Mizzou’s Tilmon, Mark Smith are game time decisions for South Carolina game
For the first time in weeks, the Missouri Tigers’ arguable most important player has a chance to see the court.
Mizzou forward Jeremiah Tilmon and guard Mark Smith are game time decisions to play against South Carolina, MU coach Cuonzo Martin said on Friday. The Tigers (10-10, 2-5 SEC) face the Gamecocks (12-8, 4-3) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at USC’s Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.
Tilmon has missed the past seven games because of a stress fracture in his left foot. Martin said last week Tilmon shed the walking boot and was getting work on-court to test the foot. It’s a positive step for Tilmon as he nears his return to the court.
“Jeremiah’s progressing well,” Martin said. “Like I said to him, our doctors and trainers do a great job, but it’s also how he feels. He has to feel good. Feeling good is not just the physical, but the mental. But he’s progressing well on the floor.”
For Mark Smith, an issue with his lower back kept him out of the second half of the Tigers’ 20-point comeback win against Georgia on Tuesday.
But for Mizzou, Tilmon’s potential return is crucial. The Tigers have struggled immensely on offense and defense without their 6-foot-10 forward. He’s by far their post player on offense, while having an important defensive presence, regardless of if he’s in foul trouble.
Inserting Tilmon back into the rotation would be a huge boost for a team looking to salvage a brutal start to conference play.
“We know that those are two big pieces of our team,” guard Dru Smith said. “Guys are going to have to step up to fill that void (if they’re out). We’re hoping that they keep progressing.”
Mizzou’s next opponent has had an up and down season. The Gamecocks defeated Virginia on the road, then promptly lost to Stetson at home, an upset loss similar to the Tigers falling to Charleston Southern.
But South Carolina coach Frank Martin’s team has bounced back in SEC play, including winning four of their last five games. Among the Gamecocks’ impressive wins is a road victory over Arkansas and a buzzer-beating upset over No. 13 Kentucky.
“They go up and down, they play with speed,” Martin said. “They probably still give up 70-plus points, but they still defend. Everybody has different styles of how they go about it. But they still play hard, defend, get in the pass lane, make you work.”
Guard Dru Smith said what stood out on film was how often the Gamecocks wanted to run out in transition. Mizzou’s defense wants to force them to play out of the half court.
South Carolina is led by guards AJ Lawson and Jermaine Couisnard. If Mark Smith can’t go, it’ll mean a shorter rotation of Mizzou’s guards tasked with guarding Lawson and Couisnard.
The Tigers are looking to work off the momentum they built in their comeback victory over the Bulldogs. They have back-to-back road games against winnable opponents in South Carolina then Texas A&M. It means they’ll have to “steal” at least one of those road games, Martin said.
“They like to get out in transition a little bit,” guard Xavier Pinson said. “We gotta stop the ball early and get into their legs. So in the second half we can take over.”