COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri men’s basketball coach Dennis Gates paid a visit to the college basketball supermarket over the offseason.
His debut year, in case you forgot, was a remarkable one. The Tigers racked up 25 wins, including six over nationally ranked teams, an appearance in the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals and a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament — all more than what was expected of the transitioning program.
Of course, Mizzou stumbled in the second round of the tournament against Princeton, leaving some appetites mildly unsatisfied after the progression of the regular season. Seeing stars Kobe Brown and D’Moi Hodge land in the National Basketball Association — with the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, respectively — still made for a nice round of dessert.