Why Mizzou basketball plans to celebrate 9 veteran players after Saturday’s home

COLUMBIA, Mo. — College sports senior day ceremonies have become cloaked in ambiguity in the age of the transfer portal and the extra year of eligibility the NCAA allowed during the pandemic. Case in point, Missouri.

Ahead of Saturday’s Mizzou basketball home finale and the season’s seventh home sellout, Tigers coach Dennis Gates has three graduates and a fifth-year senior who will definitely be in uniform for the final time at Mizzou Arena — but another five with an indefinite finish line to their MU careers.

That’s why the Tigers will honor all nine on Norm Stewart Court following their 2:30 p.m. regular-season finale against Mississippi.

This much is certain: Saturday’s game will be the final home contest for DeAndre Gholston, Tre Gomillion, D’Moi Hodge and walk-on Ben Sternberg, all of whom are out of eligibility after this season. MU will also honor five more seniors who could still elect to play another year in college: Kobe Brown, Noah Carter, Sean East II, Nick Honor and Isiaih Mosley.

When it comes to next year’s plans, Gates will put off discussions with the latter five until after the current season, which the Tigers hope lasts another month. With a victory Saturday and some help around the league, Mizzou (22-8, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) can finish as high as third in the seedings for next week’s SEC tournament in Nashville.

“I’ve always recognized guys who have done four years (in college) regardless if it’s a medical redshirt or however many years they’ve got left,” Gates said Friday. “I (have) stayed consistent with that in my career. I don’t have those conversations, whether it’s NBA conversations, eligibility conversations, until after the season. That’s what we promised each other. I want these guys to have two feet into where they are not where they think they should be next, because you may miss out on some unbelievable memories.

“I want not just these guys to be recognized but our team. It is still a recognition of this team. Every team is different no matter who comes and goes, but this is this team. I’ve only had and only will have one first team that I’ve coached here at Mizzou, and this is it for that team. … I’ve had kids go through a senior day three times before. NCAA rules don’t allow you to get the jersey and plaque (until they’re done playing), but it allows you to still recognize these guys for their hard work, dedication.”

Next year’s roster will take shape once the offseason arrives, but in order to add the six players who have signed or verbally committed to be part of the 2023-24 team, the Tigers will need a few more departures than the four players who are out of…