Mizzou basketball’s Jeremiah Tilmon has found his way. What that means for the Tigers
This is the team, the vision, the offense Missouri men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin had pictured. It started with MU forward Jeremiah Tilmon as the engine, the 6-foot-10 center who’s as physical as he is talented.
But Tilmon’s first years were mired by ineffectiveness, injury and, perhaps most noticeably, foul trouble. There were glimpses of who he could be, but Tilmon wasn’t on the floor enough to flex how he could be a difference-maker.
Those were the past three years. A different Tilmon in terms of physique and mental fortitude. The senior is finally out of his own way, clear of any off-court burdens and distractions as he dominates the early portions of SEC play. Tilmon is averaging 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds in five conference games — the clear leader thus far of the No. 19-ranked Tigers.
“My biggest thing was just staying on the court,” Tilmon said. “Like I always say, being mentally strong. I just had a stigma on me for all the fouls. This year, I was really relaxed and just playing my game.”
Mizzou’s searching for its second NCAA Tournament berth under Martin, who’s in his fourth year. After a 6-0 start in the nonconference, the Tigers have put up a 3-2 record in the SEC. It started off rocky — a blowout loss to Tennessee and a collapse at Mississippi State — but Missouri has put up blowouts in its past two victories. MU gets a chance at revenge in a road game against the No. 6-ranked Vols at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Tigers are one of the oldest teams in the country, featuring experience at nearly every corner of their roster. Mizzou is loaded with plenty of depth at guard and wing, but it’s been Tilmon as the catalyst of the offense from the inside out.
“I’m happy with just the way he’s playing — the pace, the poise, the maturity,” Martin said. “The things that he says in huddles and all that. Just makes you feel proud of him as a coach because he’s made progress every year. You start to see his hard work pay off.”
A different mindset
The buckets keep coming in bunches. Tilmon posted a career-high 25 points against Arkansas and has scored in double figures in four straight games.
The recent tear, Martin said, stretches back to the Bradley game Dec. 22. Tilmon had posted just one point and three rebounds at halftime against the Braves. Mizzou was playing like it was stuck in a slog — and Martin told Tilmon his effort level was unacceptable (among other choice words said in private).
Tilmon responded immediately. He scored 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the second half, including the game-winning and-1 layup.
That the points are plentiful for Tilmon, though, is a happy circumstance on his part.
“I really focus on the rebounds; I don’t really care about the points,” Tilmon said. “Everybody wants to score, but I really just be out there trying to get 10 rebounds. ... I just try to reach that goal every time. I’m just going to always play hard and try to be in the right place at the right time. Never force nothing when it comes to offense.”
That consistently is what Mizzou is looking for — especially when Tilmon stays on the court. His underclassman campaigns were bogged down by plenty of whistles, regulating him to the bench. While he calmed some of those foul concerns last season, a stress fracture in his left foot kept him out for weeks right at the start of conference play.
Tilmon has all but addressed the struggles, though there are some minor blips every few games. He has only fouled out once this season, the Braggin’ Rights game vs. Illinois, though there were plenty of whistles called overall in the rivalry contest. He’s averaging a career-high 26 minutes per game, playing at least 27 minutes in the past six games.
“When he’s playing like that, he’s just extremely hard to handle,” MU guard Dru Smith said. “When he’s killing the glass, he’s getting double-doubles. They have to double him in the post. He’s getting passes, he’s getting guys open looks. It just adds a whole another dimension to the team.”
Martin said for some guys, the opponent is the competition. Whereas with Tilmon, Martin said, the opponent was always with himself. As one of many grizzled veterans in the locker room, Tilmon said he’s past all those issues now.
The on-court calm confidence has been coupled with what teammates and coaches describe as an accountable and dependable leader. That’s spilled over to the hardwood, where the former top prospect has matched the endless talent with the wits to handle it.
“It’s just a matter of him understanding who he is as a player,” Martin said. “Talent level, physicality. The other part is, the wisdom over the course of four years nearly completed.
“The bumps in the road, the pain, the struggle, the ups and downs, the highs and lows — he’s learned from those lessons and he’s grown from them. He’s embraced it. Sometimes you don’t want to look in the mirror at some of those things to get better. But he’s embraced that and now you’re starting to see results of a talented big man.”
Seeing doubles
Technically, Tilmon has found the great equalizer whenever teams send two defenders their way. He’s often passed out of the disadvantage, or when the defense can’t handle his size and strength, he powers through anyway for a bucket or foul. Or both.
Martin said he’s seen a shift now. In past years, Tilmon’s first move was to dribble away from the rim to avoid the extra defender, Martin said. He’s “embracing” the contact now, Martin explained, putting his chest toward the rim and committing to be aggressive.
“When I’m getting the ball, I’m just making sure that I’m not just bouncing it and just moving crazy,” Tilmon said. “The double team coming. I’m making sure I’m looking for that pass out, and which way they’re coming from and try to hurry up and get a basket and stuff like that. I’m just being calm. I’m not trying to force anything at all.”
Those snap decisions haven’t been a smooth or quick process by any means. It’s taken years for the big man to feel comfortable. He’s still making strides to this day, Martin said.
Part of that struggle has been because Tilmon deserves that much respect from the defense. Martin noted not even many pros draw the kind of attention Tilmon does in the college game. But at 260 pounds, Martin said Tilmon is so big and strong that eventually “something’s gotta give” as the defense tries to stop him.
That defensive attention isn’t just when Tilmon gets the pass. Martin pointed out how two defenders hover around the forward even without the ball, which is an added bonus to his teammates. Tilmon’s presence alone opens up driving lanes, letting him focus on his goal: Rebounds.
“He’s a great passer,” Mizzou guard Javon Pickett said. “That allows us to either cut, get up our line a little bit for an open three. He just does a great job of finding us and we just gotta keep moving and help him out so he doesn’t get in trouble.”
Tilmon isn’t letting the recent success get to his head, he said, just trying to stay consistent and humble. There are a few cues he goes through during games to remain locked in, which helps when he’s making his free throws.
When he lined up to take what was the game-winning free throw against Bradley, all he was thinking was: “Routine, routine.” Tilmon said that’s how he keeps himself in check, going back to what MU assistant coach Chris Hollender tells him on the sideline.
Martin said he hopes the consistency keeps up for Tilmon. That kind of production allows his teammates to have an off-night and still will Mizzou to victory. And finally, he’s the player the Tigers had always known they had.
“If he’s that guy, there’s not that many (players) that’s better in the country,” Martin said. “There might be some that’s just as good. High-level player on both sides of the ball. Doing it efficiently without fouling. Doesn’t complain if he doesn’t get the ball. He just gets it off the glass, make the next play. Really impressive.”