Eli Hoff

3-pointer in closing seconds sends No. 10 Texas A&M past No. 15 Mizzou: 'We got to live with it' "We knew who was going to shoot the ball," Missouri coach Dennis Gates said of Wade Taylor IV's game-winner. "I think everybody in the gym knew that. At the end

No. 15 #Mizzou men's basketball learned a lesson today that was written in the margins of the SEC textbook. Sometimes the game boils down to who scores last.

Inside the two fateful possessions that sunk the Tigers against No. 10 Texas A&M:

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Mizzou's Josh Gray, 3 ex-SLU basketball players sue NCAA in federal antitrust lawsuit The players argue they have been harmed by their previous inability to receive NIL compensation. They're accusing the NCAA of price fixing.

News: #Mizzou C Josh Gray is suing the NCAA & P5 conferences in a new federal antitrust lawsuit.

This new group of 67 athletes, which also includes three former SLU players, has opted out of the House settlement to seek damages for alleged price-fixing.

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No. 20 #Mizzou’s injury report ahead of tomorrow’s game at No. 14 Mississippi State comes in clean as expected: freshman center Trent Burns remains out, but everyone else is available.

News: Former #Mizzou football walk-on D'Andre McKenzie has filed an objection to the $2.8 billion House v. NCAA settlement.

He argues walk-ons should be eligible to receive damages in the same way scholarship athletes can.
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How No. 20 Mizzou's 3 most common lineups are performing in SEC play Missouri coach Dennis Gates has used 103 different lineups during the Tigers' seven SEC games, but these three are especially interesting to analyze.

When both Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill are on the floor in SEC play, #Mizzou men’s basketball is -19 in 103 minutes.

Not a typo. Some interesting nuances are emerging with Dennis Gates’ lineups, like the context around that duo.

We dive into them here:

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No. 22 Mizzou grateful for 'special players' Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill carrying scoring load “These guys have gone through so many battles that you kind of take it for granted, what they bring to the table,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said.

“They carried us,” Dennis Gates said.

Veteran guards Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates, who both started their careers elsewhere, were enough for #Mizzou to beat Ole Miss last night.

On their scoring and a team that doesn’t want to take them for granted:
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Final: No. 22 #Mizzou 83, No. 16 Ole Miss 75

Tamar Bates scored 26. Caleb Grill scored 22. The Tigers shot 44% from 3 and won the rebounding battle.

And Missouri is 15-0 at home this season.

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Oncoming stretch of 4 games against ranked opponents will help establish ceiling for No. 22 Mizzou Mizzou men's basketball faces four games vs. teams ranked inside the top 16 beginning Saturday against Mississippi.

Previewing the next four games for #Mizzou men’s basketball — a stretch of four ranked opponents in a row that will show what this team’s ceiling is.
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What ranking means for No. 22 Mizzou men's basketball: 'We don't really care' "We’re not really talked about and we don’t really care," Missouri guard Tamar Bates said. "We’re just gonna keep showing up and doing what we do.”

#Mizzou men's basketball enters the AP Poll at No. 22. This is now the fifth season since MU joined the SEC in which it has earned a ranking.

The Tigers also landed in the USA Today coaches poll at No. 24.

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Join Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff for his live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

#Mizzou hoops' emergence, a big football transfer, athletic department finances... there's been a lot going on in the MU universe this week. That makes it a great day for a STL Today subscriber chat.

Party starts at 11 a.m. Bring questions and takes:

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How a breakout football season, poor basketball season impacted Mizzou athletics’ finances Missouri football received and spent more money in the 2023 football season, while it's men's basketball team lost money during an 0-19 SEC season.

How did #Mizzou's breakout 2023 football season and rough 2023-24 men's basketball season impact those programs’ finances? What's the $$$ impact of playing in the Cotton Bowl vs. a smaller bowl?

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Mizzou close to hiring Miami assistant Derek Nicholson to coach linebackers Nicholson replaces D.J. Smith, Mizzou's former linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, who departed in December to become the defensive coordinator at Appalachian State.

#Mizzou is finalizing a deal to hire former Miami linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator Derek Nicholson for its LBs coach position, source tells the Post-Dispatch. Not official yet but likely will be soon. ESPN was first.

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Mizzou men upset No. 5 Florida for first top 5 road win since 2012 in ‘hard-fought game’ The Mizzou Tigers are 3-1 to start Southeastern Conference men's basketball play for the first time in program history.

Game story from last night: the #Mizzou men knew it would take ‘guts’ to win on the road in the SEC. They showed that and a little more in a big-time upset of No. 5 Florida, the Tigers’ first top 5 road win since 2012.

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Mizzou athletics department reports $15 million deficit, gets internal university loan "We’re going to ask ourselves, ‘What are we no longer going to do?’ to prioritize what’s important for athletics."

NEWS: The #Mizzou athletics department returned to the red in fiscal year 2024, recording a $15 million deficit.

MU provided its athletics department with $40 million in direct support, including an internal loan.

Exclusive details:
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How a Dennis Rodman shirt and Josh Gray's rise have made Mizzou one of SEC's best rebounding teams “It’s an effort that is taking place top to bottom on our roster,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said of his team's success on the boards to start SEC play.

The #Mizzou men lead the SEC in defensive rebounding percentage during conference play. They've given up the fewest boards to opponents. There's success on the offensive glass too?

Why the turnaround? It starts with a t-shirt and Josh Gray's role...

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Mizzou basketball's Mark Mitchell featured on new 'hoops' NIL snacks Mitchell's "Spicy Queso Hoops" — think Funyuns but with a spicy cheesy flavor — will soon be available in area Schnucks and convenience stores.

🚨New #Mizzou NIL snack 🚨

Mark Mitchell’s “Spicy Queso Hoops” will be available soon.

(I’d describe them as Funyuns but with a spicy cheese flavor.)

Details on Mitchell becoming the 36th MU athlete to be featured on a retail food product:

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'Timely' recovery from almost-blown lead nets Mizzou men's hoops valuable SEC win over Vanderbilt “Coach (Dennis Gates) always talks about us having endurance, and I think today, we did that,” said forward Mark Mitchell, who led Mizzou with 19 points.

#Mizzou led by 17, then 1, then scored the final 7 points to hold off Vanderbilt.

Quotes from Dennis Gates, Mark Mitchell and Anthony Robinson II on a "timely" recovery, weathering a storm and what today's SEC victory means — plus how it went down:

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Mizzou men to get taste of own defensive medicine in key SEC basketball matchup vs. Vanderbilt The Commodores rely on creating turnovers and scoring off of them in a way that's "similar" to Missouri, coach Dennis Gates said.

#Mizzou men’s basketball will get an interesting matchup this afternoon against Vanderbilt — a team happy to lean into stealing the ball and scoring off it just like the Tigers.

Does MU go small to match Vandy? How do the similarities play out? Preview

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Join Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff for his live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

It's Thursday, which means the STL Today subscriber chat is on deck at 11 a.m. Drop in with your questions and thoughts — we talk about what y'all want to talk about:

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How Mizzou men's basketball team spent weekend snowed in at St. Louis airport hotel The Tigers' flight back from their Saturday game at Auburn diverted from Columbia to St. Louis due to the weekend's winter weather.

#Mizzou men’s basketball spent the weekend stuck in the Renaissance, waiting.

MU’s flight from Auburn was diverted from COU to STL, and they were snowed in at a St. Louis airport hotel.

Inside what happened & why the response impressed Dennis Gates:

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How Mizzou men's basketball snapped SEC losing skid against LSU: 'It definitely meant a lot' Missouri coach Dennis Gates didn't need to talk about the Tigers' winless conference season last year — in part because returning players like Tamar Bates knew all about it.

Dennis Gates hasn’t talked to this year’s #Mizzou team about the woes of last season in the SEC. He hasn’t needed to.

In part, because a player like Tamar Bates knows. He was there.

On a streak snapped against LSU last night:

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Why this week's games against LSU, Vanderbilt are critical for Mizzou men's basketball Home teams won big in the SEC over the weekend, which suggests Missouri will need to win games on its home floor to make a case for the NCAA Tournament.

If #Mizzou men’s basketball is going to get to the NCAA Tournament, it’ll probably need ~8 SEC wins.

To get those, the Tigers will need to win home games.

Why a 2-game homestand starting tonight feels a bit like crunch time, already:

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Game story: #Mizzou has been good, even very good this season.

No. 2 Auburn is great, and Missouri found out in its SEC opener. What didn't work against AU and what it means for MU:

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Game story: #Mizzou has been good, even very good this season.

No. 2 Auburn is great, and Missouri found out in its SEC opener. What didn't work against AU and what it means for MU:

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3 things to watch for in Mizzou's SEC basketball opener vs. No. 2 Auburn The play of Auburn star Johni Broome, a contrast in turnovers and the battle of the benches could determine the game.

Here we go… SEC hoops today. #Mizzou faces Auburn at 3, so here are 3 things to watch for:

-Auburn’s star
-A contrast in turnover trends
-Bench scoring

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Mizzou men's basketball prepares to face uber-talented SEC slate: 'It's going to be scary' The SEC could have a dozen of its teams make the NCAA Tournament — that’s the level of depth that will be on display for the next 18 games.

Ready for #Mizzou men's basketball to enter SEC play?

KenPom projects six one-score games for the Tigers, plus another seven to be within two possessions. That means 13 out of 18 games are expected to be real, real close.

Looking at MU and the league:

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Mizzou gymnastics holding joint wrestling event, St. Charles meet to boost attendance Missouri gymnastics and wrestling will compete simultaneously at an event Friday, then the gymnasts will have a meet in St. Charles for the second consecutive year.

#Mizzou gymnastics & wrestling will compete together tomorrow. In Feb., MU gym will go to St. Charles for an STL-area meet.

I talked w/ newly extended coach Shannon Welker about a scheduling strategy intended to boost attendance. Some interesting stuff:

www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...

How Mizzou coordinators Kirby Moore, Corey Batoon performed in 2024 Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz seemed generally pleased with his coordinators' efforts in 2024 — though neither was perfect.

With #Mizzou's 2024 season done, a quick look at how it compared to 2023 through the lenses of the Tigers' coordinators.

Some interesting notes on the gains, losses and changes between Year 1 and Year 2 for Kirby Moore and the arrival of Corey Batoon:

www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...

Join Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff for his live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

It's a #Mizzou chat day… We'll talk hoops, the end of football season and whatever else is on our mind. Stop by starting at 11 a.m.:

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Mizzou’s Drinkwitz on transfer portal, state of college football: ‘I don’t know who’s in charge’ Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz talked with reporters about losing promising freshmen to the transfer portal, the nature of his job and his worries for the future of college football.

“I worry that the game that I love and have dedicated 30-something years of my life to is slowly getting taken away from us.”

#Mizzou’s Eli Drinkwitz shared his concerns & frustrations with the state of college football yesterday.

You’ll want to read this:
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