Seemingly every time Missouri basketball coach Cuonzo Martin speaks about Jeremiah Tilmon, he uses the same word: physical. Few opponents can match the sheer size and strength of the 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore. But this offseason, in preparation for a year in which the strength of the Tigers figures to shift from the backcourt to the frontcourt, Tilmon has shifted his focus from the physical aspect of his game to the mental.
Every Thursday, Tilmon meets with Dr. Scotta Morton, the director of mental performance for the Missouri athletics department, to talk about his mental approach to basketball. Plus, every night before he goes to sleep, Tilmon makes sure to find a moment of solitude. He turns on some music and seeks to empty his mind, focusing on the coming day.
“I could just have my music playing and have my eyes closed and just be thinking,” Tilmon said of his nightly tradition on Wednesday, when Martin and Missouri players met with reporters. “Just calm myself down, get myself prepared for what’s going to go on.”
Tilmon believes the measures have enhanced his patience and his focus when he steps onto the basketball court. As a freshman, Tilmon said, he was worried about getting scored on by an opposing player or what people watching the game might think of his performance. Now, he’s “letting the game come to me.”
Senior Kevin Puryear said Tilmon has become a smarter, more patient offensive player during the offseason. Instead of trying to overpower defenders every time he touches the ball, he’s able to recognize double-teams and find an open teammate if presented with one.
“He’s gotten a lot better, just with his post game in general, catching the ball, seeing the floor first before he makes a move, seeing the double, reading doubles, all of that,” Puryear said. “He’s just done a really good job of being poised.”
As a freshman, Tilmon’s most obvious weakness was his tendency to foul at what Puryear termed “an alarming rate.” Tilmon racked up 122 personal fouls on the season — tied for seventh-most in the nation. He fouled out of 10 of Missouri’s 33 games. He believes the mental training he’s implemented into his routine this offseason will help him become less-foul prone once the season begins.
Martin has adopted a tactic of his own to discourage Tilmon from fouling during practice. When the team scrimmages, Martin said he calls fouls on Tilmon in situations where an official probably would not. Or, he’ll assign three fouls to Tilmon before a scrimmage begins. Asked whether he’s fouled out in a scrimmage yet this offseason, Tilmon smiled and said no.
“I call fouls on him in practice even when he doesn’t foul,” Martin said. “If he’s looking too hard, it’s a foul, just to get him prepped for the game, because of how he battles.”
Last year’s Missouri team was led by three-point shooters Kassius Robertson and Jordan Barnett, but this year’s iteration figures to lean more heavily on Tilmon and fellow sophomore Jontay Porter. While Porter also stands 6-foot-10, his game contrasts with Tilmon’s — he’s more at ease at the elbow or on the perimeter, where he can showcase his passing instincts and smooth jump shot. In order for the duo to be effective, Martin said Tilmon will need to be able to establish himself as a threat in the low post.
“I pretty much say to him, ‘There has to be a level of respect,’” Martin said. “‘Somebody has to double you. If they don’t double you, then that’s a basket. You’re at the free throw line or you’re scoring the ball.’
“That’s how I look at it, real simple.”
Porter talked Wednesday about his own growth during the offseason. After last year ended, he submitted his name to the NBA Draft and worked out with his brother Michael Porter Jr. as well as other future pros before participating in the NBA combine. Ultimately, he chose to withdraw his name from the draft and return for his sophomore season at Missouri, but he said the experience benefited him “in every area of my game.” With Porter Jr., Robertson and Barnett all gone from the roster, Porter said he feels heightened pressure on himself and Tilmon, but he believes the two are equipped to live up to the expectations.
“We kind of know that, any team we play, there’s not going to be two dudes that can guard both of us, so we definitely have to take advantage of that,” Porter said. “… We just know that we’re the two best bigs on the court every game we play.”
Geist more comfortable offensively
A season ago at this time, Jordan Geist looked like he’d be the third option at point guard for Missouri, behind Blake Harris and Terrence Phillips. But Geist ended up in the starting role, and by February, he essentially became the Tigers’ only option at point guard.
Geist consistently drew praise from Martin for his defensive performance last season, but after an offseason in which he knew he would be Missouri’s top option at point guard, the senior has begun to turn heads with his offensive skillset. Martin specifically praised Geist for the aptitude he’s shown in pick-and-roll situations.
“He’s really been good in the ball-screen offense,” Martin said. “He’s picking guys apart.”
Puryear believes the biggest difference is Geist’s confidence level. He said Geist has been playing with swagger, something his teammates didn’t see the past two seasons. Puryear even compared Geist’s swagger to that of former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Geist agreed that his improvement has resulted from a greater assurance in his role.
“I think just my confidence is up,” he said. “I’ve been working on my shot, my ball handling, watching film on what I do in practice, what goes well and what doesn’t, and I’m just trying to learn.”
Pickett standing out
Missouri’s roster features seven new scholarship players from a season ago, four of which are true freshmen. One of the least highly-touted of those newcomers was Belleville, Ill. native Javon Pickett, but since he arrived on campus in June, the freshman has made his presence known. Both Martin and several players complimented Pickett’s development.
“I had no idea who Javon Pickett was before he got here, and then even in our first two pickups, I was like who is this?” Porter said. “He was shooting shots that I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ … He was in here, just ultimate confidence, I didn’t know who he was, but now, even in practice, he’s still shown supreme confidence, and he’s getting better every day.”
Players and coaches alike spoke highly of Pickett’s work ethic. Geist called him a “gym rat.” Puryear compared him to Robertson. Martin had perhaps the highest praise, saying he’s never coached a player who worked so hard “at this stage.”
“You’re talking (in the gym at) 6 a.m., 11 a.m., and practice,” Martin said. “And that’s every day, like clockwork. And then when you watch him work out, you see the results of his body, the way it looks, and how his game has improved, the time he puts into it — it can only work out for a guy like that when you work like that.”
Other notes and quotes:
* Martin said he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen from Missouri’s newest member of the team, freshman Christian Guess. Guess committed to Missouri on Sept. 14 and joined the team shortly thereafter. While Martin said Guess still has some catching up to do after missing out on summer workouts, he praised Guess for his communication skills and his attitude.
“You can tell he has a level of toughness to him,” Martin said. “He wants to compete. He embraces challenges. And it’s fun to have him. Again, a long way to go, but where he is right now, we’re happy to have him and what he brings to the table.”
* Freshman forward K.J. Santos didn’t participate in practice Wednesday, instead sitting on the sideline with a boot around his left ankle. Martin said Santos is “week-to-week” with a foot injury.
* Redshirt sophomore forward Mitchell Smith was not present Wednesday. Smith was arrested Sunday morning for driving while intoxicated. Martin said a timeline for when Smith will rejoin the team is “to be determined.”
