BRANSON MO NEWS: Last December, Valencia Martin’s eyes lit up as she spotted a student wearing a black-and-gold sweatshirt across East St. Louis High School’s gym. It had “Mizzou” etched across it.She couldn’t help but smile.Her brother — yes, Cuonzo Martin — was hired as Missouri’s men’s basketball coach nine months before this moment, which gave his sister, the assistant principal at East St. Louis, confidence Missouri would resonate in the area.
Now, a year since the hiring that brought the basketball buzz back to Columbia, the moments keep coming.The Tigers’ four signees in their 2018 class are from Illinois and Missouri. Cuonzo Martin is proud of that fact and the foundation he and his staff have laid. Now, the focus turns to building off it.“From what we hear, everybody is excited about us,” Martin said. “We’re in a good place right now. We just have to keep going, keep pushing.”As a trainer for Pure Sweat basketball in St. Louis, this is what Corey Frazier preaches — the going, the pushing.He’s worked with Jeremiah Tilmon, Jordan Barnett and Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum. Frazier is also the coach of St. Louis AAU program Bradley Beal Elite.The team — which boasts Missouri 2019 targets E.J. Liddell, Mario McKinney Jr., Francis Okoro, Terrence Hargrove Jr. and others — competes on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit, largely considered the best summer basketball league for prospective college playes.On Tuesday, Frazier said he’s pretty impressed with the job Martin has done thus far. “But I don’t expect anything less from him because of his work ethic and the relationships he builds with people,” he added.Frazier called Martin “a people’s person,” referencing his transparency and ability to be straightforward. He feels the same about …
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