Dennis Gates explains benefit Mizzou can take from early-season losses
The last undefeated national champion in college basketball was Indiana in 1976. In other words, you’re not going to find an undefeated season in college basketball these days.
Missouri basketball suffered its first loss of the season Friday against Memphis, 70-55. The Tigers shot a dreadful 32% from the field and committed 12 turnovers.
But it’s still early. Mizzou, especially after all it lost from last season, is not expected to be a finished product in early November.
But is it still concerning, or is this a positive thing for Mizzou basketball? The Tigers started last season 10-0 under Dennis Gates, who spoke about the potential benefit in seeing a team bounce back from a loss and learn.
Here’s what he had to say:
I asked #Mizzou hoops coach Dennis Gates about what benefit there is from taking a loss early in the season and seeing how his team bounces back from it: “It’s an emotional game and the emotions can get the best of you don’t handle them the right way.”
The Tigers started 10-0… pic.twitter.com/ZrBUWD0ntN
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) November 14, 2023
Gates talked about scheduling philosophy at one point in the above clip, which is a major factor early in the year. Scheduling tough early makes for tough teams late, after all.
The Tigers still have non-conference matchups against Kansas, Illinois, Pitt and Seton Hall to go alongside their early battle with Memphis. For reference, Mizzou played just 2 truly tough non-conference games last season: Kansas and Illinois.