Column: Dennis Gates is Still Mizzou's Coach of the Future
The second season doesn't always improve on the first.
In the world of television shows, the first season is usually the setup for a better story and further character development in the future, sometimes the creators of a show immediately create magic. Think True Detective season one, which is widely considered one of the greatest seasons of television ever and was followed by a massively disappointing one just a year later.
Dennis Gates' first season at the helm of the Missouri men's basketball program was nothing short of magic. He changed the outlook of a program at the bottom in just one year, improving by 13 wins from the previous season and making it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed.
The second season of the Gates era has been the equivalent of True Detective season two. A frustrating follow-up to a great season.
The Tigers have lost all seven of their games in conference play, which is considerably the worst in the SEC. While most of its losses have come from below double-digit leads, they've struggled to close games out and have consistent shooting performances on a game-by-game basis.
While the likes of Sean East II and Tamar Bates are having great seasons leading the Missouri offense, the production of the roster as a collective has severely underwhelmed. Noah Carter and Nick Honor have struggled with their increased roles, and transfer additions Caleb Grill and John Tonje have suffered significant injuries.
Filling the void left by the departures from last season's roster was already stacking the odds for Gates before the season even began. The pairing of Kobe Brown and D'Moi Hodge made for one of the SEC's top duos, and both performed well enough to move on to the NBA. It's borderline impossible to replace that production in one summer, and even with a well-rounded transfer class, it simply hasn't.
The blame for that can hardly fall on Gates, or on anyone for that matter. He did about the best he could to keep some continuity in the lineup while adding new talent, but conference play has demonstrated the clear issues with the roster. It's justifiable for the Tigers to take a step back this season, even if the preseason expectations were higher than last in the SEC.
However, next season is when the real test begins for Gates and the Missouri program.
The Tigers will be adding five players next season as part of its 2024 recruiting class: Annor Boateng, Peyton Marshall, Marcus Allen, T.O. Barrett and Trent Burns. According to 247sports, its the fourth ranked class in the country.
As much as the losses piling up stings, the outlook on the 2024-25 season leaves plenty of room for optimism on the future of Missouri men's basketball. The headline will be the stacked recruiting class full of high-upside talent, but the potential transfer additions and returners will help surround the Tiger youth with experience, which likely includes Bates.
It will certainly be a lot to juggle with such an influx of talent on top of the further development needed for the likes of Jordan Butler and Anthony Robinson II, so it could be too early to place high expectations already.
But if anyone is up for the task, it's Gates.
The coaching style Gates has implemented in Missouri of putting his players first and growing strong relationships is perfect for a young roster, allowing him and his players to build on their relationships over time and create a tight-knit group. Combining that with his recruiting track record, the Tigers have the chance to gain long-term success under Gates.
The results will have to start showing, however. With the quick turnaround of collegiate coaches in the modern day, two underwhelming seasons in a row could start putting Gates on the hot seat. Winning games can't always be "could", it has to be "will."
Luckily, time is on the side of the Tigers. Gates is under contract through the 2028-29 season, allowing him several seasons to grow the program back into a college basketball powerhouse. He's received plenty of faith from the Missouri administration and fanbase, as well as his own players.
Gates earned a down year after his highly successful first season as head coach. Of course the hope would've been as good of a season as the last, but as he's mentioned before, Missouri is in the "infant stages of growth." One rebuilding year isn't going to diminish a program that otherwise has a lot of optimism for the future, nor hurt the job security of its coach.
And if it helps restore any more confidence, True Detective season three was generally more well-received than season two.
