The early news was ominous. The 10th ranked Missouri Tigers, coming off an ugly road loss in Oxford against a surging Ole Miss Rebels team, were taking the floor without their centerpiece, Jeremiah Tilmon, was ruled unavailable after the death of a family member.
Say what you will about Tilmon and his consistency over the years, but he’s been terrific this year. Tilmon has gravity on the floor. Opposing defenses must take him into account on every possession. So when I heard the news he was out, my immediate thought was how wildly different this game was going to be from the last one.