Mizzou's Dennis Gates Encouraging Mark Mitchell to Play 'Confident'

After a three-game stretch of averaging just over 23 points per game, things simmered down a little for junior Mark Mitchell against the Arkansas Razorbacks defense Saturday night.

The 17 points and seven rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting didn't necessarily make for a down night for the forward, but a costly six turnovers gave Arkansas gave several of its staggering 30 points off Missouri's 18 total turnovers.

Mitchell faced an abundance of double teams whether it was in the post or driving to the basket, and with his inability to handle complete control on the basketball, it allowed the Razorbacks to take advantage throughout the game. On multiple occasions early in the first half, two drives resulted in stripped possessions — one ending with a 3-point make from Johnell Davis.

"The turnovers (are) definitely something we can improve on," Mitchell said. "I think the physicality of the game got to us a little bit."

Coach Dennis Gates called Mitchell an "attack and read" player, meaning he initiates the offense before analyzing the defense's response. That's the opposite of former power forward standout Kobe Brown, who typically read the defense first and attacked after.

This doesn't diminish Mitchell's offensive capabilities, but it does lean him prone to be trapped by opposing defenses. Double teams are going to be a common occurrence for the rest of the season and tournament play, so he'll have to adjust to them and opponent game plans sooner moving forward.

"Mark Mitchell just has to do a better job of aggressive pick-up," Gates said. "Chest the ball, be able to pivot and spray out of those situations because he's going to continue to draw double teams.

"If I'm a coach, I'll double team playing him because he's a good player and that's what you demand."

Mitchell relies heavily on the paint to get his points, which could limit his ability to score points if neutralized. The 3-point shot has been a big struggle for him all season, currently holding a 22.9% clip on 1.8 attempts per game. Against Arkansas, he shot 0-of-2.

Still, that hasn't stopped Gates from encouraging Mitchell to continue to take 3-point shots. The last time he's taken zero attempts was Jan. 25 against the Ole Miss Rebels, even if he's only made three since. Why is that, one might ask?

It's because Gates wants him to be "confident in taking it."

"I don't want him to think about the makes or misses," Gates said. "From a psychological development, that's where we are for Mark. And from the big picture, I want him to take them. I want him to be comfortable."

In Brown's senior campaign, the forward underwent struggles in his 3-point shot during non-conference play. In a matchup with the Wichita State Shockers on Nov. 29, 2022, he refused to shoot a single attempt. Immediately after that, he bounced back to a 45% 3-point shooter and 2023 NBA Draft selection.

Mitchell may not reach the heights Brown reached in regards to that area, but between the rest of this season and his senior campaign, it's going to be important to develop him into a respectable 3-point shooter. The only way to gain confidence is to keep shooting, and Gates' encouragement has rubbed off on him.

"I'm pretty confident I'm going to keep shooting the open ones," Mitchell said. "It's obviously helped me that he's never actually yelled at me for shooting the shots, and knows I'm not a selfish guy so I'm not going to take any wild ones.

"Shooting the ball comes and goes, open shots come and go, just making the right plays is what he's most focused on."

Most of the time the shots don't fall for Mitchell, but the work he does every day and the confidence from Gates in his abilities keeps him motivated to shoot. Once a 3-pointer does fall, it could be a game-altering moment, and that possibility forces him to be a willing shooter.

Gates has always encouraged his players to shoot and play their own game — Mitchell's inefficiencies won't stop that.

"When you play for a coach like Gates, that instills confidence in you," Mitchell said.

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