Mizzou hoops prepares for last home game until end of December
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team will host its last home game for nearly a month, when Wichita State comes to Columbia on Sunday, Dec. 3.
After that meeting with the Shockers, head coach Dennis Gates and company will be on the road, for 27 days, until they return to Mizzou Arena on Dec. 30 to host Central Arkansas. You can find the full December slate below.
- Dec. 3 - vs. Wichita State
- Dec. 9 - at Kansas
- Dec. 17 - vs. Seton Hall at T-Mobile Center
- Dec. 22 - vs. Illinois at Enterprise Center
- Dec. 30 - vs. Central Arkansas
It'll be a long month for the Tigers, however, Gates hammered home, once again, that he wanted this year's schedule to be more difficult for his team. He feels it presents a lot of different types of challenges, which will help his squad down the road.
"You, obviously, have to increase your scheduling as you have, sort of like, retention. I thought we had enough retention with our guards coming back to be able to go in venues and be able to compete. I didn't know what the outcomes would be, but I'm satisfied with where we are," Gates said. "Scheduling is important for us. Playing against different styles is important and it prepares you for the SEC."
You can watch the full press conference with Coach Gates in the video player below.
The Tigers are 6-2 coming into the game against Wichita State. The two losses have come against a good Memphis team and a then-winless Jackson State team. But, Coach Gates continued to sing praises of that Jackson State group, on Tuesday. He said he and his team learned a lot from that tough loss on their home court.
Gates said he was proud of the response his team had after that upset, as far as body language and not pointing fingers at each other.
"Are they more attentive? Are they more vocal? Those are the things we look for and those are the things we identify as things that helped us recover from the Memphis game, recover from the Jackson State game," he said.
Mizzou has not lost since that heartbreaking loss to Jackson State. MU has beaten South Carolina State, Loyola Maryland and Pittsburgh, on the road.
Gates and his staff switched up the starting five for the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge game against Pitt, as both guard Tamar Bates and forward Aidan Shaw broke into the starting rotation. The move actually came due to a late-night text from veteran guard Sean East.
East told his coaching staff via text message that Bates and Shaw would bring some new energy to the starting rotation. The graduate student has been a lot more vocal in his final year of eligibility. Gates said that is due to more comfortability and commradrie with the staff.
"Last year he took a back seat and he was trying to find his way. This was his fourth school in four years. Now, this is his second year, his first time having a second year at a place," Gates said. "Being able to have a voice, but also having guys respond to your voice. He's putting the work in behind the scenes. I ultimately believe that his confidence lies in his work and, obviously, with his teammates understanding everything that he puts into it."
When asked if Bates and Shaw could be featured in the starting five more often in the future, Gates said that he is happy with the way it worked out against Pitt. That being said, he doesn't want any complacency, because everyone can still get better. He liked added than in any healthy competition, there are no set starters.
Bates, a transfer from Indiana, said his mindset all year, but especially in his first start, has been to be ready.
"When I talked to [Sean] East, I told him that history was kind of repeating itself because my first start at my last school was on the road, so I was just ready for the opportunity and didn't want to let the team down," he said.
You can watch the full press conference with Bates in the video player below.
Mizzou and Wichita State will tip off at 2 p.m. at the Arena on Sunday, Dec. 3. As usual, the Tigers will announce the starting lineup for that game, right before it tips off.
