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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Mizzou men's basketball team is 3-0 to start head coach Dennis Gates' fourth season at the helm in Columbia, but the first real test of the season will come on Wednesday night. Coach Gates and his team will host their first power-conference opponent of the year, when the Minnesota Golden Gophers roll into Mizzou Arena. "You know, it's a test for us to see where we're at with our team," guard Anthony Robinson said. "Just going out there and treating it like it's an SEC opponent and going out there giving a full 100 percent, just knowing that this is a great team." You can watch the full press conference with Robinson in the video player below. The Golden Gophers are in year one under head coach Niko Medved, who previously spent seven years with Colorado State. A first-year head coach always presents a challenge in game-planning, as there's little to no film to work from. However, Coach Gates has been looking at what Medved did in his time at Colorado State, as well as the similarities with what he's got going on this year's Minnesota team. "You're looking at 'okay, how consistent defensively, ow consistent offensively are they?' It's very consistent. Niko is a great coach for a reason, because he belies in a system and he recruits to it. This roster that he has fits his system well," Gates said. You can watch the full press conference with Gates in the video player below. The Tigers will host their third-straight game at Mizzou Arena, coming off of a 38-point trouncing of VMI, on Sunday. That win marked the first game of the season, where both standouts Mark Mitchell and Anthony Robinson were firing on all cylinders, especially offensively, in the same game and the results were evident on the court. Mitchell ended up with a double-double, tallying 24 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Robinson also hit the 20-point club with 20 points, four steals and four assists. Gates said that both of those guys are players that coaches around the SEC have to account for. "[Anthony], on the defensive side, as the only sophomore on a five man defensive team. Mark Mitchell as an all league performer. Those are our returners and that's what was very key in our retention in the offseason as well," Gates said. "When we look at the new age of transfer portal, you have to have guys returning. You have to have a nucleus demanding your culture and teaching it and passing it on to newcomers and that's what has taken place. In addition to those guys, you know, I'm excited with what Jacob Crews has done. I'm excited with what T.O. Barrett is doing. I'm excited to get the guys back healthy, that have been out. We do have an SEC starter out right now in Trent Pierce, so there are different, you know, cards that's being dealt to us that we have to make sure we are in the next man up approach and mentality." Gates did give a health update on his team, during Tuesday's press conference. He said 7-foot center Shawn Phillips Jr. will be ready to return to action against Minnesota after sitting out against VMI with an illness. However, he did not have any updates on the status of Pierce, Trent Burns or Annor Boateng. Despite dealing with some injuries to start the 2025-26 campaign, Mizzou has still paved a gritty path to an undefeated start. Although the Tigers destroyed the Keydets at Mizzou Arena on Sunday, that dominating performance came just days after only narrowly defeating the Ohio Valley Conference's own Southeast Missouri State. Robinson said facing adversity like that will only help them in their journey to Southeastern Conference play. "The last opponents we played, I believe they will help us get ready for this next game [against Minnesota], as well. The little challenges in the offenses that they run, you know, will definitely help us get ready for high major opponent that we have," he said. Mizzou and Minnesota will tip off at 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena on Wednesday night.
