狐狸视频

The Missouri men鈥檚 basketball coach, entering his third season with the Tigers, stopped by TV sets and the main news conference stage Tuesday at Southeastern Conference media days in Birmingham, Alabama, marking the closing stages of the preseason.

Gates fielded questions on a variety of topics, from specific first-year players to processing last year鈥檚 winless conference season to being a Black head coach.

Here are five takeaways from Gates鈥� conversation with the media:

New faces

Mizzou has 11 new faces this season, with five freshmen and six players who arrived via the transfer portal. Asked about getting them acclimated to both the program and the playbook, Gates sounded pleased about their progress:

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about our guys, meaning the first-year guys that鈥檚 in our program,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚 see how they鈥檝e been able to adapt to our institution, to our community. And our entire community has accepted those guys with open arms. These guys are comfortable. Some come from different backgrounds, different states but also different programs.

鈥淎nd I鈥檒l say this: The portal guys that we did sign, we made sure they鈥檝e come from some great, respectable coaches.鈥�

Boateng鈥檚 talents, pro potential

Gates provided plenty of fuel for the hype train around freshman wing Annor Boateng, Mizzou鈥檚 highest-ranked recruit since Michael Porter Jr. in 2017.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 looking at is he has a tremendous background: a young man that is a 4.0 student, young man who played in the band, plays the saxophone. His talents off the court is tremendous,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淣ow, when you look at him as a basketball player, he鈥檚 a tremendous young man, multi-talented, straight-line drive, strong, physical, also a kid that can get his own shot. His athleticism, in this conference, is important. I look for him to make an impact.鈥�

And as the MU coach turned to Boateng鈥檚 transition to the college game, he wasn鈥檛 shy about tailoring that to a possibly quick jump to the pro level with some cautious optimism around the guard鈥檚 potential.

鈥淣ow, you never know. Practice is one thing, a game is another,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淎s we鈥檝e had one-and-dones, two-and-dones, three-and-dones or guys that have waited and became four-year players, we won鈥檛 know until we get into games where Annor is. But from what I see, he鈥檚 one of the most talented guys that I鈥檝e coached as a freshman, and I鈥檓 excited that he chose Missouri.鈥�

Swapping centers with South Carolina

A reporter pointed out one of the transfer portal鈥檚 ironies to Gates: MU center Jordan Butler transferred to South Carolina while big man Josh Gray transferred from the Gamecocks to the Tigers. That drew a joke from Gates:

鈥淲e traded Jordan Butler for Josh Gray, or at least it seemed that way,鈥� he said.

As Gates outlined Gray鈥檚 game, he seemed to connect it particularly closely to what Missouri was lacking at times last year from its frontcourt.

鈥淥bviously, he鈥檚 experienced in the SEC, having played at LSU as well as South Carolina,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a part of wins and some great programs with great coaches. I鈥檓 excited about what I鈥檝e seen from Josh Gray. Josh Gray is a tremendous personality, tremendous young man. He gives us physical strength in the low post, obviously, rebounds per minute, rebounding percentage.鈥�

Bouncing back from last year

Naturally, Gates received a question about how the Mizzou program is recovering from last season鈥檚 0-18 run through SEC play and ongoing 19-game losing streak.

The coach turned philosophical.

鈥淟ife happens in seasons, and in real life, you can鈥檛 start back at zero,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a unique part about basketball, or college sports: We鈥檙e 0-0, just like everyone else. ... I鈥檓 also thankful for what it teaches us. Most of our teachings, and you guys included, comes from not when you鈥檝e stood on top but when your back was against the wall. So I鈥檓 excited to see where we are this season 鈥� not saying that it鈥檒l be easy, but it鈥檚 a new season.鈥�

Opportunities for Black head coaches

Asked about the lacking representation of Black coaches in the SEC and developing as a coach under Florida State鈥檚 Leonard Hamilton, who is also Black, Gates talked about opportunity.

鈥淭here is several qualified, overqualified assistant coaches who can鈥檛 get an opportunity 鈥� and I say that with respect, overqualified,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚f they鈥檙e able to recruit high-level players, if they鈥檙e able to be assistants who are on the sides, left or right, and their coaches are Hall of Famers, they deserve a chance, deserve an opportunity. I鈥檓 just thankful that Leonhard Hamilton put his arms around me how he did and put me in position to learn on his watch, learn the hard way, learn through failure. He never took those responsibilities from me. He taught me. He allowed his doors to be open.鈥�

Gates continued with a personal offer to other coaches of color.

鈥淵oung coaches need opportunities,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot just coaches that look like me. There鈥檚 other races, other backgrounds as well. But I can tell you this: That doesn鈥檛 stop them from living their journeys or coaching, because they coach with passion. I just wish they had opportunities. ... I鈥檓 thankful for my path. My door is always open to these same coaches to share what was shared to me by those coaches that came before me.鈥�