In 20 days, a new-look Missouri basketball team gets a chance to right some recent wrongs.

On Tuesday, third-year Mizzou coach Dennis Gates spoke to a group of reporters at SEC Tipoff — the conference’s basketball media days in Birmingham, Alabama — to preview the upcoming season. The Tigers start their 2024-25 slate at Memphis on Nov. 4.

Gates was asked about topics ranging from his incoming freshman and portal classes to the offseason work required to rebound from a winless SEC season.

Here are five things the Missouri coach said in Birmingham:

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Can freshman Annor Boateng make an instant impact for Missouri basketball?

Boateng is a four-star recruit out of Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a two-time Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year and a state champion at Little Rock Central High. When he committed to Missouri as the 33rd best player in the nation on 247Sports’ composite rankings, he became the Tigers’ highest overall recruit since Michael Porter Jr.

Now on campus and through three weeks of official practices, Gates is seeing the potential in practice.

“From what I see,” Gates said, “he's one of the most talented guys that I've coached as a freshman.”

Boateng offers the Tigers some position flexibility, but is likely to play the three or the four, where he’ll most likely rotate with the likes of Mark Mitchell, Jacob Crews and Caleb Grill.

“Straight line driver, strong, physical — also a kid that can get his own shot. His athleticism in this conference is very important. I look for him to make an impact,” Gates said. “Now, you never know: Practice is one thing, a game is another. So as we've had one-and-dones in my coaching career, or two-and-dones, three-and-dones or guys that have waited and became four-year players, we won't know until we get into games where Annor is.”

On rebounding from 0-18 SEC campaign

Gates turned last season into somewhat of a lesson. As far as lessons go, mind you, a winless conference slate and an 8-24 record is one of the hard-knocks variety.

The coach maintained that injuries played a key factor, with five rotational players missing what he called a combined 111 games, which he said puts “your hands are tied behind your back.”

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Gates is looking forward, not backward.

“Life happens in seasons. And in real life, you can't start back at zero, right? That's the unique part about basketball or college sports. We're 0-0, just like everyone else,” Gates said. … “We were in every game that we pretty much had; a majority of them. There were some games that got away from us, but I'm thankful for the guys that's returning in our program. I'm thankful for our fans who supported us, but I'm also thankful for what it teaches us.

“Most of our teachings … come from, not when you've stood on top, but when your back was against the wall. So, I'm excited to see where we are this season. Not saying that it will be easy, but it's a new season.”

On what 7-footer Josh Gray can add

Gates joked that it was the first offseason trade.

The Tigers have swapped big men with South Carolina, as then-freshman Jordan Butler went to the Gamecocks and Josh Gray joined Mizzou.

Gray is a one of three 7-footers on the Mizzou roster, along with true freshmen Peyton Marshall and 7-5 Trent Burns.

The Gamecocks transfer is expected to start for the Tigers, who were the worst rebounding team in the league in each of the past two seasons under Gates. With some size — Gray’s 7-0, 260 pounds, helping that cause — Mizzou could have a little more joy on the boards this season.

“I'm excited about what I've seen from Josh Gray,” Gates said. … “He gives us physical strength in the low post, obviously; rebounds per minute and rebounding percentage — there was a season where he was top in the country in that category.”

On returning guard Tamar Bates

There weren’t many positives for the Tigers last season, but Tamar Bates was one of the few.

The guard out of Kansas City, Kansas, averaged 13.4 points per game and took a 40-50-90 shooting mark into the last game of the season. That’s not quite the game Gates expects him to play moving forward with more pieces around him now, but the coach was impressed with his ability to step up when the going wasn’t great.

“If he made two 3s, he would have been a (40-50-90) player — the only one in the country,” Gates said. … “He had to take those risks, and maybe took shots that he normally wouldn't take, just because we were not at 100%. So. now look at how he had to play outside of his personality and outside of the chances that he took, but he risked it all for us.

“He plays both ends. His wingspan is tremendous. He is a leader for us.”

On acclimating a new-look roster

Eleven total players on Missouri’s roster were not here last season. Gates was asked what teaching a largely new group looks like from an Xs and Os standpoint.

Well, that’s a lot like having a winless year. You start again, top to bottom.

“I reset our entire staff, our entire program each season to make sure that we are moving in the right direction,” Gates said. “You never know what twists and turns may come your way, or whatever obstacles, but we want to prepare the best way possible, and we've done that, and we'll continue to do it."

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here’s what Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates said at SEC Tipoff