Twelve newcomers, two buzzer-beaters, 25 wins and Missouri’s first appearance in the Round of 32 since 2010.
Those are some of the numbers behind a remarkable first season for MU men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates, but for him, it wasn’t good enough.
“We wanted to win some championships in the regular season,” Gates said. “We wanted to win our conference tournament championship. We fell short of those goals.”
The stoic, mild-tempered 43-year-old coach said all season that he envisioned the 2022-23 Tigers reaching the Final Four in Houston.
He set the bar high for his first campaign in Columbia. It was a bar most fans weren’t expecting MU to come close to reaching after a 12-21 record in 2021-22.
While Gates didn’t reach his own lofty goals, he shattered many fans’ expectations, and those fans provided more support over the course of the season. A loud coalition of MU supporters were present in Sacramento, California, for each of the Tigers’ two NCAA Tournament games.
In Columbia, Mizzou Arena sold out seven times as Gates re-energized the fan base with an entertaining, fast-paced style.
On the court, Gates gelled a group of newcomers and helped them adjust to SEC basketball. He brought four players from his former team, Cleveland State, to help him introduce his system.
One of those four, D’Moi Hodge made the most-seamless transition to high-level college basketball, emerging as one of the SEC’s best pickpockets. He was MU’s second-leading scorer, averaging 14.7 points per game, and he made the SEC All-Tournament team.
Hodge’s ability to knock down 3s earned him a spot in the national 3-point competition Thursday in Houston.
Gates recruited other players across Division I, as well as two of the top junior college recruits, Mohamed Diarra and Sean East II. Both of them played key roles for the Tigers.
MU’s transfer additions brought a wealth of experience to Columbia. That helped the Tigers go 8-0 in games decided by five points or fewer.
Missouri’s newcomers frequently stepped up in big moments, including DeAndre Gholston’s buzzer-beaters to down UCF and Tennessee, as well as Nick Honor’s step-back 3 that helped MU defeat Mississippi State in overtime.
Upon joining the Tigers, Gates quickly laid out a development plan for Kobe Brown. After successfully keeping MU’s star in Columbia, Gates helped him improve his 3-point shooting and took his game to new heights. Brown was once again Missouri’s best player, earning first-team All-SEC honors and averaging 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Now, Brown has a decision to make.
He can return for a fifth season in Columbia, which would undoubtedly excite fans and give Gates a focal point to build the rest of his roster around.
Brown can also test the NBA waters and declare for the draft without hiring an agent, which would maintain his eligibility. The feedback he receives could dictate whether he opts to further cement his legacy in Missouri men’s basketball history, or begin the next chapter of his career.
Regardless of his difficult choice this offseason, Brown’s contributions — combined with a solid support system around him and leadership on the sideline — helped MU reach the heights it did in 2022-23.
The bond between a group of so many players who took the court together for the first time was clear all season, but especially when the players reflected on their impressive season.
“As simple as just us sitting down, eating food, watching basketball, we got to know each other quickly,” Honor said. “And I felt like I’ve known these guys my whole life. They’re just the brothers that I never had and what they did, I don’t know too many programs really doing this in Year 1.”
Missouri continued to surpass fan expectations down the stretch, winning five of its final six games before the NCAA Tournament. Hodge and Brown put the team on their respective backs when MU faced adversity late in postseason games, combining for 42 points in the Tigers’ first game in the Big Dance against Utah State.
Gates’ first season was not perfect, though. Blowout losses to Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M during SEC play showed Gates still has room to grow to catch up to some of the more experienced coaches in the conference. The Tigers were also humbled in a much-anticipated rivalry game against Kansas, as the Jayhawks showed their quality in a 95-67 drubbing.
Missouri was frequently exposed on the glass and went ice-cold from 3 on multiple occasions this season. Gates’ ability to make MU’s offense more consistent and establish an identity on defense will be key as he aims to keep the Tigers among the SEC’s elite.
Next steps
Gates wasted no time hitting the transfer portal to find answers to last season’s struggles, and he’ll need to do that again to fill the holes MU will have in its roster left by its players out of eligibility.
The Tigers have four players who are guaranteed to leave: Hodge, Tre Gomillion, Gholston and Ben Sternberg.
Hodge and Gholston’s output will be important to replace — and the addition of Colorado State-transfer John Tonje seems to be a good first step. In addition to Hodge’s contributions, Gholston averaged 10.9 points per game and brought a valuable ability to make difficult shots and give Missouri points on seemingly hopeless possessions.
While the pair’s experience and scoring will be missed next season, Gates has already got to work and has targeted other replacements in the transfer portal. MU has been linked to several players seeking a new home next season.
Gates has already secured the commitment of Curt Lewis, the No. 3 player in the 2023 JUCO rankings according to jucorecruiting.com. Lewis just won the NJCAA Championship with John A. Logan on Saturday.
Gates will also bring in a strong 2023 high-school recruiting class. The Tigers have three four-star commits according to Rivals — Anthony Robinson II, Trent Pierce and Jordan Butler — who are set to begin their college careers in Columbia next season.
Missouri achieved several firsts last season, culminating in a return to the NCAA Tournament and a hopeful future with Gates at the helm. If Gates can continue getting fans and players to buy in, he can put the Tigers in position to reach the level he promised when he was hired just over one year ago.