Gates, simply, needs to establish more consistency with his program

[Lightning Rod]

Consistency year to year has become difficult for a LOT of programs. Witness the whole SEC this year. After being terrific and getting 14 teams in the tournament last year, this year nobody is terrific and many are mediocre for a major conference programs. It's another product of the portal. If you can't retain all your pieces that you think are coming back, and either can't afford or misevaluate, you're toast the next year.

Gates has always had hits and misses on portal players; either they weren't as good as he needed them to be, or they suffered nagging or season-ending injuries. What if Mosley had been fine, and played as advertised? Or Tonje? What if Pierce and Stone had been healthy all season this year? Gates's biggest actual misses have been at the five. He had to settle for Diarra, Vanover, Gray, and now Phillips; each year he went after bigger fish. Probably partly because proven good bigs are expensive.

Maybe it will take a high school recruit that Gates can develop, keep for two or three years. And better luck on injuries. But I suspect that once he breaks through and gets to the Sweet 16 a couple years in a row, success begats success.

Next man up is Trent Burns. Gates has developed TO so next player to develop and get PT is Trent Burns.
From what I have seen so far, Gates has his work cut out to get Burns up to speed! Burns can shoot "Threes" but that is about it! Burns needs to put on weight and gain more strength. Unfortunately, it is too late for this season.

Burns is another one where Gates has had bad luck with injuries that never seem to heal. Had he been in good condition at the beginning of the year, the buy-in games could have showcased what he could do. What he lacks, at this point, is any kind of game experience, and the middle of the conference season is not the time to throw him into the fire. I think he moves well, he only needs to get his timing down to be a menace as a shot blocker, and yes, he can hit from the outside. Who knows if he stays for next year, but a year of being healthy and working on his game could pay off big dividends.

Burns is a guy we need to see more of this season. He wasn't great yesterday but LSU didn't go inside when he was in, if nothing else he did a good job as a rim protector. We've seen enough of Phillips to know what he offers, and it isn't much. If Gates can send Boateng out there he can play Burns a few minutes a game, because Boateng offers NOTHING! Gates needs to figure out who can play and who can't, and he doesn't seem to know who that is, even after 18 games.

[winonsports]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

[Armchair QB]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

[11WSChamps]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

[Armchair QB]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

Might have done Winon some good to have played some competitive sports at some point

[dhsux]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

Might have done Winon some good to have played some competitive sports at some point

Having missed out in his formative years, he considers his presence here just that.

[Shady]

Again, inconsistent box out contributed to Mizzou losing a winnable game.

[Lightning Rod]

Again, inconsistent box out contributed to Mizzou losing a winnable game.

There are no box outs. Watch these guys, they seldom put a body on anyone.

[knttiger]

I agree....

Jason Crowe Sr., father of top recruit Jason Crowe Jr., praised Coach Dennis Gates for his "synergy" and genuine care for players, noting how Gates' staff maximizes talent through a fast-paced, system-oriented approach that fits Crowe Jr.'s playstyle, despite sometimes dealing with roster turnover, emphasizing Gates' ability to get the most out of players by developing them within a strong team culture, not just relying on high-star talent.

System & Synergy: He highlighted the coaching staff's excellent synergy and ability to teach the game, creating a strong system.
Player Development: He sees Gates as someone who gets the most out of players, fostering a competitive environment where players thrive within the system.
Fast-Paced Style: Missouri's high-tempo offense aligns perfectly with Crowe Jr.'s game, allowing him to control the offense and facilitate, making him a threat on every possession.

Laughing my butt off at this statement... If Mr Crowe believes this, then Gates is an even better snake charmer than I thought. Outside of Kobe, who has this staff developed on the court? What players are thriving in the system? Mark Mitchell? He's the same guy who came here, except he gets a ton more opportunities to shoot vs being fourth or fifth option at Duke. ANT??? He's regressed the past two years. Boateng and Burns- not even close.

The only consistent system with this team is they aren't going to play tough defense, have never rebounded well on both ends of the court or learned to defend the corner 3 ball, and have never developed or recruited a difference-making big man.

We haven't relied on high-star talent because up to this point, Gates hasn't recruited any. That class two years ago was well overrated (see Boateng and Marshall). He usually hits on one dude in the portal, and seldom gets the positional player he needs to balance out his roster. This year he needed a big man that defends the rim and rebounds well- we got Phillips instead. He needed shooting wing and a two guard. He got Stone (++) and he got Mack (no fit)

HS recruiting he got nothing the past two years. .... he missed on every top player on the list. We got two freshmen who can't get on the court. I'' give you next year's class is exciting, but we lose nearly all of our scoring with MM, Crews, Stone going. You're not winning with 3 freshmen expected to be major contributors. Pierce and Ant if they come back is it. Going to have enough money to find 3 quality starters, and if you do will they come to Como to play for this coaching staff? Hard to imagine coming off a likely tournament void program.

I get it magic- you love this coach for whatever reason, but for me I can't stand him for all the reasons above and more. 40 point losses to rivals, first round exits in tournaments, failure to schedule teams that challenge a roster and identify deficiencies, inability to put a consistently good product on the court, winless conference seasons, complete failure to develop players not named Kobe.

Last night convinced me he's just not qualified to be an SEC level coach- LSU was bad enough with them missing two starters and still beating us by double digits for their first conference win, but last night, at home, big crowd, Norm's birthday... they (bleep) the bed again. I'll quietly root for them to win as I always have, but I've accepted that for this program to be more than it is now, it has to have new leadership at the top. That's a long two years away, but just like during the KA era, I'm dying for the end of this coaching tenure.

[winonsports]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

Might have done Winon some good to have played some competitive sports at some point

I'm sorry I didn't see this buried on the bottom of the index page.

While you were desperately trying to interact with some cyber friends, I was watching the football games with some of my former college teammates.

[Lightning Rod]

I agree....

Jason Crowe Sr., father of top recruit Jason Crowe Jr., praised Coach Dennis Gates for his "synergy" and genuine care for players, noting how Gates' staff maximizes talent through a fast-paced, system-oriented approach that fits Crowe Jr.'s playstyle, despite sometimes dealing with roster turnover, emphasizing Gates' ability to get the most out of players by developing them within a strong team culture, not just relying on high-star talent.

System & Synergy: He highlighted the coaching staff's excellent synergy and ability to teach the game, creating a strong system.
Player Development: He sees Gates as someone who gets the most out of players, fostering a competitive environment where players thrive within the system.
Fast-Paced Style: Missouri's high-tempo offense aligns perfectly with Crowe Jr.'s game, allowing him to control the offense and facilitate, making him a threat on every possession.

Laughing my butt off at this statement... If Mr Crowe believes this, then Gates is an even better snake charmer than I thought. Outside of Kobe, who has this staff developed on the court? What players are thriving in the system? Mark Mitchell? He's the same guy who came here, except he gets a ton more opportunities to shoot vs being fourth or fifth option at Duke. ANT??? He's regressed the past two years. Boateng and Burns- not even close.

The only consistent system with this team is they aren't going to play tough defense, have never rebounded well on both ends of the court or learned to defend the corner 3 ball, and have never developed or recruited a difference-making big man.

We haven't relied on high-star talent because up to this point, Gates hasn't recruited any. That class two years ago was well overrated (see Boateng and Marshall). He usually hits on one dude in the portal, and seldom gets the positional player he needs to balance out his roster. This year he needed a big man that defends the rim and rebounds well- we got Phillips instead. He needed shooting wing and a two guard. He got Stone (++) and he got Mack (no fit)

HS recruiting he got nothing the past two years. .... he missed on every top player on the list. We got two freshmen who can't get on the court. I'' give you next year's class is exciting, but we lose nearly all of our scoring with MM, Crews, Stone going. You're not winning with 3 freshmen expected to be major contributors. Pierce and Ant if they come back is it. Going to have enough money to find 3 quality starters, and if you do will they come to Como to play for this coaching staff? Hard to imagine coming off a likely tournament void program.

I get it magic- you love this coach for whatever reason, but for me I can't stand him for all the reasons above and more. 40 point losses to rivals, first round exits in tournaments, failure to schedule teams that challenge a roster and identify deficiencies, inability to put a consistently good product on the court, winless conference seasons, complete failure to develop players not named Kobe.

Last night convinced me he's just not qualified to be an SEC level coach- LSU was bad enough with them missing two starters and still beating us by double digits for their first conference win, but last night, at home, big crowd, Norm's birthday... they (bleep) the bed again. I'll quietly root for them to win as I always have, but I've accepted that for this program to be more than it is now, it has to have new leadership at the top. That's a long two years away, but just like during the KA era, I'm dying for the end of this coaching tenure.

Well said, my friend.

[11WSChamps]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

Might have done Winon some good to have played some competitive sports at some point

I'm sorry I didn't see this buried on the bottom of the index page.

While you were desperately trying to interact with some cyber friends, I was watching the football games with some of my former college teammates.

Yeah right.

You're still washing out their jock straps with both hands. So they invite you to pass out the snacks.

[icon]

The Tigers did play tough D last night and held UGA to 22 points under their average. That wasn't the problem. Shooting and poor defensive rebounding were. UGA got 5 shots on 1 critical possession. And missed all 5, but were fouled after the 5th.

[Armchair QB]

The game has changed but our eyes have not. Continually looking at the past when watching Now Game. It is different

The vast majority of posters here are myopic octogenarians.

They see this forum as a way to be heard in a life where nobody would ever listen.

Their motto is, "I post therefore I am."

Pot meet kettle.

No kidding.

The moron lives and breathes through his pie hole and in the safety of mommy's she shed with a ten watt bulb so it can see the keyboard.

Might have done Winon some good to have played some competitive sports at some point

I'm sorry I didn't see this buried on the bottom of the index page.

While you were desperately trying to interact with some cyber friends, I was watching the football games with some of my former college teammates.

Yeah right.

You're still washing out their jock straps with both hands. So they invite you to pass out the snacks.

Exactly. MAYBE he’s talking about E Sports.

[Shady]

Again, inconsistent box out contributed to Mizzou losing a winnable game.

There are no box outs. Watch these guys, they seldom put a body on anyone.

I'd like to hear Gates discuss his philosophy on defensive rebounding. And how he and his staff coach it.

[Lightning Rod]

Again, inconsistent box out contributed to Mizzou losing a winnable game.

There are no box outs. Watch these guys, they seldom put a body on anyone.

I'd like to hear Gates discuss his philosophy on defensive rebounding. And how he and his staff coach it.

I'm sure he would say they work on it everyday, blah, blah, blah. I'm sick of hearing coach speak, the proof that it's not a priority is actual game play. I had high hopes Gates could get it done but fundamentally this group is a train wreck.