With Mizzou basketball hot, Tigers welcome back Jeremiah Tilmon, Mark Smith
For the first time since the SEC opener on Jan. 4, the Missouri Tigers were healthy.
Mizzou welcomed back both Jeremiah Tilmon (foot) and Mark Smith (lower back) in its 61-52 victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday. It was a massive step for Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin’s team, who said there was an adjustment period to losing two of his most important players.
“It’s not easy,” Martin said. “You’re talking about guys. Two key players. Two guys who are starters. You run as a team because of their absence. But they obviously bring a tremendous amount of value. It wasn’t easy.”
Neither played a huge role in the Tigers’ first SEC road win, combining for 23 minutes. Smith scored five points — including a deep three on his first field goal attempt — while Tilmon added two points. Martin said there wasn’t a minutes restriction for either, but he also didn’t plan to play them a significant amount.
Tilmon was available for the loss at Arkansas last Saturday, but didn’t see the court. Martin said he planned to play him 12-15 minutes if he did go. A stress fracture knocked Tilmon out for a month before making his return Feb. 4 at Texas A&M. But a re-injury sidelined him until Wednesday.
For Smith, he missed the past seven games, including the second half of the 20-point comeback victory over Georgia. It’s been weeks of mostly physical therapy, the guard said, as he neared his return to the court.
“It felt great,” Smith said. “It felt good to be back on the court with the guys. Just did what I can. If I was open, just try to shoot and make it in.”
There is an adjustment period for the team, though. In the duo’s absence, guys like Reed Nikko, Xavier Pinson and Dru Smith stepped up, leading the team through their recent successful stretch. Pinson, especially, has shined as an attack-first guard who can carry the Tigers for stretches.
For both Tilmon and Smith, they’re both huge offensive weapons for the Tigers. Tilmon draws double teams often when he gets post touches. Smith is Mizzou’s best shooter as he stretches the floor, a crucial element to Mizzou’s shooting-starved offense.
But Smith said he doesn’t worry too much about the fit or any chemistry issues. He pointed out how he’s a catch-and-shoot guard and straight-line driver. It means his role isn’t one that necessarily has him handling the ball often, though he’s shown signs of growth in that part of his game.
“My strength is coming back every day,” Smith said. “It’s just something I have to work through.”
But for Mizzou, it can finally fall back on its trusty depth — a key reason why the Tigers envisioned an NCAA Tournament berth before the season. Nikko pointed out how with Mizzou’s foul troubles, having capable players off the bench is a major boost.
For Tilmon and Smith, they just also happen to be two of Mizzou’s most important players.
“Teams have to game plan for 10-11 guys,” Nikko said. “That’s hard. That’s tough to plan for 11 guys that are still players.”