They moved to the SEC so that they could make a name for themselves in basketball and now have the roster to compete with the likes of Kentucky, Florida, and South Carolina.

While KU fans are rolling their eyes over Missouri fans’ excitement for their recruits, they have every right to pump their fists and be excited for what the 2017-2018 season will bring.

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