What Dennis Gates Learned About Mizzou in Non-Conference Play

Entering a ruthless SEC schedule, Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates is confident from a non-conference slate that included many moments to grow from.

Dec 14, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates reacts to play against the LIU Sharks during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Entering play in the Southeastern Conference, the Missouri Tigers will be thankful for the obstacles they went through in non-conference play.

Missouri went 11-2 in a slate that included three games against opponents who are currently ranked, winning against Kansas but losing to Memphis and Illinois. The road through the SEC won't be an easy test, with 10 of the conference's 16 teams currently ranked inside the top 25.

Missouri opened the season taking on Memphis, currently ranked at No. 22, losing 83-75 on the road. Missouri. The loss served as a necessary litmus test and motivator for the Tigers.

"I think seeing who we are at the Memphis game, growing from that, our guys so much wanted to get that back." head coach Dennis Gates said in a virtual press conference Friday.

Missouri would go on to win its next 10, creating its longest win streak since the 2013-'14 season. It included a win over California in the SEC-ACC Challenge, where Missouri overcame a 16-point deficit out of halftime by scoring 63 in the final 20 minutes. Five days after the win over California, Missouri upset then-No. 1-ranked Kansas in a 76-67 victory.

"They were able to get it [the Memphis loss] back in certain ways. The adversity we faced down from, at halftime to California. The adversity we faced in the history of our Kansas game. No one gave us an opportunity to win against the No. 1 team in the country."

Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Mark Mitchell (25) puts up the first points of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Mizzou Arena. / Amber Winkler / MissouriOnSI

Missouri's win streak was only stunted by a three-point loss to No. 22 Illinois. Even without a win, Missouri again proved its ability to hang with some of the best teams in the nation, a significant step up from last year, where the Tigers lost by 24 to Illinois before going 0-18 in SEC play.

"I thought we had several opportunities to win the game against Illinois, and the ball didn't bounce our way."

Through three tests against high-major opponents, and one mid-major, the Tigers have been put through a a diverse palette of different situations to learn from.

Against Memphis, Missouri held a 12-point lead with under a minute in the first half before being outscored 51-33 in the second half. Drop offs in the second half was Missouri's most pressing issue in the 2023-'24 season.

Against Kansas, Missouri took a 10-point lead in the first 10 minutes and avoided any dramatic dips by holding on throughout the second half. Despite a late scare that brought the game within two points at the 2:20 mark, the Tigers put together a complete game.

The second-half comeback against California and matching the intensity against Illinois also served as character-forming moments for the Tigers.

"It gave us an opportunity to to figure ourselves out, have identity," Gates said of the non-conference schedule. "We've played against different styles, different coaches, and now it's just time to focus on the SEC. Focus on, recovering from game to game."

Missouri did only play on the road twice in non-conference play though. First against Memphis, where just 62% of the FedEx Forum was filled. Then against Illinois, where approximately half of the Enterprise Center in St. Louis was filled with fans donned in black and gold.

But Gates is not concerned how his team will play in hostile environments. It will be a necessary skill for his team to pick up, as six of the 10 teams Missouri will face on the road in SEC play are currently ranked inside the top 25.

"We had teams come in here on our court and put us in in tough situations, and we saw certain guys stand up and step up to the plate and answer the call. So I'm excited about who that will be, moving forward, and the opportunities to make sure that we give ourselves a chance to win."

The level of separation in the SEC is expected to be razor-thin. According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the top 16 teams in all of college basketball with the toughest remaining strength of schedule are all teams in the SEC. The opportunity for competition is something Gates and his team embrace.

"I just think there's there'll be several games in our conference throughout this year that is gonna end in one possession or less. ... We have to do our job and show up and play, and we gotta give our very best."

Read more Missouri Tigers news:

Starting Trent Pierce Was an 'Easy' Decision for Mizzou's Dennis Gates
Mizzou Basketball Gets Back on Track, Wins Final Non-Conference Game