It has been 80 days since the media members who cover Southeastern Conference basketball picked Mizzou to finish ninth in the 14-team league.
And this was before it became known that Jontay Porter, the versatile sophomore forward who was supposed to be the Tigers’ offensive catalyst, would play all of zero minutes after a season-ending knee injury.
For the second time in as many seasons on the job, Martin’s team is gaining traction after losing its most talented player to an injury at the season’s start. The Tigers beat Central Florida (now 11-2 with wins over Alabama and Temple) in overtime.