Everything Dennis Gates Said Following Missouri's Loss to Memphis

Gates spoke to the media after the Tigers' loss.

Mar 13, 2024; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates yells from the bench during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Following the Missouri Tigers 83-75 loss to the Memphis Tigers on the road to open it season, head coach Dennis Gates was open with the media.

The Tigers led over Memphis in the first half and appeared to be transformed as a team, with forwards Trent Pierce and Aidan Shaw posting surprising opening performances. The Tigers lost that lead quickly and fell shortly after. It was a disappointing loss that was reminiscent of many that occurred last season.

Here's everything coach Gates said following the loss.

Opening Statement

"A great atmosphere for the tip-off of our college basketball season again, wanting to come on this road and kind of see what our barometer was. I thought our guys got off to a great start in that first half, but still wasn't able to capitalize on the mistakes that I thought we should have capitalized on early and they did a great job cutting that lead that could have went to 15 or 17."

"They cut it down to 10 and obviously that momentum led into that second half, and ultimately the inability to execute offensively, meaning assisted turnover ratio was upside down, four assists, 11 turnovers in that second half, and obviously being able to not execute on that free throw line the way that I thought we shot the ball this week, we just wasn't able to put two halves together. And at the end of the day, Memphis was able to bounce back and execute and close the game out."

On the usage of Aidan Shaw and Trent Pierce in the second half

"In terms of the momentum of the game, we ended up executing some things in that first half that I thought should have taken place in that in that second but it's just the way the game goes. I thought those two guys did give us good minutes, don't get me wrong. But also, ball handling was more important in that second half, because we ended up going with Robinson and Tony Perkins at the same time, and that kind of didn't allow us to go with that, that same rotation."

On the lack of ball handling with Pierce and Shaw in the game

"They weren't pressing in the first half as much as they were in the second that's that's the difference. It was two different games in that first half and the second half. That's what I meant by that."

On Josh Gray's impact

"Josh gray is an excellent, experienced player at this level, so that leadership and experience down in the paint. I thought once we had to go small, I didn't really want to put Aidan Shaw and Mark Mitchell in the paint as much as I did, but that allowed more pain touches and less aggression."

"Him having those four fouls [in] hindsight, just go foul out and play more aggressive and we'll deal with the rest. But we wasn't able to play aggressive and I thought that is, in that second half, what set us back. In that first I think they were in the bonus in the first five minutes of the second half and when you put a team in that situation without reciprocation on the other end it's just their aggression against ours. Josh Gray's experience in that paint did not allow us to physically do the things that we wanted to do."

On PJ Haggerty's performance

"He was able to get to the free throw line and draw fouls. When you look at the stat sheet, I think he drew five fouls and majority of them were shooting fouls. He led the country, almost second, first in the country in free throw attempts last season. So that's what took place. You take those free throws away. He's at 10 points, but ultimately he attacks the paint."

"They did a good job. We didn't do a great job of, you know, paint protection, like we were in that first half. The second half, they were able to execute, because they got that ball to the paint from the standpoint of setting up their press. They couldn't set up the press in the first half as much because the ball wasn't going in as easy."

"Think about made free throws. Think about made layups. That's where they now can set up that press that we spoke about earlier and that's why I ended up putting certain guys in a lineup because the ratio of inbound passes off dead balls and things like that increased for them dramatically and that's just the analytics of it. when you go back and watch the film."

On Memphis's press

"They pressed some a little bit, but again, we made it difficult because we took care of the basketball. We did not have any inbound turnovers in that first half. We ended up with only three turnovers, I think, 11,12, assists in that first half, but now four assists to 11 turnovers and that's that's just the tell of the game. You can't do that and obviously have a team shoot that many free throws and execute at the rate that they executed at, and my hat's off to them for making their free throws. We didn't make ours. It's just that simple. The game is really occupied in about three stats, assisted turnover ratio, free throw percentages, right? Those two things, but ultimately, paint points, they ended up executing in the paint in that second half more than we did."

On lessons from the loss

"The lesson is this endurance, the ability to complete those two things, that first half becoming now the second half, right? I think if we are able to continue to know each other and grow in the direction that we need to grow, we'll be able to put two halves together. It doesn't mean we're not going to make mistakes or play perfect. What it means is, we're not going to be able to look at that scoreboard. We're not going to allow the crowd to get us off-centered a little bit, we'll be able to execute on that free throw line."

"Those small things matter and the lessons is never overlooking the small things, the small categories, whether it's meeting the ball, meeting the pass, using a time out, right, versus just throwing the ball in bounds, those things. I got to do a better job of putting our guys in situations in practice. I take this loss on my shoulders. I don't point fingers at our guys one bit at all. It is on coach Gates. It's on myself. I am responsible for tonight's second half."

On Anthony Robinson's performance, keeping him composed

"Those plays like that shouldn't happen. He made a great play and has been playing a great ball game. But again, the emotions don't get to young student-athletes in these environments. Ant is a good player. You guys saw what he was able to do tonight. But the thing is, the momentum switched when he got those. He got a I think, believe he caught cramps in both his legs and got injured and that kind of set him back a little bit."

"He's improved. He's been one of the most disruptive on-ball defenders. But again, as a young player, he has to continue to read the game the right way, continue to get better and not allow those moments just because he made a three to turn around and get a technical foul, vice versa, or even just getting this team in the rhythm. Getting more organized. But I thought he played a good, good game."

On the half-court offense

"I thought we were slow to get into our operating areas. We didn't get the ball past the three-point line in certain situations in that second half, and vice versa. First half, we was able to do that. I thought that's what Memphis is good at. They're good at disrupting your flow, disconnecting offenses and things like that and they spread us out because they were trapping again, the rate of trap opportunities increased because we were taking the ball out of bounds more than the first half."

"That increased, therefore trap opportunities increased, therefore the next ripple effect in an offense is a little discombobulated because of trapping opportunities. So those things played a part to each other relationally. I just thought our guys played a good game. We ended up losing a game that we led for 25 minutes out of the 15 and that's how you got to look at it. We can't we can't allow those short, short spurts to get away from us, how we did at times."

Read More Missouri Tigers News:

Mizzou Falls at Memphis in Season Opener, Lets Go of Double-Digit Lead
Familiar Struggles Creep Up in Mizzou's Season-Opening Loss to Memphis
Dennis Gates Explains Quiet Second Halves for Shaw, Pierce in Mizzou's Debut