Mizzou hoops looks forward to season-opening road test at Memphis
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Mizzou men's basketball team is not opening up the season with a 'gimme' game, by any means. For the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, the Tigers will open up the a new year with a road trip, facing Memphis at FedEx Forum on Monday.
Head coach Dennis Gates spoke to the media, on Friday, ahead of that season-opening matchup. He said that having a test like that, right off the bat, will allow his team to assess where they are immediately.
"You can work on different things in an offseason, but it's not real until that ball is tipped off," he said. "This is not an exhibition, this is not a charity game, this is not a closed scrimmage, this is real. So, to be able to be one of the teams in the country that has put their schedule together and competing at a high level against an opponent like Memphis on the road, it just gives us time to get back to the drawing board to see where we are...I think, you know, the atmosphere speaks for itself. Memphis will have a great atmosphere and that's where I'm trying to see where our guys are. We have experience, but I want to see where our guys are."
You can watch the full press conference with Coach Gates in the video player below.
The Memphis Tigers only have one returning starter on the roster headed into the 2024-25 campaign, as Penny Hardaway enters his sixth season as head coach of his alma mater. Coach Gates was very complimentary of the work that Hardaway has done over the years.
The roster turnover does present a bit of challenge, preparation-wise. There's film of all the guys playing individually, but no tape of them playing as one, cohesive unit, yet. As a result, there's no telling what their identity will be until you tip off on Monday.
"You got to understand the personnel, top to bottom, and make sure you're prepared for it. That's what we'll continue to do in our scouts. We're going to remain consistent in what we've always done and we concentrate obviously special situations. Offense and defense and, obviously, areas that they kind of separate themselves," Gates said.
One of the areas he said that Memphis has done a good job in separating themselves in is the turnover margin. Memphis forced Alabama to turn the ball over 20 times in exhibition action, which Coach Gates said is something to be conscious about, as you walk in to Monday night's game.
Memphis and Mizzou are both dealing with similar challenges in preparation.
The CoMo Tigers brought on quite a few new faces in the offseason, including former Duke standout Mark Mitchell, South Carolina transfer Josh Gray, Iowa transfer Tony Perkins and UT Martin transfer Jacob Crews. Much like Memphis, there's tape out there on all these guys, but obviously none of them playing together.
Overall, the team said they are excited about the experience this team brings to the court, but they can't wait to see what they go out in do in a real basketball game.
Guard Tamar Bates, a team captain, was one of Coach Gates' key returning pieces, after averaging about 16 points per game through the 2023-24 campaign. Bates said that the identity of this team will be all about physicality.
"I feel like for us what we've been building since the summer is just being a defensive minded team. Obviously, we have a lot of guys, whether it's the players that returned or transferred in who can score the basketball, but our mentality is that we want to take on is being tough, physical and disruptive," Bates said.
You can watch the full press conference with Bates in the video player below.
Gates also gave an update on the status of Perkins, on Friday afternoon. The Iowa transfer did not play in the exhibition game against Lincoln University, but Gates said he has been at practice. It's still unclear if he will play in Monday's season opener.
Either way, Mizzou fans will get their first glimpse of the new-look Tiger team on Monday, Nov. 4. The two Tiger teams will tip off in Memphis at 7 p.m. You can watch that game on ESPN+.
