Dennis Gates Reacts to Mizzou's NCAA Tournament Bid, Playing in St. Louis

Missouri will be staying home for the NCAA Tournament, being selected as the 10 seed in the West Bracket to take on No. 7 seed Miami in St. Louis on Friday.

At different times throughout this season, Missouri's chances to make the NCAA Tournament felt far-fetched, likely at others, but fragile at multiple times.

Entering Selection Sunday, the Tigers having to go to Dayton, Ohio, for the First Four play-in games looked like a realisitic possibility. Instead, Missouri was deemed already worthy of a spot in the field of 64.

"We find out when the rest of the world finds out, and that's the exciting part of March Madness," head coach Dennis Gates said in a virtual press conference Sunday night. "It's such a sort of a gift to be able to have your name called and just don't know where you will be, who you'll play against ... We prepare for these moments in June when we first get our team together."

The bid in the Tournament is the third Missouri has earned in four years under Gates. It marks the first time Missouri has made the Tournament in back-to-back seasons since 2012-13. Gates becomes the second coach in program history to earn three bids in his first four years as a head coach.

"If I stood on the podium (at his opening press conference) and said, 'I guarantee you we will go to the three out of the four next NCAA tournaments,' there would be many people that would say it's never happened in the history of our school while we've been in the SEC, there would be plenty to say that no coach has done it like that (in Missouri's time in the SEC). There would be many to prophecy failure. There would be many saying it's not possible."

Gates believes parts of the fanbase has a certain amount of cynicism with their hope for the program's potential.

That cynicism and doubt is often pointed toward Gates. This Tournament, he'll have the chance to put in an argument against the narrative that he can't coach a team to wins in the postseason.

Last season, Missouri lost to Drake in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament after looking as if it was capable of much more with how it performed in January.

"There's a lot of doubt in the fabric of our institution when it comes to those moments that we've been on the other side of being unlucky," Gates said. "But that also helps the fandom that we do have, the support that we do have. I will never push away the criticism I receive as the head coach. It comes with the territory."

Mar 18, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates yells during the first half against the Princeton Tigers at Golden 1 Center. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Missouri will be entering the Tournament off of a three-game losing skid that was rounded off with a 76-72 loss to Kentucky in Round 2 of the SEC Tournament.

There in Nashville, Tennessee, Gates felt like Missouri was dealing with a road environment, with Bridgestone Arena being filled with Kentucky fans.

In St. Louis, Missouri will likely be on the other side of that challenge. But Gates isn't expecting Miami to be rattled by the in-state crowd. Miami went 8-2 on the road this season.

"At this point in the season, everybody has had road games, everyone has had neutral site games, everyone has traveled," Gates said. "So it's going to be a game that both teams show up."

There is several connections between the two programs. Guard Marcus Allen transferred to Miami for his sophomore season after spending his first year at Missouri. Allen has missed this season after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Miami associate head coach C.Y. Young joined the Hurricanes staff after three seasons in the same role with Missouri, recruiting several cruicial players for the Tigers.

Additionally, Missouri guard Anthony Robinson II was high school teammates with Miami guard Tre Donaldson at Florida State High School.

Missouri and Miami have played just one time before, with the Tigers taking a win over the Hurricanes in the Sweet 16 in 2002.

For this second meeting, Missouri will take on Miami at 9:10 p.m. Friday at the Enterprise Center. The game will be broadcast on TruTV.

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