As Mizzou basketball starts winning, Tigers hope health is next as they face Arkansas
While the Missouri Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks are playing for the second time this season, both sides hope to be healthier than the first time they saw each other.
Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin said forward Jeremiah Tilmon (foot) is possibly available to play against the Hogs for a noon Saturday game at Bud Walton Arena. MU guard Mark Smith, though, is out as he nurses a lower back injury.
On the other side, Hogs guard Isaiah Joe is nearing a return after knee surgery. Joe is Arkansas’ second leading scorer at 16 points per game but hasn’t played since Feb. 1.
“He’s a very talented player, but it doesn’t change our approach if he’s on the floor,” Martin said of Joe. “We know what type of player he is. We’ve gone over personnel and how to defend him.”
The first time the two met, the Tigers defeated Arkansas 83-79 in overtime on Feb. 8. Since then, it’s been two teams trending in opposite directions.
Mizzou has won three of the past four games, led by guard Xavier Pinson, who’s been playing the best basketball of his career. On the other side, Arkansas is on a five-game losing streak, squandering any chance of an NCAA Tournament bid after a strong nonconference season.
But as Mizzou readies for Arkansas, there’s a stark difference this time around: a road game.
The Tigers have struggled this year away from Mizzou Arena to the tune of a 1-8 road record. They haven’t won a road game since a 64-54 win over Temple on Dec. 7. In SEC road games, the Tigers are 0-6, just coming up short of an upset at LSU last time out.
“We’re a team that’s played well off energy,” Mizzou forward Reed Nikko said. “We gotta take the next step up now and just be able to bring our own energy into games. We just gotta remember we’re a team that has won on the road this season. We just gotta get back to it.”
While the Tigers held Arkansas’ leading scorer, guard Mason Jones, to an inefficient day the first game, he still scored 17 points. Martin pointed out how the game went into overtime, meaning Arkansas was still competitive on the road.
Where Mizzou plans to have the most success comes down to the rebounding battle. The Tigers outrebounded the undersized Hogs 52-35 in their first match. It’s again a major emphasis as the Tigers look to add on to their winning streak, Nikko said.
“We knew going into the game they’re a talented team,” Martin said of the first game. “You have to keep (Jones) from trying to score 30. But you can’t give up a lot of things. Now all of a sudden you’re going up against five guys as opposed to one or two.”
Coming home
For Mizzou forward Mitchell Smith, Saturday’s game is a homecoming of sorts. He grew up at Van Buren, Arkansas, about a 45-minute drive away from Fayetteville. Friends have already texted him that they’ll be at the game on Saturday in support of the 6-foot-10 forward.
Mitchell Smith knows all too well the type of atmosphere Bud Walton Arena features. Growing up, he watched Moses Kingley, Bobby Portis and others play for the Hogs. It’s why he’s been preparing the Tigers’ young freshmen to be ready for the road atmosphere.
“It’s going to be a good game for me, a real important game,” Mitchell Smith said. “I just gotta go out there and I want to win.”