By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
KANSAS CITY - Missouri Western men’s basketball coach Will Martin heads into his fourth season as the head coach of the Griffons this fall.
After an NCAA tournament bid in his first year in 2021, Missouri Western fell on hard times, recording back-to-back losing seasons.
However, coach Martin and the Griffons have good reason to expect better in 2023-24.
Missouri Western has 10 upperclassmen on its roster, as they return seven players with starting experience and eight letter winners.
In all, the Griffons return 79% of their scoring and 77% of their minutes from a season ago.
Speaking at MIAA Basketball Media Day in Kansas City on Tuesday, coach Martin says the maturity of this team is noticeable.
"We go from a really young team the last two years to a real mature team this year," Martin said. "I can see and feel that in practice. It's one thing to be 'lovey dovey' and be friends and stuff like that. But, there's a deeper level of love, which is agape love that's self sacrificial. It's disciplined and it tells people the truth."
"I haven't had to exhibit a lot of the tough love this year, because our seniors and juniors have done that."
The Griffons have had big wins and solid runs in each of the last two seasons, but largely, the result was the same.
14-16 last year and 14-17 the year before that.
Missouri Western has been plagued in each of the last two seasons with key injuries, COVID-19 shutdowns and other hardships.
Martin knows the pressure is especially on to perform this year - also bearing in mind that adversity, of some sort, will come every season.
"We want to be able to, no matter what happens this year, because we will face more adversity, we want to respond well," he said. "We want to respond with maturity and toughness. Yeah, the pressure is there 100%. There's pressure on me and on this team. I hope they feel it. We talk about it all the time - feel every emotion, but know what to do with that."
Martin looks to his seniors, as he does every year, for leadership. This year, they're forward JaRon Thames and guard Reese Glover.
Thames has become a multi-tool player, averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year after overcoming a hand injury early in the season.
Glover holds the career record for most made three-pointers in Missouri Western history at 258 and counting.
Going into his last season in St. Joseph, Glover is optimistic and grateful, given what he's seen from this year's bunch so far.
"We are in a good spot," Glover said. "We have a lot of work to do. Got to get better everyday. But, as of right now, looking good. Cohesion is good and we're all just working toward our one goal."
It’s a big season for Missouri Western - a season where the MIAA’s coaches and media have picked the Griffons to, again, finish in the middle of the pack in the league.
But, with a team led by a core of 10 upperclassmen who have experienced firsthand the highs and lows of the last three years, Martin has faith that this group can be the one to turn the corner, and get the Griffons back to NCAA tournament contention.
"I've seen it a lot from this squad - a high level of maturity and focus, and they're ready to go."
Missouri Western opens the schedule with an exhibition at home against Benedictine on Friday, October 20 at 6 p.m.
Media Day interviews/audio
You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.