Have you heard about this incredible turnaround in Missouri basketball? It’s like something out of a sports movie, I swear!
So, picture this: last season, the Missouri Tigers were in the dumps. They couldn’t win a single game in their conference. Talk about a rough patch, right? But here’s where it gets interesting. Their head coach, Dennis Gates, didn’t throw in the towel. Nope, he doubled down and believed in his team.
Gates went on “Good Morning America” and spilled the beans on how he kept his cool and stayed confident. Get this – they went from zero wins to 22 victories and snagged a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. That’s not just a comeback; that’s a full-on resurrection.
You know what Gates told his team at the start of the season? He said, “We weren’t trying. It was a mandate that this is what we’re going to do.” Talk about laying down the law, huh?
Now, you might think Gates went all scorched earth and changed everything, but that’s not his style. He brought in some fresh faces, sure, but he also kept three of last year’s starters. Smart move, right? Keeps that team chemistry cooking
Oh, and get this – Gates is big on player development. He told “GMA” that they really focused on making the returning players better. In his words, “We made sure that guys that were returning got better. We pushed them in a way that ultimately led them to success.” Now that’s what I call good coaching.
But here’s the kicker – Gates isn’t just about basketball. He’s got this whole philosophy based on eight core values: friendship, love, accountability, trust, discipline, unselfishness, enthusiasm, and toughness. Pretty deep for a basketball coach, right?
And if you thought that was poetic, wait till you hear this. Gates actually turns to poetry for inspiration. He even quoted Rudyard Kipling, saying, “You can start again at the beginning and never breathe a word about your loss.” Now if that doesn’t sum up their season, I don’t know what does.
It’s like Gates took a team that was down in the dumps and turned them into real contenders. Now that’s what I call March Madness.
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