By Dave Matter, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TAMPA, Fla. — Minutes after his team was eliminated from the SEC tournament here Thursday, South Carolina coach Frank Martin went to bat for another Martin, Missouri’s Cuonzo.
Asked by the Post-Dispatch during his postgame press conference about Cuonzo Martin’s value to the league over the years, Frank Martin spoke for several minutes about the colleague he once called his "long lost brother."
“I would be disappointed (if he doesn’t return),” Martin said. “Last time I checked they went to the NCAA Tournament last year, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know what this business is coming to when men like him get questioned on what they can and can't do and get judged this year in this league coming off the year he had last year. We got major issues in this business if somebody that had that (Missouri) team top 20 in the country pretty much all season last year and went to the NCAA Tournament. We got issues in this business.
“He is the man that he is, that's about making things right, improving people's lives. When is the last time you read about Cuonzo Martin's teams in any kind of negative connotation? You're not. When is the last time you read a player for Cuonzo Martin in any kind of negative connotation? You're not. He just came off an NCAA Tournament, and people start talking like that? That's sad.
Frank Martin ended his press conference with a nod to outgoing Kansas State coach Bruce Webber, a former colleague of Cuonzo Martin’s on Purdue’s staff. Weber, who succeeded Frank Martin at Kansas State, resigned on Thursday following a 14-17 season, his third straight losing season. At the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Weber’s lengthy postgame soliloquy on the state of coaching profession went viral on Wednesday. He said he’s pledged to not cut his hair until "something happens" with the FBI probe into corruption at programs around the country, including Kansas, his prime rival in the Big 12.
"I’m on the NCAA ethics committee," Weber said. "And in the meetings, I was told that they were going to take care of the people in the FBI stuff. So I told somebody, 'I’m going to grow my hair until something happens.'
“Obviously, it’s still growing. That’s the sad part of our business. Lon Kruger told me the other day, think about all the guys in the FBI thing. They are all in the NCAA tournament except one. So I’m just proud of what I’ve done.”
Before stepping off the SEC dais, Frank Martin saluted Weber on Thursday.
“If I don't say this, I would punch myself in the face,” he said. “Big shout-out to Bruce Weber. I think he is one of the classiest men and one of the good people in this business. I tried to win a Big 12 championship in that league. He won two of them. That thing is really hard over there. Big shout-out to Bruce. This business needs Cuonzo and Bruce Weber in it.”
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