Missouri head coach Dennis Gates wasn’t scheduled to appear at the SEC’s preseason media days until Wednesday, but he got his appearance in Birmingham, Ala., changed to Tuesday for a very important reason
Gates plans to be with Mark Mitchell in court on Wednesday as the star forward attempts to gain a fifth season of NCAA eligibility.
“I am used to it. I don’t look at it like a problem,” Gates said of the Tigers’ uncertain roster three weeks away from the start of the new season. “I’ve never been given a silver spoon. I’ve always had to do more with less. I’ve always had to make decisions at the last minute, last second, but also it allows me to show that I’m talented in what I’m doing.
“I’m a CEO, not just a basketball coach. I know how to manage people, manage egos, but also manage a locker room.”
Mitchell was not selected in this summer’s NBA draft. At one point he agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Denver Nuggets, but crucially, he did not sign it.
Mitchell also attempted to transfer to Kentucky, but he soon changed course once it became clear the SEC’s rule against intraconference transfers would stand in the way, as Mitchell did not enter the portal during the appropriate window.
That didn’t make Gates think twice about singing the praises of Mitchell, who scored 18.3 points per game and shot 38.8% from 3-point range last season.
“When we were 0-19, that young man stepped foot on our campus and the last two years we were able to go to the NCAA Tournament,” Gates said. “I’ll always be there for Mark Mitchell, man, without a doubt. … It’s about stepping foot, lockstep with them every step of the way, so that they can know that they are supported.”
The Tigers could be in line for a big year. They were selected eighth in the SEC preseason media poll, on the strength of not just Mitchell but five-star freshmen Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant.
Missouri also has former DePaul leading scorer CJ Gunn in the mix, but again, the program is waiting on an eligibility ruling in his case.
“I don’t want to sign or would sign anybody that distracts or would distract our locker room,” Gates said. “So there was no cutting (players to add Mitchell and Gunn). There was no manipulation.”
–Alabama coach Nate Oats said he “couldn’t be more proud” of Aden Holloway after the former five-star prospect went through a pretrial diversion program for drug charges earlier this year.
Holloway is serving a five-game suspension to start the season — three exhibitions and two regular-season games. He was arrested just before the NCAA Tournament for felony drug possession after authorities said they recovered 2.1 pounds of marijuana from his apartment. His charges have been dismissed.
“On the Aden front, I addressed it last week, but super proud of him,” Oats said. “He’s applied himself consistently over the last few months. Did all the work required to get all the charges dropped. Back in the program I couldn’t be more proud of a young man of what he’s done over the summer and the fall so far.”
Holloway averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 assists per game and was an all-SEC selection last year.
Oats said Amari Allen will take on the role of primary ball-handler while Holloway is out.
–Mark Byington relied heavily on transfers in his first two seasons at Vanderbilt — and he’ll have two transfers with SEC experience this season, T.O. Barrett (Missouri) and Sebastian Williams-Adams (Auburn).
But Byington was excited to report that the Commodores are projected to be the second-youngest team in the power conferences this season.
“(John Calipari has) got the youngest at Arkansas, but we’re right behind them,” Byington said. “That’s something I know he’s used to, and we’re getting used to it.”
Byington said he expects to see his group’s youth when they’re up against opponents rife with fifth-year players.
“But I made a decision, in the current state of college basketball, to believe in the guys I promised something to, the guys I recruited,” Byington said. “At the same time, I think you’re going to see us continue to get better throughout the year.”
–Steven Pearl is approximately one year removed from taking over for his father Bruce Pearl, who retired weeks before the 2025-26 season commenced.
Auburn narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 under the younger Pearl, but at least one of his players can see a difference entering Year 2.
“This year, it’s his team,” guard Kevin Overton said. “He put together the roster, so he can coach us how he wants… More comfortable. But his approach has always been the same. He wants to win games. You know how bad he wants to win.”
Steven Pearl, who noted that “You don’t realize how valuable an offseason is until you finally have one,” said it was a boon for his players and his program to run the table in the NIT and lift the trophy in April.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m glad we did it,” Pearl said. “I thought it was really important as a first-year head coach to teach our guys a valuable lesson in life. When something doesn’t go your way, you can’t just quit. You’ve got to see things through. … I thought they had a lot of fun those last four games, really competing.”
–Patience may be thin in Oklahoma for Porter Moser, who was brought back for a sixth season to coach the Sooners with a promise of increased NIL funds.
The Sooners have made just one NCAA Tournament in Moser’s first five years, and the media poll picked them 12th in the 16-team league.
Moser revealed that one of his most famous conference rivals checked in on him in the middle of a rough patch last season: Arkansas’ John Calipari.
“You can listen to a lot of things,” Moser said. “I’ve known Cal for many years. I respect him so much when he says that. … Cal is one of those guys that he’s a coaching friend, man, to a lot of people, to the ones he knows and ones that he doesn’t. Everybody gets a call when things are going great. Cal is one of those guys that will text or call you and check on you when you’re not.”
