Two seldom-used Mizzou players saw the court at the same time against Kentucky
With the Missouri Tigers still within striking distance against the Kentucky Wildcats, they put two unlikely players on the court: guard Mario McKinney Jr. and forward Axel Okongo.
Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin was forced to turn to his bench in the 71-59 loss Saturday at Kentucky. His forwards were picking up fouls, affecting his rotation as he turned to two rarely used players in a close conference game.
It was a total of 59 seconds where McKinney and Okongo shared the court, alongside Mitchell Smith, Mark Smith and Dru Smith. When Okongo checked in at the 4:30 mark in the first half, Kentucky led 25-22.
McKinney playing was unexpected. Going into Saturday, he had played in five games this freshman season. He has shown flashes of athleticism, but those are sprinkled in with some erratic decisions. The guard went more than a month between appearances, playing in the Hall of Fame Classic loss to Butler on Nov. 25, then seeing the court next for the Chicago State win on Dec. 30.
The St. Louis native finished with three points and three rebounds in 10 minutes in the loss to Kentucky. He drew fouls but shot 0 for 3 from the field, scoring all his points from the free throw line.
“He’s working hard,” Martin said of McKinney. “A lot of work to do. Mario has the ability to get to the rim. He has to continue to improve defensively. He’s good on the ball. He has to improve his off-the-ball defense.”
Okongo was the real surprise. The 7-foot forward made his Mizzou debut in hostile conditions — on the road at Rupp Arena in front of 20,396 fans. He only played the 59 seconds, not recording a stat, though he did set a pick to force Kentucky to switch defenders.
Martin joked after the Chicago State win that Okongo had a chance to see the floor vs. Kentucky. He noted the forward was ready defensively, but they wanted to “put him in a good position when he steps on the floor to be successful.”
Okongo transferred to Mizzou after playing at Northwest College in Wyoming for two seasons. He faced eligibility concerns, but was granted an extra year, meaning he can suit up for the Tigers next season as well.
“Just energy, toughness, obviously foul trouble,” Martin said of why he put in Okongo. “The one thing he doesn’t lack is toughness and energy. You never want to put him in a situation, in that type of environment because he’s put so much work into it. He’s earned the right to be on the floor.”
Tilmon healthy
Forward Jeremiah Tilmon made his return to the floor Saturday after a right foot injury kept him out of the Chicago State win. The 6-foot-10 forward didn’t start the game, Reed Nikko taking his place in the starting lineup.
Tilmon was neutralized by foul trouble, including his first foul nine seconds after he first checked into the game. He finished with seven points and three rebounds in eight minutes. Going forward, Tilmon should be healthy.
“He’s fine,” Martin said. “If he’s on the floor, he’s fine.”