-Gates said he's tremendously proud of his guys. "I commend them but I also hurt for them." Said the team's eight core values got tested this year but that his guys never broke away from them. Said he's proud they stayed together.
-Connor Vanover said they knew it was win or go home tonight. He wanted to leave it out on the court tonight.
-Nick Honor said a lot of teams would've quit, argued about next season, spring break, something like that. He said they never did. This year made him a better player and person. Honor said Gates approach as a person helped them with that. Vanover got emotional saying similar thing.
-Honor said the biggest thing he learned from this year was that "you've got to put your work pants on every day." Said they had to keep improving through the losses. Vanover said he learned what it meant to play physical basketball.
-Gates said the results might've been disappointing this year but the effort was not. He said he's going to be as consistent as can be. The five in-season surgeries made consistency really difficult this year. Said he's proud of the lessons his guys had to learn.
-Gates said the team had some rotational errors that put them behind in the first half. Said the team's rebounding helped them jump in front, but that they weren't able to get the paint or get to the foul line down the stretch.
-Gates thinks physical fatigue contributed to Mizzou's rotational error, as well as mental and emotional fatigue. Said they had several opportunities to get the job done and just couldn't pull it off. Said he also felt like Connor Vanover was penalized for his height where Georgia would foul him low and he wouldn't get the call.
-Gates said Jordan Butler had a severe ankle sprain in practice, which caused him to shorten the rotation tonight. He also didn't want to disrupt the rhythm that they found early in the second half.
-Gates was asked about the injuries this year. He thought Caleb Grill's injury was the straw that broke the camel's back. He said nobody's going have pity for him. But also said it's on him and the staff to find solutions.
-I asked Gates about the future. He said they'll start the offseason by debriefing and being there emotionally for the guys whose college careers just ended, but that he wants to be there for the guys returning too -- "We're not who everyone thinks we are." Said they displayed the courage and culture needed this season, that it didn't matter who they played, his guys showed up. He didn't have to coach effort. "The record is one thing. I'm not excited about the record. But I'm excited about being able to be here for players how I need to be as a coach."
-Connor Vanover said they knew it was win or go home tonight. He wanted to leave it out on the court tonight.
-Nick Honor said a lot of teams would've quit, argued about next season, spring break, something like that. He said they never did. This year made him a better player and person. Honor said Gates approach as a person helped them with that. Vanover got emotional saying similar thing.
-Honor said the biggest thing he learned from this year was that "you've got to put your work pants on every day." Said they had to keep improving through the losses. Vanover said he learned what it meant to play physical basketball.
-Gates said the results might've been disappointing this year but the effort was not. He said he's going to be as consistent as can be. The five in-season surgeries made consistency really difficult this year. Said he's proud of the lessons his guys had to learn.
-Gates said the team had some rotational errors that put them behind in the first half. Said the team's rebounding helped them jump in front, but that they weren't able to get the paint or get to the foul line down the stretch.
-Gates thinks physical fatigue contributed to Mizzou's rotational error, as well as mental and emotional fatigue. Said they had several opportunities to get the job done and just couldn't pull it off. Said he also felt like Connor Vanover was penalized for his height where Georgia would foul him low and he wouldn't get the call.
-Gates said Jordan Butler had a severe ankle sprain in practice, which caused him to shorten the rotation tonight. He also didn't want to disrupt the rhythm that they found early in the second half.
-Gates was asked about the injuries this year. He thought Caleb Grill's injury was the straw that broke the camel's back. He said nobody's going have pity for him. But also said it's on him and the staff to find solutions.
-I asked Gates about the future. He said they'll start the offseason by debriefing and being there emotionally for the guys whose college careers just ended, but that he wants to be there for the guys returning too -- "We're not who everyone thinks we are." Said they displayed the courage and culture needed this season, that it didn't matter who they played, his guys showed up. He didn't have to coach effort. "The record is one thing. I'm not excited about the record. But I'm excited about being able to be here for players how I need to be as a coach."
