It was like a reflex.

We asked Dennis Gates about retention, development and their importance toward achieving this team’s goals. The Missouri basketball coach heard the word “goals,” slotted in the middle of the question, and he immediately — like it was a trigger word — reminded us exactly what those are.

“Final Four,” Gates began, “(and) national championship.”

It’s Year 4 of Gates’ tenure with the Tigers — a timespan that has seen Mizzou make the NCAA Tournament on two occasions, sandwiching an injury-riddled sophomore season for the coach that ended with an 0-for SEC record.

The Tigers’ two trips to the Big Dance under Gates have produced one win and a pair of upset losses, first against Princeton in 2023 and then against Drake in the Round of 64 of this year’s tournament. Loo

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