My alologies to Dennis Gates

My sentiments exactly. I would have been just fine giving Gates his walking papers after the Illinois debacle. And I was wrong. The man knows a little more about basketball than I do, it seems. He’s also a classy human being, which is no small thing either in today’s day and age.

Can I say I knew you were wrong? I have always felt with Gates it was getting good players. I thought he way over achieved that first year. That kind of sold me on his ability to coach.

doya said:

he is not a clown, boob, or bozo. He has done his best coaching at mizzou this year, imo…switching barret and ant..switching pierce and crews.. switching his defensive style…quitting trying to lead the nation in 3 pt attempts…the development of burns (stop shooting 3s son)…i was wrong… my apology…now win a tourney game or 2….

My apologies as well. I was wrong. It’s now clear that Dennis Gates is the second coming of John Wooden.

When did Mizzou try leading the country in 3 point attempts?

MIZ...SEC said:

My apologies as well. I was wrong. It’s now clear that Dennis Gates is the second coming of John Wooden.

Hopefully Tim Fuller proves to be as good a bag man for DG as Sam Gilbert was for Wooden

MIZ...SEC said:

My apologies as well. I was wrong. It’s now clear that Dennis Gates is the second coming of John Wooden.

Yeah…I don’t think anyone is comparing him to Wooden…but he also has never been a complete loser as a coach. I do wonder what Gates could do with Wooden’s talent though. Alcindor…then Bill Walton…maybe the two best post men in the history of college basketball. I know Bill Russell may be in that discussion. Can’t put Chamberlain there because of who paid him to play at their school.

MIZ...SEC said:

My apologies as well. I was wrong. It’s now clear that Dennis Gates is the second coming of John Wooden.

Clearly not an elite coach yet, but also was never as bad as many made him out to be. Only in year 4 as the head coach of a real program in a real conference--still learning, but he clearly does a good job getting his kids to play hard for every night. Has done a good job making a lot of players better. Plays a system kids want to play in and continues to up his recruiting. Also, just as important to many he is a high quality person. Momentum is good for the program imo.

pwc said:

Clearly not an elite coach yet, but also was never as bad as many made him out to be. Only in year 4 as the head coach of a real program in a real conference--still learning, but he clearly does a good job getting his kids to play hard for every night. Has done a good job making a lot of players better. Plays a system kids want to play in and continues to up his recruiting. Also, just as important to many he is a high quality person. Momentum is good for the program imo.

He isn’t elite because he hasn’t been to a final four or won any kind of championship? Recruiting is the biggest part of college coaching. I am not ready to say that Gates if given the same talent as Duke or Arkansas or Michigan State would not be just as good as those guys. He just doesn’t get the same caliber of player. I asked this before…why doesn’t he get better players? This isn’t 1990. I think NIL dictates most now. In the past it was who was willing to cheat the most and who had the most tradition…kind of one and the same. The 30 second clock has eliminated a coach’s ability to control tempo and win with less athletic players. It is now more of a horse game. I don’t see Gates getting out coached because if in game decisions or because his players aren’t bought in playing together or playing hard. That is how I would measure his coaching.

MelWest said:

He isn’t elite because he hasn’t been to a final four or won any kind of championship? Recruiting is the biggest part of college coaching. I am not ready to say that Gates if given the same talent as Duke or Arkansas or Michigan State would not be just as good as those guys. He just doesn’t get the same caliber of player. I asked this before…why doesn’t he get better players? This isn’t 1990. I think NIL dictates most now. In the past it was who was willing to cheat the most and who had the most tradition…kind of one and the same. The 30 second clock has eliminated a coach’s ability to control tempo and win with less athletic players. It is now more of a horse game. I don’t see Gates getting out coached because if in game decisions or because his players aren’t bought in playing together or playing hard. That is how I would measure his coaching.

Agree. I think he is a really good--especially for his tenure in the lead seat. I think he will become elite. Just inked a great class and does a good job identifying and acquiring portal players, but you just aren't elite until you win a few mor tourney games imo. You clearly don't have to make a final four as Norm never did, but he was clearly elite without it.

Willis26 said:

When did Mizzou try leading the country in 3 point attempts?

he said that two years ago..”i want us to lead the country in 3 attempts”

MelWest said:

Yeah…I don’t think anyone is comparing him to Wooden…but he also has never been a complete loser as a coach. I do wonder what Gates could do with Wooden’s talent though. Alcindor…then Bill Walton…maybe the two best post men in the history of college basketball. I know Bill Russell may be in that discussion. Can’t put Chamberlain there because of who paid him to play at their school.

i could have won with woodens talent..no offense to him but the court wasn't exactly even in those days..how much they pay lew alcindor?

doya said:

he said that two years ago..”i want us to lead the country in 3 attempts”

He’s never been close. If he wanted to recruit a team that could do that I wouldn’t oppose.

doya said:

he said that two years ago..”i want us to lead the country in 3 attempts”

Willis26 said:

He’s never been close. If he wanted to recruit a team that could do that I wouldn’t oppose.

I also remember him saying g this but he obviously hasn’t had a team to do so. Did have a couple of great shooters last year. Alabama plays that way and college basketball is a shooters game now…Oats at Alabama is a big analytics guy that I have studied some. It makes sense to shoot 3’s based on those analytics. But…here is the big but….might be really difficult to win a tournament that way. Shots sometimes don’t fall…so you still better be rebounding, defending, and getting to the free throw line. And that is where the analytics fall apart. Getting those points in the paint like the Tigers did today is still…in my belief…the most co sistent way to play…but you have to be a threat to hit 3’s to make that happen.

doya said:

i could have won with woodens talent..no offense to him but the court wasn't exactly even in those days..how much they pay lew alcindor?

Recruiting was regional except for UCLA. And cheaters like ku.

also he gets credit for benching the ucla transfer. I am sure they paid that guy good money to be a starter and a key cog…it did not work out but he went away from him which isnt easy in these $$$ days

doya said:

also he gets credit for benching the ucla transfer. I am sure they paid that guy good money to be a starter and a key cog…it did not work out but he went away from him which isnt easy in these $$$ days

I watched a very early practice and thought that kid would play. Did t think much of Stone. Why I don’t make millions. But the kid from UCLa..we can’t even recall his name…I don’t even see him on the sideline. It definitely took awhile to find his 7…though injuries was part of that.

Agreed. I had given up on Gates. We kept hanging on the bubble and I thought the Tenner was the best game I've ever seen him coach.

MelWest said:

I watched a very early practice and thought that kid would play. Did t think much of Stone. Why I don’t make millions. But the kid from UCLa..we can’t even recall his name…I don’t even see him on the sideline. It definitely took awhile to find his 7…though injuries was part of that.

Mack was on the sideline today and was engaged.

Willis26 said:

Mack was on the sideline today and was engaged.

Good for him. Somehow Gates is really good at this. Also getting paid doesn’t hurt.