Jontay Porter joins Missouri: 5 things you need to know

3 of 5

BERKELEY, CA – DECEMBER 09: Head coach Cuonzo Martin of the California Golden Bears gives instructions to his team during their game against the Incarnate Word Cardinals at Haas Pavilion on December 9, 2015 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

3. Hiring Cuonzo Martin is already well worth it

College basketball programs can generate fan interest in an upcoming season via several currencies. The most powerful one is expectation where past success conditions a fan base to expect future success despite changing circumstances. As an example, think about Kentucky where John Calipari’s history of deep March runs with young rosters has Big Blue Nation expecting nothing less in 2017-18 when the Wildcats will field their least experienced squad yet.

The second most powerful currency, though, is hope and for that reason, Missouri’s hiring of head coach Cuonzo Martin is already paying dividends. Last season, the Tigers officially ranked 40th nationally in attendance with fewer than 10,000 fans on average purchasing tickets to each home game. In reality, the number of fans who actually showed up to the games was likely even far lower.

For three straight seasons, Missouri has finished in either sole possession of or tied for last place in the SEC basketball standings, so there was little reason to expect the fan base to actually care. Now, however, with Martin bringing in Michael Porter as an assistant coach, his sons as players and a few other high level recruits, things are looking up in Columbia.

Season ticket sales are surging, message boards are filling with grandiose dreams of SEC titles and Missouri is riding high despite the fact that its new head coach and his revamped roster have yet to take the floor. Now comes the hard part for Martin and Co., turning that hope into a reality once the season actually starts.