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| Cuonzo Martin denies being contacted by Mizzou and is committed to Missouri State, but there is no denying that he has become a hot commodity among coaches in college basketball. - Photo courtesy of purduecancercenter.com |
During the last episode, the air was let out when the Bears were not selected to be part of the NCAA Tournament.
Bears fans are hoping the air will not be let out again as rumors continually swirl about the status of their coach Cuonzo Martin as a legitimate candidate at a number of schools.
During a press conference late on Friday afternoon, Martin put to bed whether or not he had been contacted by the University of Missouri about their head coaching position vacated by the departure of Mike Anderson.
"I'm employed by Missouri State," Martin said. "I enjoy being here. There are no back-door deals going on. I think it would be a disservice to everyone involved if I start talking about speculation. Missouri has not contacted me whatsoever. No search firm has contacted me. Bottom line."
That is good news for Bears fans who are hoping that Martin will return as coach next season.
But the jockeying has just begun.
It is believed that Mizzou's top target is Matt Painter out of Purdue.
Whether or not the Tigers are able to lure Painter away from Purdue remains to be seen, but if they are successful, a job that Martin will be sure to covet will come open and Martin would have to be a prime candidate.
Martin may have hinted that his heart could lie in West Lafayette if the Purdue job opens up.
"It would be unfair to everybody if I start speculating about other programs," Martin said. "And the biggest job isn't always the best job. It's not a case of X-amount of dollars. There are a lot of factors involved."
Meanwhile, Mizzou is not the only current opening where Martin's name is bound to come up. Other schools are also looking for a new head coach and Cuonzo is among the hottest commodities in the nation.
Oklahoma and Tennessee also feel like logical landing spots for Martin because of his Midwest ties and up-and-coming status.
Martin figures to stay mum on the subject going forward and to work hard for Missouri State until things change.
"I'm trying to do a job and represent the program in recruiting and I just think all the talk is unfortunate," Martin said. "But is it a good problem to have? Yes, because it means we're successful. But it's not something I want to deal with. Especially when it's untrue."
Bears fans beware. Hopefully your bubble doesn't burst again.
Holding your breath in hoping Cuonzo is staying could be dangerous.
And that is the sad and very unfortunate reality of college basketball.
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