Missouri Basketball: 2023-24 season preview and outlook for the Tigers

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: D'Moi Hodge #5 of the Missouri Tigers celebrates a three point basket against the Utah State Aggies during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 16, 2023 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

5 of 5

Missouri Tigers guard Kobe Brown (24) and guard Jackson Francois Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

2023-2024 Season Outlook

Replacing a team’s top three scorers from the previous season is never an easy task, but Head Coach Dennis Gates has brought in a ton of talent from the transfer portal this off-season, focusing on bringing in experience when filling out the roster. In his short tenure at Missouri, Gates has proven that he can get the most out of his players. Even ones who are making a huge jump in competition. That is tough for even the best coaches in the nation.

It will be interesting to see what the offense looks like this year. The Tigers might not have a solid star player this year, but there are plenty of players who should be able to fill the hole left by Kobe Brown. If the returning players can continue to improve and the transfers are as good as we hope they are then the offense should be in a great spot. While there aren’t many players in the country who can replace what Brown did last year, Noah Carter is the best candidate to do so for the Tigers. Carter might not lead the team in scoring, but he has shown that he can be a consistent leader for this team.

On the defensive side, there really isn’t anywhere to go but up. A year ago, Missouri was one of the best teams in the nation when it came to getting steals, but the rest of the defense was nothing to write home about. This year that shouldn’t be the case. The steals should still be there, that is more a product of the defensive style Gates likes to play, but now the Tigers have a legitimate post defender in Connor Vanover. Vanover averaged more blocks last year than Missouri did as a team.

Expectations are high this year, and rightfully so. Missouri should be a more complete team this season. There are still questions about how everything will fit together, but if year one for Dennis Gates is any indication of what to expect, then I think that Missouri fans should be in for another successful season.

dark. Next. Preseason top-25 power rankings for 2023-24

Will this year’s Missouri Basketball team be better than last year’s? Time will tell on that question, but one thing is for sure, Dennis Gates has given his team the best opportunity to compete at the highest level. For the first time in a while the Missouri Tigers are headed in the right direction. A return trip to the NCAA Tournament should be expected for the Tigers.

Home/Missouri Tigers