Mizzou follows Martin’s principles in physical win over Illinois in Braggin’ Rights
Missouri basketball coach Cuonzo Martin stressed what he wanted from his Tigers ahead of Braggin’ Rights on Saturday: Put on the boxing gloves.
His message wasn’t to fight Illinois, but to emphasize the level of physicality he expected from his team. After a physical 63-56 victory for Mizzou’s second straight Braggin’ Rights win at the Enterprise Center, it was exactly what Martin wanted.
“You have to set a tone of toughness before you step on the floor,” Martin said. “If you walk on the floor casually, the result will be like (the loss to Charleston Southern).”
The win was the epitome of Martin’s core principles of how he builds his basketball team. He said the Tigers needed to “defend, rebound and play as hard as you can” to compete against a grinding Illinois team. They did so in all three phases.
The hustle plays were evident for the Tigers. As they built a double-digit lead in the second half, it came off the effort of multiple put-back baskets as Illinois failed to box out the Tigers. Mizzou physically imposed its will as the Illini were sloppy with the ball, including 17 turnovers.
The Tigers’ two point guards, Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson, dominated through parts of the game. Smith scored eight straight points to end the first half, leading the Tigers with 19 points. Pinson exploded over his own stretch in the second half, including burying a big three on his way to 14 points.
Guard Javon Pickett, the former Illinois commit, also continued his hot streak. Pickett scored 17 points Saturday, following up his 16-point performance at Braggin’ Rights last year.
“That was a very physical game,” Pinson said. “Everything about it was physical. Coach said you have to be tough. It’s not about fighting or talking trash, it’s about getting rebounds and getting stops and being on the court.”
After a fast start, the Illini never looked comfortable on the offensive end: They shot 36 percent (18 of 50) from the field. Illinois turned the ball over four straight possessions at one point, allowing the Tigers to build a double-digit lead.
“We played hard,” Pickett said. “On the defensive end, I feel like we did a good job of not letting them get into the lane. Most of the things we worked on we went out there and executed on the defensive end.”
The Tigers out-rebounded the Illini 36-32 — a major emphasis of the game plan. Illinois entered Saturday as the No. 1 team in the nation in rebounding margin, out-rebounding opponents by 14.2 per game.
But a mix of Jeremiah Tilmon, Reed Nikko and Mitchell Smith kept the Illinois big men off the glass. Illini 7-foot forward Kofi Cockburn didn’t record a rebound until the second half, finishing with two. While Cockburn scored 13 points, he struggled shooting — 3 for 9 — as Mizzou threw multiple defenders his way to neutralize him.
As Tilmon struggled with foul trouble and a foot injury, Mitchell Smith shined. The 6-foot-10 forward played a career-high 35 minutes, the most of any player who saw the court on Saturday. While he scored four points and grabbed six rebounds, his defense was a difference-maker for the Tigers.
“We just worked together,” Mitchell Smith said. “Guys were talking on the floor, we were talking in the huddle. We wanted to win this game.”
The Tigers weren’t perfect, especially as they struggled against Illinois’ full-court press. They turned the ball over 19 times, including six turnovers in the final 4 minutes, 24 seconds facing the pressure. But they hoisted the trophy after the game Saturday.
After a three-game losing streak including an upset to Charleston Southern, Mizzou finds itself winners of its past three. Once March rolls around and resumes are compared, Saturday’s win will be a bright spot for the Tigers.
“We came in here and wanted to be a physical team,” Pickett said. “Go out there and be aggressive throughout the whole game. We knew our game plan, just gotta go out there and execute. ... We knew we were the tougher team.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2019 at 5:13 PM.