‘It’s a new season’: Mizzou hoops brings clean slate to SEC Tournament
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team is turning the page from its worst conference finish in about a century, as the SEC Tournament will begin in Nashville on Wednesday. The No. 14-seeded Tigers are slated to meet No. 11-seeded Georgia at about 8:30 p.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena.
Head coach Dennis Gates said the season did not go how he would have wanted, but he is ready to turn the page as a new season begins: the postseason.
"Everybody in the country is in tournament form," he said. "The Georgia team that we faced at the beginning of the year, you know, everybody grows and develops and they are better than what their record is. They're better than what their record shows. It's gonna be a tough matchup for us."
You can watch the full press conference with Gates in the video player below.
The Bulldogs were the team that started MU's 18-game losing streak, in the SEC opener, at the beginning of January. In that 75-68 loss, the biggest problem was free throws. The Tigers only made it to the charity stripe seven times, compared to Georgia's 21 total attempts.
Coach Gates said that the feels like his team has done a better job in that area and has learned how to draw fouls throughout the season. He added that taking care of the basketball will be a major emphasis in the rematch.
"They're not the same team, we're not the same team. We've played each other once and it was at the very beginning of the season. Both [teams] aren't who their records say they are," Gates said.
During Monday morning's press conference, Gates was also asked about mental fatigue with his team, after losing 18-game straight and being the first Mizzou team to go winless in conference play since the 1907-1908 season.
"Mental fatigue does not exist in my world. That is why you see our players playing how they play. It's process driven, not results driven and when you are committed to a process your practices are consistent, your effort is consistent, your controllables are very consistent," he said.
Guard Nick Honor mirrored that same message, on Monday. He said this Tiger team has stuck together.
"Always staying upbeat, staying positive about what's going on," he said. "I know we took some losses in the past, but we're just staying positive, looking at the film and just trying to work on what we need to work on."
You can watch the full press conference with Honor in the video player below.
Mizzou will have a chance to earn its first SEC win of the 2023-24 campaign on Wednesday night in Nashville. Win or lose, it's not the season that Gates and company had dreamed up, however, he places that blame completely on his shoulders.
"I put full responsibility on myself," Gates said. "I don't blame one player for where we are, at all, nor situational circumstance. Dennis Gates is responsible for this season."
MU and Georgia will tip off at about 8:30 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena for the start of SEC Tournament play on Wednesday.
