Five key storylines from Dennis Gates' tenure at Mizzou

Dennis Gates' time at Mizzou centers on both historic lows and exciting progress. His tenure included a winless SEC season, highlighted by the Tigers' 0-18 conference record after a tough loss to LSU.

Yet, Gates has achieved significant recruiting success, securing top-100 players like Annor Boateng and Peyton Marshall for the class of 2024. He also stabilized the program when Kobe Brown chose to stay, anchoring a turnaround from a 12-21 season to NCAA Tournament contention. Gates continues to focus on building for the future and pushing the team's ambitions higher, as discussed during his recent appearance with other Missouri coaches.

Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates greets guard Kobe Brown (24) on the sideline as Auburn Tigers faced Mizzou at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. By Jake Crandall

NO. 1: HOW MIZZOU’S TURNAROUND HINGED ON KOBE BROWN’S MOMENTOUS DECISION NOT TO ENTER PORTAL

“In a world where it’s cool to be in the portal,” Dennis Gates said in December, Kobe Brown “thought it was cool to stay.” | Published March 15, 2023 | Read Full Story by Vahe Gregorian

Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates greets Missouri Tigers guard Kobe Brown (24) on the sideline as Auburn Tigers take on Missouri Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Auburn Tigers lead Missouri Tigers 45-18 at halftime. By Jake Crandall

NO. 2: TALKING MISSOURI TIGERS WITH ELI DRINKWITZ, DENNIS GATES AND BRIAN SMITH | PODCAST

On a recent visit to Kansas City, Missouri Tigers coaches Eli Drinkwitz, Dennis Gates and Brian Smith talked about their teams and the future. | Published May 4, 2023 | Read Full Story by Blair Kerkhoff

Missouri Tigers coach Dennis Gates talks with referee Rob Rorke during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Mizzou Arena on Dec. 28, 2022. By Jay Biggerstaff

NO. 3: DENNIS GATES, MISSOURI TIGERS LAND COMMITMENT FROM 4-STAR CENTER PEYTON MARSHALL

Mizzou landed one 7-footer via the transfer portal this offseason. They just added another ... from the high school ranks. | Published August 11, 2023 | Read Full Story by Calum McAndrew

Coveted high school small forward Annor Boateng announces his decision to play for Mizzou.

NO. 4: MIZZOU TIGERS MEN’S BASKETBALL LANDS 4-STAR HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING GUARD FROM ARKANSAS

The commitment of Annor Boateng further bolsters Dennis Gates’ impressive 2024 recruiting class. | Published September 22, 2023 | Read Full Story by Calum McAndrew

LSU forward Tyrell Ward (15) brings the ball up against Missouri Tigers guard Nick Honor (10) during the first half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on March 9, 2024. By Stephen Lew

NO. 5: MISSOURI TIGERS FINISH SEC BASKETBALL PLAY WINLESS, 0-18, AFTER LOSING FINALE AT LSU

A year after winning an NCAA Tournament game, the Missouri Tigers went winless in SEC play. Here’s what happened in the finale. | Published March 10, 2024 | Read Full Story by Calum McAndrew

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.