I grew in Bloomington, Indiana loving my Hoosiers, so it goes without saying that I hate Purdue and root for their athletic teams to lose every time they step on the field or court.
However, one of two Boilermakers that I have always begrudgingly respected and rooted for (post-Purdue, of course) is Cuonzo Martin, who I watched tear up my Hoosiers on numerous occasions back during the mid-90s.
(For the record, the other Boilermaker that I consider non-loathable is Drew Brees.)
Cuonzo Martin is now in his second season as the head coach of the Missouri State Bears and already has them undefeated and ranked in the top 25.
For longtime Big Ten basketball fans, this really should not be a surprise.
In case you’ve forgotten, Cuonzo Martin was the heir apparent to Glenn Robinson as Purdue’s offensive leader. He truly blossomed in 1994 and 1995, averaging 16.3 and 18.4 points, respectively.
What I always found most impressive about Martin’s evolution as a player is how his game changed. During his freshman and sophomore years, he went 0-7 from downtown. During his junior and senior seasons, Martin made 179 three-pointers and shot a remarkable 45.1% from downtown.
He had a nondescript career in the NBA, playing in only seven games over two seasons. His professional career, unfortunately, was cut short when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Considering the knee problems that he dealt with throughout his basketball career, plus the challenges he faced growing up, it is a testament to his will and desire that he even made it into The League at all.
What got me thinking about Cuonzo Martin was a recent profile in the Kansas City Star that was forwarded to me by probably the most annoying Purdue fan alive. (And believe me, if you’ve ever spent much time around Purdue fans, that’s saying something.) But I have to give him credit for this article, because it’s a good one. Well done, Pele.
Written by Sam Mellinger, the article talks about how Martin’s difficult youth growing up in East St. Louis almost derailed his basketball career before it ever started, yet also helped drive him to overcome his injuries and naysayers, and continues to shape his coaching today.
It’s not often that I extend an olive branch to our Purdue readers (if there are any left), but the God’s honest truth is that if you took away the black and gold, Cuonzo Martin would be right up there among my favorite non-IU Big Ten basketball players of all time.
So below is a link to article about Cuonzo Martin, which I encourage you to read. I’ve excerpted a few pieces of it below. You can also follow him on Twitter at @MSUBears and he seems to update his feed regularly.
It appears like a pretty good bet that Missouri State will be standing as one of the final 65 come March, and I am sure that any coach who ever coached against Purdue when Cuonzo was playing will absolutely not want to face his team when all the chips are on the table.
Missouri State coach Martin has shown toughness in overcoming obstacles — (Sam Mellinger, Kansas City Star)
Cuonzo Martin bites a whistle in his mouth and holds a yellow apple in his hand as he stares down the opportunity of his professional life, right here in front of him. He is pacing, stalking, his feet never sticking to the hardwood basketball court at Missouri State more than a half-second or so.
He shouldn’t be here. Not statistically, not medically, and not realistically. Guys who see what he’s seen and lived what he’s lived just don’t become head coach of one of biggest surprise teams in Division I basketball.
But here he is anyway, spreading his personal gospel of motion offense and nasty defense and especially about being tough. That last point is a way of life for Martin. His Bears, 9-0 and No. 23 in the RPI, are catching on quicker than anybody expected.
“I’m from East St. Louis,” he says. “We scratch. We fight. We make it work.”
…..
Cuonzo Martin doesn’t like to say too much about the things he saw as a kid. Through conversations with family and friends, the sad cliché of growing up in the projects emerges. Gangs. Drugs. Prostitution. Guns.
“We did some things that other people probably got in trouble for,” says Marco Harris, Martin’s best friend growing up. “We just didn’t get caught. I think God had a different plan.”
Martin likes to say that people in his hometown look out for those trying to make good. It’s a rough place, and maybe this is a strange dynamic, but he thinks his hometown protected him, helping him make it.
…..
Martin carried his baby boy as he walked through the door of his Indianapolis home and collapsed. He remembers stretching his arms out to drop the boy on the couch, saving the impact. His wife rushed him to the hospital, where they ran tests and X-rays. He’ll never forget the doctor’s voice.
“I don’t know if you’re going to live or die,” he said. “This is very serious.”
Best of luck the rest of this season to Cuonzo and the Bears. Something tells me that he’ll be coaching in the Big Ten again at some point (Iowa, perhaps?) so I can go back to rooting against him.
But for now, I can’t help but admire what he’s overcome and and what he has become. I am sure that every Purdue fan watches him with pride, as well they should.
In fact, all Big Ten fans should…even those of us from Bloomington.
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* – Cuonzo Martin head shot credit: Evansville.Scout.com
* – Cuonzo Martin Purdue photo credit: Hoopedia
About Jerod Morris
