Before diving into the Miami matchup or the St. Louis site, Dennis Gates had something else on his mind-a heartfelt concern for a former player facing a significant challenge.
Marcus Allen, once a promising freshman for Missouri and now a Miami Hurricanes wing, revealed in December that he’s battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Since then, Allen has been undergoing chemotherapy.
"First and foremost, Marcus Allen, former player, in December was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma," Gates shared Sunday evening. "So this game is a different game for us."
As the 10-seeded Mizzou prepares to take on 7-seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64 on Friday in St. Louis, Allen, a Miami native, won’t be on the court. He’s been ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 season due to his treatment.
Ahead of the Friday night showdown, fans from both Mizzou and Miami have banded together, circulating a GoFundMe campaign for Allen on social media.
By Monday morning, March 16, the Allen family had raised about $83,000 to support his treatment, travel, and living expenses as he continues chemotherapy. Their goal is to reach $100,000.
Allen played in 26 games as a freshman for Mizzou, logging the most minutes among the newcomers in the Tigers’ highly-touted Class of 2024. He transferred back home to Miami after his freshman year, following former Missouri assistant Charlton ‘C.Y.’ Young's move to the Hurricanes.
The 6-foot-7 wing, a graduate of Miami Norland High, quickly became a key player in first-year head coach Jai Lucas’ rotation at Miami, averaging over 18 minutes per game in eight nonconference matchups.