The Tigers faced the struggling Rebels at home to conclude their regular season campaign on March 4, and came out victorious to secure a top-four seed in the SEC tournament.
On March 4, an afternoon dedicated to the seniors of Missouri men’s basketball, the Tigers closed out their regular season on a positive note, defeating Ole Miss 82-77.
It was a balanced effort from the veteran-laden Tigers. Senior forward duo Kobe Brown and Noah Carter led Missouri with 17 points, while graduate forward DeAndre Gholston chipped in 15 of his own and graduate guard D’Moi Hodge scored 14. Graduate guard Nick Honor led the Tigers with five assists and senior guard Sean East II cashed in a pair of triples.
Missouri gained positive momentum entering their SEC tournament matchup against Tennessee, which only grew before losing in the following round to Alabama.
Ahead of the NCAA tournament, here are three takeaways from Missouri’s 82-77 final regular season victory over Ole Miss on senior night.
D’Moi Hodge was everywhere
One of the eight seniors honored was Hodge, who is finishing up his final year of college eligibility this season. A transfer from Cleveland State, Hodge has been integral to Missouri’s revitalization this season, providing substantial amounts of production on both ends of the floor.
Per usual, Hodge was a pest defensively against the Rebels. In Missouri’s game against LSU, Hodge surpassed Missouri legend Phil Pressey for the top spot on the Tigers’ all-time single-season steals list. Against the Rebels, he padded his cushion on the program record with another five steals.
“That’s back-to-back games where he’s had five-plus steals. That’s five extra possessions,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said. “I’m proud of him.”
Hodge also made his presence felt on the offensive end. Although he shot just 1-6 from three-point range, Hodge converted all five of his field goal attempts from inside the arc, including three in the first nine minutes of the second half.
Missouri’s rebounding was exceptional
Just like they did against Mississippi State, the Tigers battled valiantly on rebounding the ball, despite the stat sheet not showing it. While Ole Miss outrebounded Missouri, the margin was only three. Brown registered a team-high seven rebounds, while Carter tied for second with five.
The other Tiger with five boards? Freshman forward Aidan Shaw, whose five boards included a thunderous putback slam that set the Mizzou Arena crowd ablaze numerous times throughout the game.
“It was great to see him play close to 20 minutes,” Gates said. “He got into a groove where he was able to sky for some rebounds and grab them with two hands, but also coming out of the crowd with a couple of rebounds. That’s what he’s been struggling with the most, and I thought he got better at it tonight.”
The Tigers concluded their most successful regular season in years
While the Tigers have put together solid seasons since Frank Haith’s wildly successful three-year run from 2011-14 — most notably when Missouri made March Madness appearances in 2018 and 2021 — the past eight seasons have been littered with disappointment.
Coming into 2022-23, uncertainty filled the air. Only three players from the 2021-22 squad were returning and an almost entirely new coaching staff was to take the reins, including a new head coach.
To say Missouri’s first year with Gates was a success would be a vast understatement. The Tigers took down numerous ranked opponents, sported one of the most potent offenses in the nation and ended the regular season in the top-four of a conference that might see seven teams playing in the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou Arena was reinvigorated with tens of thousands of passionate Missouri fans at almost every home game, and the future of Missouri basketball appears to be trending upward.
Despite a fourth-round exit in the SEC tournament, the Tigers will enter the NCAA tournament with their most regular season wins (23) since 2011-12, when they entered the Big 12 Tournament with a glistening 27-4 record.
“I’m looking forward to whatever our future holds,” Gates said. “My first go-around as the Whitten Family head men’s basketball coach … it’s been fun, and I’m excited about the next stage.”
Edited by Matt Guzman | mguzman@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Mary Philip
