‘The season is not over’: Mizzou hunts for first SEC win in road trip to Ole Miss
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team is on the hunt for that elusive first conference win of the season. Head coach Dennis Gates and company are 8-16 overall through the 2023-24 season, but notably 0-11 in SEC action.
The Tigers' next opportunity will come against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 17. Ole Miss will come into the game looking to break up a three-game losing streak, falling to No. 16 Auburn, No. 15 South Carolina and No. 20 Kentucky in the span of a couple weeks. Gates said that this weekend his team will face not only themselves, but a team that has NCAA implications.
"What stands out more than anything is what's on the line," he said. "What's on the line for this team is an ability to quote-unquote not have a net loss than can impact their implications or have a win at home. They've lost their last three, obviously, to ranked opponents, but they're gonna be fighting and they're gonna be desperate."
You can watch the full press conference with Coach Gates in the video player below.
Despite the win-loss column, Gates emphasized that the season is not over for his team yet. He still has a group that will look to compete in the conference tournament and end the year on a high note.
Mizzou has dealt with a variety of injuries and setbacks in the 2023-24 season, including injuries to guards Caleb Grill and John tonje, forwards Trent Pierce and Jesus Carralero-Martin and others. All the while, Gates has not changed the way he coaches and challenges his players.
"Every year you navigate injuries or, like I said, being banged up and things that can kind of derail you. Sometimes it's not even injuries, sometimes it's young people's decisions and the decisions not to think things through, so you have the academic part of ineligibility that can take place, you have kids not following rules and regulations sand this just happens to be ours," he said. "I meet it face-to-face. I don't run from it. I don't run or lead any different than I would last year. I don't get high, I don't get low, I'm a very consistent leader."
Tiger center Mabor Majak echoed that same message, emphasizing how consistent Coach Gates has been all season, despite the losing record.
"He's [Gates] challenged us a lot," Majak said. "He's alway pushing us in practice and asking us for our very best."
You can watch the full press conference with Majak in the video player below.
Up next - Mizzou will make the road trip to Oxford to meet the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tip off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
