On March 20th, Missouri faces Miami in the first round of the NCAA tournament and the matchup comes with some intriguing personal connections. Charlton C.Y. Young, an assistant coach for Missouri and a Miami native, played a big role in bringing two Florida guards to the Tigers. Those ties make the game feel extra personal for everyone involved.
Young recruited Anthony Robinson II and Marcus Allen to Missouri. Robinson even shares high school history with Miami's Trey Donaldson. They were teammates at Florida State High School, winning a state title together alongside Young's own sons. Adding to the links, Miami's head coach Jai Lucas spent two seasons coaching Missouri forward, Mark Mitchell, when they were both at Duke.
It's a small world in college basketball these days. For Young, preparing to face these players hits close to home. He's known Robinson since the kid was in fourth grade and he stays in touch with the younger sisters of Missouri center Trent Burns, who call him Uncle C.Y. These overlapping stories add flavor to what should be a competitive opener, as both teams bring more than just X's and O's to the court.