Building on success: Mizzou basketball aims higher in season following tourney bid

Missouri men’s basketball is coming off a true bounce-back season.

Coach Dennis Gates recovered from the historic low that was the 2023-24 campaign with a return to the NCAA Tournament the next season. The Tigers finished 22-12 overall (10-8 in conference) in a year marked by the SEC setting the record for the most tournament bids by a single conference.

Gates opened his remarks Monday at the team’s media day at Mizzou Arena on a note of excitement, but with an emphasis on progress entering his fourth year at the helm. Gates highlighted the Tigers’ highest opening KenPom ranking since the 2012-13 season (No. 28), but recognized the importance of the task that remains ahead.

“Regardless of the rankings, you’ve gotta go out and do the work,” Gates said. “Our guys are going to continue to pride themselves and ourselves, this program, about going to do the work. We’ve gotta go earn what we want, and that’s, obviously, the opportunity to play in a national championship game.”

Mizzou ranks seventh in the preseason SEC media poll, the same place the Tigers finished in last year’s standings.

“Being one of the top teams in the SEC to retain (players), we work hard on that every single day,” Gates said. “I want to be able to make sure we do these things but not just rely on one-year classes, where the entire team is wiped out.”

Who are Mizzou’s key returners?

In the era of NIL, the transfer portal and a revolving door of players, Mizzou has looked to its returning players to take on more leadership responsibilities. For third-year guard and captain Anthony Robinson II, the first step is leading vocally.

“With Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill being very vocal, it made it easier for me sometimes,” Robinson said. “Being someone that can just call things out and, you know, just be that extension of coach Gates, that’s what I’m working on and that’s what I’m going to have to do this year for this team to be successful.”

Junior forward Trent Pierce, another third-year returner, has similar ambitions.

“One (aspect) is voice. I think I’ve always naturally been introverted, so growing and just being louder and talking more on the court (is a goal),” Pierce said. “Two, you’ve got to be able to show it as well. You’ve got to do the same things that you’re telling other guys to do. ... Just showing it, being physical on the court, playing hard. A leader isn’t all talk. It’s leading on the court as well.”

With five incoming transfers, along with two true freshmen, the experienced Mizzou players have been tasked with passing on the culture.

“To see our returning nucleus be able to lead in a way that eliminates a coach from having to direct these guys into every form of their transition ... what I see is leadership,” Gates said at the team’s Pro Day on Oct. 4.

Senior forward and captain Mark Mitchell has also been a key leader. Mitchell, who was named to the All-SEC third team last season, was named to the preseason All-SEC second team Monday. Mitchell has been focused on making that transition as easy as possible for the newcomers.

Sophomore guard T.O. Barrett has undertaken a similar task with the two true freshmen: guard Aaron Rowe and forward Nicholas Randall.

“Last year, I was kind of blind to what I was walking into, but I’ve seen everything now,” Barrett said. “I’m just trying to tell them everything that I’ve seen that they haven’t yet. At practice, (when) something happens, just trying to, you know, explain it to them, not be too hard on them, because I know how it is.”

The development of Barrett, sophomore guard Annor Boateng and redshirt-freshman center Trent Burns over the course of their inaugural year has prepared them to take on more responsibility. The Tigers’ first game, an exhibition, is Oct. 24 against Kansas State.

Burns is recovering from right foot surgery he underwent last month, but he hopes to be back soon.

“I know the whole system, so all the newcomers that play around my position, I know how to help them out,” Burns said. “Just trying to give them any pointers that could help them out.”

Between returning players, new talent and experienced players from around the SEC, Gates has hopes of doing what last year’s team couldn’t: bring home a Final Four banner.

“You have a group of guys that could pull a group forward,” Gates said. “I’m excited with what I’ve seen with their leadership internally. Now from an external standpoint, we’ve got to see it all come together with our newcomers.”

Mizzou has talented transfers, too

This offseason, Gates emphasized adding depth and toughness to an already experienced roster. For Gates, relationships that he established in high school recruiting played a role with his portal targets.

“When you look at the fabric and the cloth that they’re cut from, and you know what you know about the SEC is not easy,” Gates said. “It’s difficult. It becomes dark days. Who can rise to the occasion based off of the level of competition that they played at? ... We want guys who want to be here, who want to play for me, and that rises to the top. Each guy here wants to play for me.”

The Tigers welcomed five transfers this offseason, each bringing a level of experience from the previous institution they played at.

Junior guard Sebastian Mack comes to Columbia following two seasons at UCLA. Mack appeared in 67 games for the Bruins in his two seasons, averaging 9.6 points and 1.7 assists per game. Mack brings tournament experience to a Mizzou squad already full of players who competed in March last season.

“I feel like I’ve seen a lot of aspects of the game. I know it’s going to be a difference between the Big Ten and the SEC,” Mack said. “But I feel like other than that, though, Gates and my players, the players that are here, have been helping me be accustomed to it and know what to expect, so I’ll be prepared for sure.”

Not every transfer on the Mizzou roster will have to adapt to the fast-paced and physical nature of the SEC. Junior Luke Northweather spent the last two seasons with Oklahoma, appearing in over 55 games and taking part in the Sooners’ run to the tournament last March. The Blair Oaks product is excited to return home to mid-Missouri.

“Just doing as much as I can, whether it’s trying to help with kind of scouting from what I see from playing them in the past, or just the overall physicality,” Northweather said. “Just really bringing anything to the table that I can to help.”

The veteran presences of Mack and Northweather will complement the already established presences of Robinson and Mitchell. Mitchell, who joined the Tigers last season following two years at Duke, understands the experience of joining a new team in the transfer portal era.

“I think it makes it a lot easier when you have some retention from last year that know the ways, know the culture,” Mitchell said. “Just bringing them along. And it makes it really easy when you have guys with really good attitudes that come from good places, been coached really well. Just bringing Shawn (Phillips), Bas (Mack), (Jayden) Stone, all the guys that transferred in.

“Just bringing them in, they’ve been great, had great attitudes. So it’s been easy.”

The Tigers will take the stage at the SEC Tipoff media event Wednesday in Birmingham, Alabama. Appearing on Day 2, Dennis Gates will speak from 4:50 to 5:05 p.m., followed by Robinson, Mitchell and graduate Jacob Crews from 5:05 to 5:15 p.m.

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