This one earns points for variety. They'd checked off a lot of boxes on the "ways to lose" bingo card this season. But they hadn't checked off "blow a double digit second half lead." Now they have. They've found just about every way this season.
It's literally the only thing this team is good at. No matter what, they find a way to lose. Doesn't matter if they're up 10 in the first half, down 20 at the break, up 10 in the second half, down 20 with ten minutes to go. They do just enough most nights to make you think it's possible, but never enough to win.
And the thing is, you can tell when it's happening. Missouri was up six and Nick Honor took a heat check three and missed it and I thought "uh oh." But the real dagger came a few minutes later. It was 56-49 with 10:45 to go and Tamar Bates missed a layup. But Mizzou got it back. And Anthony Robinson took a dreadful guarded jumper with 14 left on the shot clock. It missed. Matthew Murrell scored on the other end. Mizzou was up four, but I knew. That bucket started a 20-4 Ole Miss run. From up 7 to down 9 in less than six minutes.
Give Missouri some credit (I guess) for not quitting. I say I guess because to me that's the bare minimum expectation. But from trailing by nine, they got back to within a point. They had chances to tie. They didn't do it because, well, that's how it goes with this team.
But all of the above is why I can't really blame the coaching. I can blame the recruiting. I can blame the roster construction. I can blame a lot of things. But it's not like Dennis Gates isn't putting them in position. He didn't take the terrible jumper. He didn't miss the wide open layup that Noah Carter missed. He didn't airball the wide open layup that Bates airballed. He didn't give Ole Miss three possessions on a critical possession. Again, all of that stuff I talked about ultimately falls on the coach. He's responsible for the roster. I'm just talking about the in-game X's and O's and decisions. Gates is fine in that regard. He hasn't forgotten how to coach. He hasn't gotten worse as a coach since last year. He had a team that executed at crunch time last year and he has one that wilts at crunch time this year. He needs to get back to having one that executes next year.
This was the chance. Up 10 on the road with 12:30 to go, you've got to win the game. You didn't. I think this team already had plenty a confidence problem. I don't think tonight is going to help that.
It's literally the only thing this team is good at. No matter what, they find a way to lose. Doesn't matter if they're up 10 in the first half, down 20 at the break, up 10 in the second half, down 20 with ten minutes to go. They do just enough most nights to make you think it's possible, but never enough to win.
And the thing is, you can tell when it's happening. Missouri was up six and Nick Honor took a heat check three and missed it and I thought "uh oh." But the real dagger came a few minutes later. It was 56-49 with 10:45 to go and Tamar Bates missed a layup. But Mizzou got it back. And Anthony Robinson took a dreadful guarded jumper with 14 left on the shot clock. It missed. Matthew Murrell scored on the other end. Mizzou was up four, but I knew. That bucket started a 20-4 Ole Miss run. From up 7 to down 9 in less than six minutes.
Give Missouri some credit (I guess) for not quitting. I say I guess because to me that's the bare minimum expectation. But from trailing by nine, they got back to within a point. They had chances to tie. They didn't do it because, well, that's how it goes with this team.
But all of the above is why I can't really blame the coaching. I can blame the recruiting. I can blame the roster construction. I can blame a lot of things. But it's not like Dennis Gates isn't putting them in position. He didn't take the terrible jumper. He didn't miss the wide open layup that Noah Carter missed. He didn't airball the wide open layup that Bates airballed. He didn't give Ole Miss three possessions on a critical possession. Again, all of that stuff I talked about ultimately falls on the coach. He's responsible for the roster. I'm just talking about the in-game X's and O's and decisions. Gates is fine in that regard. He hasn't forgotten how to coach. He hasn't gotten worse as a coach since last year. He had a team that executed at crunch time last year and he has one that wilts at crunch time this year. He needs to get back to having one that executes next year.
This was the chance. Up 10 on the road with 12:30 to go, you've got to win the game. You didn't. I think this team already had plenty a confidence problem. I don't think tonight is going to help that.
