Dennis Gates Looks Ahead to Mississippi State Matchup, Reflects on Alabama Blowout

Gates spoke to the media to look back on an ugly road loss and look forward to the Tigers' next SEC matchup.

Jan 20, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates discusses a call with an official against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half of the game at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

There's no other way to label Missouri's most recent loss to No. 23 Alabama as anything other than ugly. The Tigers lost 90-64 on the road, showing an inability to put the ball through the hoop or get stops on the defensive end.

It wasn't exactly a game the Tigers were expected to win, but the way they lost was simply painful. Alabama shot the lights out of the ball from the three-point line, while the Tigers shot under 20% from the three-point line and under 40% from the free-throw line. Those numbers aren't going to help win games in the SEC, especially on the road.

That game is in the past now, however, and Dennis Gates and the Tigers are shifting toward the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Mississippi State is 11-10 and 3-5 in the SEC, most recently coming off an 80-66 win over LSU.

Here's a glance into what Gates spoke about on Friday afternoon, looking ahead to his team's home matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

1. The Tigers need to take the "lid off of the basket"
2. Slowing down one of the nation's leading scorers
3. Blocking out the outside noise
4. Read more Missouri Tigers News:

The Tigers need to take the "lid off of the basket"

Jan 27, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Nicholas Randall (24) shoots over Alabama Crimson Tide center Jacob Martin (25) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

Missouri's poor overall shooting performance against Alabama was nothing short of frustrating. It shot 39% from the field, 19% from the three-point line and, most notably, 35% from the free-throw line.

"At the end of the day, the lid was on the basket when we went to Alabama, there's no doubt about it," Gates told the media on Friday. "From the free-throw line to three pointers, we just didn't get into a rhythm, and I credit Alabama. They did a great job protecting home court."

What's going to be important for the Tigers moving forward is making sure it doesn't snowball into more poor shooting performances. They can't afford to have these down shooting nights against SEC opponents, even if it's a team toward the bottom of the conference standings.

"We can't allow it to avalanche. We can't allow us to overthink it," Gates said. "We've done a great job knocking down free throws in practice, and recently, in the last couple of games from three-point line, same thing applies. We had good looks. We got in a rhythm. We just weren't able to knock down open ones like we did in the past. So we're not going to dwell on it."

Gates may even switch to some methods outside of basketball to try and will the basketball into the hoop while his players are at the free throw line. It might take some magic or something superstitious to turn the tide in their favor at the charity stripe.

"You probably got to Sage the rims at this point on the road," Gates said. "It's just mental, man, and you got our guys make the free throws in practice with the stress that I put on them, the stress of conditioning, the stress of crowd noise. "

Slowing down one of the nation's leading scorers

Jan 24, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12) dribbles as Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) defends during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The key to stopping Hubbard, who's averaging 20.7 points per game on 40.2% shooting, is not fouling him. He's a 79.5% free-throw shooter, which makes him nearly automatic from that area. He's attempting a little over six per game, as well.

"Josh Hubbard is a great player," Gates said. "He's been very consistent over the years based off of what he's been able to do, so we have to do a great job without fouling."

The way Missouri's defense contests Hubbard's shots on Saturday will be crucial. He elevates a lot on his jump shot, mainly due to his smaller frame, which helps create arc for his shot. He's also very shifty, which means the Tigers will need to play solid team defense.

"I think you have to contest," Gates said. "You have to keep the ball in front of you, and it's not just a one man's job. It's a team effort."

Blocking out the outside noise

Missouri fans have been frustrated with a few recent performances the Tigers have put on and fans have taken to social media to voice those frustrations. Gates wants his players to handle this like any other losing skid, by acknowledging their struggles and ignoring what the fans are saying.

"The criticism is accepted," Gates said. What I do with our players is make sure that they keep it within and they're not externally viewing and receiving just as quick as you get a pat on the back, you can get a kick in the ass."

When there's a rough stretch of the season, which you could consider the Tigers in the middle of, Gates takes it upon himself to be more than just a coach.

He's attempting to be there for his players on more than just a coaching level. He wants to provide emotional and mental support during those stretches.

"I'm not only a coach. I'm a social worker, I'm a mentor, I'm a psychiatrist, I'm a psychologist, sociologist," Gates said. "I'm a friend, if I need to be a friend, I am a disciplinarian if I need to be a disciplinarian, and I'm a parent home away from home for these guys."

The Tigers and Bulldogs tip off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.