New thread to discuss all things MU Basketball related heading into year 2 of the Gates era.
Thus far we've had a couple of misses in the portal and lost a non-factor. I suppose I can update the OP as roster changes come about.
Updates:
2023-2024 roster:
Spoiler!
Nick Honor
Noah Carter
Sean East
Aidan Shaw
Kaleb Brown
Tamar Bates
Jesus Carralero
Caleb Grill
John Tonje
Mabor Majak
Connor Vanover
Curt Lewis
Jordan Butle
Jackson Francois
JV Brown
Trent Pierce
Anthony Robinson II
Danny Stephens
Marcus Allen -- 4* forward
Antonio (T.O.) Barrett -- 4* Guard
Peyton Marshall -- 4* Center
Annor Boateng -- 4* Guard
Trent Burns -- 4* Center
Probable Rotation:
Spoiler!
PG: Nick Honor, Sean East, Caleb Grill, Anthony Robinson II
Combo Guard: John Tonje, Tamar Bates, Curt Lewis, Danny Stephens
Wing: Noah Carter, Kaleb Brown
Small Forward: Aiden Shaw, Trent Pierce, Jesus Carrelero Martin
Center: Connor Vanover, Mabor Majek, Jordan Butler
Schedule:
Spoiler!
11/6: Arkansas Pine Bluff -- W: 101-79
11/10: Memphis
11/13: SIU Edwardsville
11/16: @ Minnesota
11/19: Jackson State
11/22: South Carolina State
11/25: Loyola Maryland
11/28: @ Pittsburgh
12/3: Wichita State
12/9: @ Pioneer Chickens
12/17: Seton hall
12/22: Illinois
12/30: Central Arkansas
1/6: Georgia
1/9: @ Kentucky
1/13: South Carolina
1/16: @ Alabama
1/20: Florida
1/23: @ A&M
1/27: @ South Carolina
1/31: Arkansas
2/3: @ Vanderbilt
2/7: A&M
2/10: Mississippi State
2/17: @ Ole Miss
2/20: Tennessee
2/24: @ Arkansas
2/28: @ Florida
3/2: Ole Miss
3/5: Auburn
3/9: @ LSU
Originally Posted by dlphg9:
I have hope for Dennis Gates, but what has ever happened in Mizzou basketball history that would lead to anything other than cynicism? Plus 8 out of the last 10 years we've had absolute ass suck for coaching and recruiting.
Sorry, meant to reply to this the other night but forgot.
Let me address your comment about "anything other than cynicism". First, we have a new coach that doesn't seem to have his head up his ass. Second, when this new coach was given the talent that was still around from the last regime, I thought that his way of getting those players to play together was quite impressive.
Now, to address losing to Jackson State. After last year's level of moderate success (especially compared to the previous few years), the team turned over a large number of players, essentially a big chunk of their starters. In my eyes, constructing a roster and building a decent team out of that takes some time. Carter and Honor were really the only starters coming back and neither of them were really ever the focus of the team. So I'm willing to overlook a shit loss like Jackson State as long as the team shows signs of potential, like they did in wins over Minnesota, Wichita State or Pitt. Those aren't all-world wins but this team just doesn't look that bad to my eye and they seem to have improved in several aspects, particularly rebounding. They've gone cold a couple of nights but that happens to everyone.
Missouri has also started to have some sustained success on the recruiting trail so couple that with what I've already said and then one can see why I'm not ready to nuke the program or completely shit on them because of one shitty loss. There's reason to believe their trajectory is on an upward path.
Now, last, and this deals explicitly with the cynicism comment. Being a Chiefs fan was fucking miserable for a lot of years. Even during the 90s and the early 2000s when we had a shot. Now, with Pat at the helm, it's taken a little bit of the sting away. Not all of it is gone, but some of it is. Accordingly so, I've decided to just watch the games and enjoy the experience, as opposed to tying up any of my mental health or happiness in the results of a fucking game. If the Chiefs/Missouri do well, cool. If not, no biggie. The world certainly isn't ending either way. [Reply]
Missouri has enough basketball talent that if you could close the borders, you're a perennial top 25 team. Maybe not a Final 4 squad with just in-state talent, but a team that should be in consideration for the Sweet 16 most years.
Then again, we've been saying that for...what...30 years?