Mizzou basketball is the hunted instead of hunter as Tigers get every team’s best shot
The Missouri men’s basketball team knows the feeling all too well: Being the underdog and going up against a ranked team.
When Mizzou was “searching, trying to be ranked” in past seasons, MU coach Cuonzo Martin said they did everything in their power to win those types of games. MU forward Jeremiah Tilmon echoed that sentiment, adding it was “our job to go out there and show them why we should be ranked.”
Life has flipped for the No. 13-ranked Tigers this season. No longer are they the scrappy, physical team looking for the upset bid. Mizzou is the one that commands respect, the team when looking at the scoreboard has the nationally ranked digits ahead of its name.
That comes with its own set of responsibilities and challenges, Tilmon said. No longer are they the hunter, but instead the hunted.
“We already know we got a target on our back and we gotta play like that,” Tilmon said. “We’re going to get everybody’s best game when it comes to playing us — especially on the road. We gotta do our job and make sure that we’re always throwing the first punch because we’re always going to get everybody else’s best.”
Mizzou made its debut in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after a down-to-the-wire Braggin’ Rights win over then-No. 6 Illinois. Combined with a perfect record at the time, the Tigers entered the national rankings for the first time since January 2014.
It’s been rollercoaster-esque swings since then for the Tigers (7-2, 1-2 SEC). They needed a late comeback to down Bradley, were blown out by Tennessee, rebounded against Arkansas then collapsed against Mississippi State.
But the ranking hasn’t swung much after an undefeated nonconference slate, though more losses could plummet them in the nation’s eyes. The Tigers are only one of two ranked SEC teams, alongside No. 9 Tennessee. That means they need to maintain a base level of respect, otherwise the opposition will bear down, Martin said.
“If you give a team an inkling of, ‘We can compete with these guys, let’s do this, this’ll work,’ then all of a sudden now let’s make it a ballgame,” Martin said. “Everybody’s talented. You’re going to get team’s best shots.”
The Tigers got Mississippi State at its best last time out, at least in the second half. MU built a 14-point lead, only to watch it fall apart in a matter of minutes. The Bulldogs made the necessary halftime adjustments; the Tigers couldn’t match their intensity.
MU now sits a game under the .500 mark in SEC play and hosts LSU at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena. It’s another opportunity for a bounce back, much like the Arkansas victory where the Tigers excelled on the road.
The Tigers haven’t had a winning SEC record since the 2017-18 season, Martin’s first year at Mizzou. They finished 10-8 in conference play on their way to an NCAA Tournament bid. Missouri will look to get there in the coming weeks as more teams circle the Tigers on the schedule because of that ranked status.
“Winning or losing, it’s a very fine line,” Martin said. “Last thing you want to do is break spirits. If you’re a competitive basketball player and you take pride in what you do, there are certain things you address amongst each other. When you’re a competitive player and it pains you to lose these games, you already feel certain things anyway.”