USADSI Kunzo Martin left for Missouri in March 2017, immediately gathering a top five recruitment class and appearing on the way to NCAA competition appearances. Then came the injuries. Michael Porter Jr. played only three games in 2017-18 after the season due to issue. Jonde Porter missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL. Mark Smith and Jeremiah Tillman both missed time last season. It was one after the other. Misfortune is multiplied by a million. “We’ve taken our tumors,” Martin said Saturday. But this season has come to a healthy / excellent start. So far, every Missouri player has made sense in every Missouri game. The resulting 5-0 record upset Illinois 81-78 on Saturday, pushing the Tigers into the updated CBS Sports Top 25 and 1 daily college basketball rankings on Sunday morning. Introducing Missouri No. 16. The Tigers can be seen as legitimate competitors in the SEC. But, as I mentioned in Friday’s episode of I On College Basketball Podcast, Missouri’s top five scores are three seniors and two juniors. So this is an old team. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the first three weeks of this extraordinary season, the best teams are often older teams filled with players who have performed before at this level. So this is a good sign. St. Louis and LSU should each be pushed down to one place, not their own fault. That means LSU has gone from 26th to first team. Also, before anyone asks, yes, Clemson is high on my radar. Brad Brown’s Tigers advanced 5-0 to Alabama 64-56 on Saturday. So they definitely knock on the door of the first 25 and 1. Are you coming to more college loop analysis? Listen below and keep an eye out on the College Basketball Podcast, where we take you beyond difficulty with insights and immediate reactions. Sunday 25th and 1st Ranking: LSU IN: Missouri