No. 15 Mizzou, No. 10 Texas A&M set for rebounding -fight

Columbia, Mo. – In the first 36 regular season of Southeastern Conference game Dennis Gates Coachede in Missouri, Tigers exceeded their opponent just once.

Through nine league games this season, Mizzou has surpassed opponents six times – a significant improvement in the glass.

On Saturday, the rebound gains on No. 15 Missouri (17-5, 6-3 SEK) receive their largest test: No. 10 Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3), the country’s best offensive rebounding team. Game Tip at. 14:30 in Mizzou Arena and will be television on SEC Network.

“It’s part of who they are,” Gates said of Agggies’ rebounding. “That’s their identity.”

In its sixth season at College Station, A&M Coach Buzz Williams has a clear style established: Take shots, get the ball back and take more shots.

AGGIES is 284. In an effective field target percentage, 285. In 3-point shooting and 292. By making free kick. But they regain 42.8% of their own misses, which is the best offensive rebounding rate in the country with a solid margin.

Mizzou, for context, is 100. In offensive rebounding rate by grabbing 32.7% of the available offensive boards.

“Their offensive package may not be that sexy for most people or when you watch it on movies, it doesn’t seem like they have a lot of offensive weapons,” said Tigers Guard Tamar Bates. “But their offensive rebounding is something they are proud of.”

Logically, Agggies is doing well for himself through the second chance point, an average of 15.1 per year. Fight in conference game-the second most in SEC. They are also a strong defensive rebounding team that ensures 71.5% of the available defensive rebounds against league opponents.

Working on the glass is a group effort for Texas A&M. Of its seven players who average 19 or more minutes per minute. Fight, all seize at least 3.1 rebounds per day. Excursion, and four players average five or more rebounds per Match.

And it works-in the least against Missouri anyway: Gates is 0-4 against Williams and Texas A&M.

Guard Wade Taylor IV has repeated its role as Agggies’ offensive engine, an average of 15.1 points and 4.4 assists per day. Fighting of 37.9% shooting from the track-No accused A&M of being an effective shot.

The MU-Texas A&M game is one of only two Saturday competitions between teams ranked within the top 15 of the Associated Press vote. It promises some similarities between the forces of the programs: Mizzou is number two in SEC to only A&M in defensive rebounding rate, while both are at the separate level of three teams at the top of the conference to get to the free throwing line.

“It’s a top 15 matchup,” Gates said. “We play (No.) 10 teams in the country. It shouldn’t be easy. “

Saturday’s game, which is already sold out, will be Missouris 10th annual “Rally for Rhyan” fundraiser for pediatric cancer research.

Fundraiser is named after Rhyan Loos, daughter of former MU assistant coach Brad Loos. When Rhyan was 5, she was diagnosed with cancer, which got the start of the game named after her.

Now in ninth grade, she and her family are back in Columbia. Brad Loos briefly left his role at Mizzou to work in the Memphis Athletics Department, but followed MU ATTERNING Director Laird VEATCH back to Como to work as a senior associated ad responsible for the Tiger Scholarship Fund.

“You see a group of people, no matter how different we are – our different beliefs, background, politically, no matter what it is – you see people coming on the same page about the fight against cancer,” Gates said.

Cancer research has often been a cause close to the Missouri program. Assistant coach David “Dickey” Nutt is back with the team in a senior advisory role after going away last season to undergo treatment for a cancer diagnosis. And the legendary former Tiger’s trainer Norm Stewart, even a cancer survivor, founded National “Coaches vs. Cancer” initiative.

Speaking of well-known coaches with connections to Mizzou staff: Long-term Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton announced this week that he’s resigning his position at the end of the season.

He has been a mentor and key figure for MU’s Gates, who spent the 2004-05 season as a candidate assistant on Hamilton’s staff before working for eight seasons as assistant coach under Hamilton with Seminoles.

Gates and Hamilton are still talking on the phone almost daily, the former said, and Gates credits his mentor to push him into the head coach and to help him navigate a trying season 2023-24.

“What he has done for the basketball game is definitely something that is unmatched in my eyes,” Gates said. “He is a Hall of Fame coach who is not even focused – he said it at his press conference – he is not focused on coming to the Hall of Fame; He is focused on coming to heaven. He has touched so many people. … He will be missed in our games. “

As a former Florida State Assistant, Gates ‘name has been moved in some circles as a potential candidate for Seminoles’ opening. However, it is extremely unlikely that he would even consider the job if offered.

Moving from the SEC program, where he has been given a significant traction to an Atlantic Coast Conference program at a football-focused school, would be a backbone career step. And at the end of this season, Gates’ contract acquisition will still be $ 8.7 million, which is a steep price for another school to pay.

Gates did not instruct the opportunity, but seemed to suggest he is not interested in his Friday commentary about Hamilton.

He said he is “excited to be able to be” Missouri’s men’s basketball trainer.