Missouri Tigers hoops coach talks newfound height, how MU players fared in draft + more

Dennis Gates laughed when asked about new Missouri basketball center Connor Vanover.

“I think you guys are upset because you can’t write about us not having height now,” MU’s head coach said Friday.

Vanover, who was listed at 7 feet, 5 inches tall, joined the Tigers through the transfer portal after previously playing at Oral Roberts, Arkansas and Cal. He should help Missouri on the boards while not compromising Gates’ commitment to stellar defense and three-point shooting.

He’ll be a part of reshaping MU’s roster following the departures of Kobe Brown, D’Moi Hodge, DeAndre Gholston, Tre Gomillion and Isiaih Mosley, among others.

The transfers included Curt Lewis (John A. Logan Community College), Caleb Grill (Iowa State), John Tonje (Colorado State), Tamar Bates (Indiana), Jesus Carralero (Campbell) and Vanover. The Tigers also added three scholarship players out of high school in Anthony Robinson, Trent Pierce and Jordan Butler.

It’s a bunch of new faces, but Gates said the goals will remain the same.

“My three absolutes will never change,” he said. “I want to be the No. 1 three-point shooting team in the country. I want to have a positive assist-to-turnover ratio and we want to play and have at least one guy on all-defensive team.”

There’s also talent returning. The goals haven’t changed for those players either, with Gates pointing to the April 6 and 8 dates for the 2024 Final Four as the new times he wants his team playing.

Pointing specifically to Aiden Shaw and Noah Carter, he said he hoped the team would learn from the habits that put Brown into the NBA.

“What we have to now do by committee — ask Aiden Shaw to step up and do first-round things every day of his career,” Gates said. “We have to ask Noah Carter to do first-round things every day of his career. And when I begin to see those things, I don’t care who it is, I will start to say, ‘This person’s a pro, this person’s a first-round draft pick.’”

‘We’ve had pros’

Missouri saw one of its top stars from last season selected in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday when Brown was taken No. 30 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. Hodge also earned an NBA opportunity in the same city as Brown, signing with the Lakers as a free agent.

Gates maintained that Hodge should have been selected Thursday.

“D’Moi Hodge was very close to getting his named called last night by about two or three franchises,” Gates said. “I think his journey is also something that can reflect and draw attention to those that may not have been ever given a chance to be in the NBA. This you man, although he didn’t get his name called, he is on a two-way contract, with not only a great organization, but hands down probably one of the better players to ever play the game.”

Gates also offered Hodge some advice as he joined the Lakers.

“I’ll say this: he better get out of Lebron’s way and when he catches the ball, he better be able to make some shots,” Gates said. “But also on the other side, I think he’s a disruptor. He’s an energy giver... He has to be able to treat a G-League game like an NBA game and his development will flourish.”

Gates said Gholston and Gomillion could possibly get opportunities with G-League teams.

“It’s just an exciting time,” Gates said. “I said all along, we’ve had pros. We’ve developed young people and I’m excited to share in that journey, in addition to the future pros that we have in our program currently and those that we’ll continue to recruit.”

The Star has partnered with the Columbia Daily Tribune for coverage of Missouri Tigers athletics.