Dennis Gates Reflects on South Carolina Win and Looks Ahead to Texas A&M

Gates spoke to the media about his previous win and their next SEC matchup.

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates disputes a call against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Time is waning for the Missouri Tigers in the SEC to earn more wins before the conference tournament arrives and, sooner rather than later, March Madness. The challenges within the conference aren't getting any lower in difficulty, either, especially if that means taking a road trip to College Station to face Texas A&M.

The Aggies are one of the most unique teams in college basketball and have certainly surprised many. They were picked to finish No. 12 overall in the conference according to USA Today and so far have far exceeded that, sitting currently in third place.

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates spoke with the media on Tuesday afternoon to look ahead to Missouri's matchup with the Aggies, while also looking back on a 78-59 road win over South Carolina.

The Tigers and Texas A&M tip off at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in College Station, Texas.

Here are the key points that Gates shared with the media on Tuesday.

On a good road performance and staying steady in February

The Tigers picked up a big road win against the Gamecocks on Feb. 7, but not in the sense of who they beat. South Carolina has one of the worst records in the SEC, but the Tigers desperately needed a pick-me-up after struggling to win away from Mizzou Arena.

It also seems like Gates' roster is starting to click a little more than they were earlier in SEC play. They've been able to make some plays late in games, as well, to hold off opponents.

"It's just a matter of experience," Gates told the media. "I think our guys are getting better game by game, being able to know and practice those reps, whereas before we wasn't able to do it. It's just that simple.

Missouri still has plenty of room to improve, however. Gates is going to need more from multiple players on his team and spots on the floor, especially in the interior, to back up center Shawn Phillips Jr.

"We have depth. Do we need players to play better? Absolutely," Gates said. "I need, you know, Luke Northweather, Trent Burns (and) Nicholas Randall to step up. One of those three guys gotta step up for us as we continue on (in) the month of February. But our team is doing a good job, and the gelling part is the most important."

Bucky ball is taking over the SEC

For those not familiar with Bucky McMillan, who's in his first year of his tenure with Texas A&M, McMillan has only been in the college ranks since 2020. He coached at Samford from 2020 to 2025 and was a well-known high school coach before that at Mountain Brook High School.

He now has the Aggies at 17-6 overall and third in the SEC with a 7-3 record. That's pretty darn good for a coach who's only in his sixth year of coaching college basketball. According to Gates, what's made McMillan and the Aggies so hard to stop in the SEC this season is a similar situation to his first year with the Tigers after coming over from Cleveland State.

So I talked to a lot of people about this, and what's great is Bucky's success. You want coaches to be successful. Our year one, you didn't have a style of play that we played with in year one, so it sort of stung the league. It took the league into a position where there wasn't preparation.

The players that McMillan has brought onto his team also make all the difference. McMillan added 10 transfers and two high school recruits to his roster while not returning a single player from the Buzz Williams era. That's not uncommon in this age of college basketball, but that doesn't mean it's not extremely impressive.

"It's the style of play that is so different and foreign to many that allows success in addition to players being able to make plays," Gates said. "He has some great players on his team. They're very unselfish. They may not have five stars by their name, but they have five-star hearts. They have five-star toughness. They have five-star execution."

Defense, defense, defense

Missouri has had some of its best players step up on the defensive side of the ball during SEC play, mainly in the guard department. It's no secret that sophomore point guard T.O. Barrett has stepped up in a major way on both sides of the ball this season, but he has been a borderline elite defender. Anthony Robinson II, despite his struggles on offense, has also been great on defense.

The Tigers are also getting some versatility from wings Jacob Crews and Trent Pierce. For two players who weren't known for their skills on the defensive side of the ball, they've stepped up by using their length and athleticism.

"T.O.Barrett Ant Robinson are great, great on-ball defenders," Gates said. "We have to continue to get better in other areas, whether it's rebounding or not from our guard spots. When it comes to our length and our wings, Trent Pierce Jacob Crews, they give us some real versatility where we can switch."

There are areas Missouri needs to improve in on defense, as well. They still can improve as rebounders and shot contestors, while doing all of that without fouling.

"From a rebounding standpoint, we have to be consistent (at) rebounding the basketball. We have to at least alter shots if we're not blocking them, and we have to be disciplined and not foul," Gates said. "I think when you do those things, you put pressure on any team by staying out of rotation, defending the basketball the best you can."