Eighteen games in Missouri seems to be a head coach Dennis Gates Find out now exactly who is comfortable playing.
The Tigers moved to 14-4 (3-3) after their 79-76 win over No. 25 Arkansas on Wednesday, which saw the Jets play 10 different players with nine of them recording 10 minutes or more including the guard. Isaiah Mosley, who hasn’t played since December 17 against UCF. He did not start but played 19 minutes and scored eight points, all of which came in the first half, to go along with his steals, 1 rebound and 1 assist.
“What he’s saying is from day one, we’ve built this team around getting things done and getting goals set by committee,” Gates said. “I thought it was because of the players’ versatility and confidence that they were able to close the gaps and close the game plan on both ends of the basketball and stay connected and play multiple positions. (In the second half) it was like that Cuban (brown) And DeAndre (Golston) In the first half, it was Aidan (Shaw) and Mo (Diarra).
straight ahead Ronnie DeGray He was the only player among the 10 not to record more than 10 minutes of action, playing four minutes, even though he was given a start instead of Noah Carterwho was out due to health and safety protocols along with walking Mabor Majak.
Diarra, who entered Wednesday’s game averaging less than a point per game on 25% shooting in 5.3 minutes per game across seven contests, provided a short spark early by making the team’s first three-pointer of the game which is notable because the Tigers are a shot. 2 out of 15 within the first 10 minutes of the match. Diarra finished the game with five points, two grabs and a career-high rebound in 10 minutes.
Gates said it was Brown who brilliantly told him during the week that Diarra was ready to play more minutes.
“He said (coach I think Moe’s ready) on those two workouts,” Gates said. “These are the things you listen to and they’re players, but they also have faith in each other and they’re connected.
Leading us into the Texas A&M game, Mo was the MVP on our team. That’s an addition to the all-conference player on the first team (Brown) and an addition to the guy who got his 1,000th point today. I thought Mo was able to show his teammates The team when his back is against the wall, who he really is.”
Shaw came off the bench and made a direct hit by making both of his three-point attempts in the first half. Coming into this game, he was averaging 3.4 points per game and had connected two of his 10 three-point attempts this season. Again, something Missouri desperately needed with how poor its shooting was in the first half (11-of-30). He finished with seven points, a pair of rebounds and a steal in 10 minutes.
It was the first time that Diarra, Shaw and Moseley had all played in the same game. So, when Carter returns, it means Shaw will have 11 players who seem comfortable playing.
The first 32 minutes or so of Wednesday’s game showed the Jets weren’t afraid to dive deep into the bench, but the last few minutes proved that he has faith in the five picks. Sean East IIAnd Nick HonorAnd D’Moi Hodge, and Gilston and Brown to be close to him. This is a familiar spot for Mizzou fans this season and it’s clear why.
In the final five minutes and 17 seconds, after eight minutes, Missouri ran 22-9 to claim its third victory over a top-25 team this season.
East were scoreless in 11 minutes of first-half action before finishing with 12 points on 3-of-6 shooting while also converting all six free throw attempts in 25 minutes. Eight of his 12 points came during the stretch.
Honor recorded one turnover in eight minutes of the first period before finishing with five points in 26 minutes. He didn’t have the best stats, but he played good defense and helped keep Arkansas’ leading scorer, Fourth Reiki Councilto 13 points on 4 of 11 shooting.
Hodge’s shooting woes continue as he finished with seven points on 1-of-7 shooting, but made 5-of-6 free throws and scored a block and a big touchdown in the second half.
So, despite shooting 6 of 26 (23%) and 3 of 20 from outside the arc (15%) in his last three games (including this one), he has been able to play on defensive end which is something Gates was very proud of. Look at how good the Hodge Defender is.
“I think in the past he’s allowed his offense to dictate his defense, but he’s a guy who I’ve always said could be a potential defensive player of the year with his ability to deflect, but also be in the right place,” he said. “Here’s a guy who I think will help us and at the moment he’s not happy going 0-of-5 (on three-pointers), but he was able to hit some free throws and finish with seven points.”
Brown and Golston led the charge with Brown finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 37 minutes despite getting hurt in the final minute.
“Kobe has a cramp in his ankle and he still wants to play,” Gates said. “When you have that kind of save from your players, it means they don’t want to let people standing left and right.”
What led the Tigers to a 22-9 start was scoring the first ten unanswered points which Golston attributed to a team putting their head down and controlling what they could control in a very physical game that saw the teams combine for 56 errors.
“It’s things internally that we discuss every day, different scenarios and ways to respond,” Goulston said. “I think the most important thing about college basketball right now is the way you respond to things like refereeing, runs, missed shots and bad defensive possessions. The way we respond allows us to keep fighting and it helped us tonight.”
Golston finished the game with 16 points, three assists, two steals and a pair of rebounds in 29 minutes.
“I thought I heard a lot of great voices and great conversations between our players,” Gates said. “Don’t panic, don’t blink, this is a five-minute game,” they said. At that point, they didn’t hit the brakes and didn’t think twice. They managed to go a 22-9 run which I think in the end performed with our defensive stops.”
When the conference rotation comes around in early March, most coaches shorten their rotation. So, it’s unlikely that the Jets will use 11 players then, but for now, they have them at their disposal to play double-digit minutes if needed, and they also have a good five shutouts to end games as well.
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