COLUMBIA, Mo. - Without Michael Porter Jr. on Friday night, Missouri needed one of its talented freshmen to step up and make an impact alongside the team's veterans.
Jeremiah Tilmon rose to the occasion.
He showed his offensive game, polished at East St. Louis High School, carried over to college very well. He was unshakably confident with his back to the basket and showed the athleticism necessary - along with the tall frame and wide wingspan - to playing above the rim.
Tilmon's post moves and counter-moves served him well Friday against Iowa State in a 74-59 win as he made 7-of-9 shots, collected seven rebounds and dished an assist. The most impressive part of his game was also the smoothest: his offensive footwork drew praise from forward Kevin Puryear and coach Cuonzo Martin after the game.
"You have to give credit to his high school guys, they did a good job with him," Martin said of Tilmon. "His footwork, that's all him. So either he was born with it or they taught him something, because he does a great job moving you and he has a balance with it.
"Most guys at that age when they try to move they get charges. He doesn't get those. He knows how to move and once you get around the rim he's so strong. He had that before he got here."
Still, the most encouraging numbers for Tilmon after the game were 25 and three: he played 25 minutes and was called for just three fouls, a marked improvement from his seven fouls in 13 minutes against Kansas. He went from a foul every 33 seconds in that game to a foul every 8:20 in less than three weeks.
Martin told Tilmon to play from the opening tip like he had three fouls.
"I was joking with him, 'Dude, I've got to keep you in the game, man,'" Puryear said. "'You've got to stay in the game. Please don't foul, whatever you do, please don't foul, please, I'm begging you.' But he was an absolute beast down low."
Tilmon said his enthusiasm in the first two scrimmages spilled out of him and influenced his play mentally and physically. It took him a few minutes of action to settle in in those games and that was the case against the Cyclones, too.
"Honestly, the first two minutes of the game my adrenaline was rushing real hard," Tilmon, who started, said. "I had to tell coach (Martin) to take me out of the game because I couldn't breathe. So I had to sit on the bench and get my breath and I was fine."
Once he slowed his heart rate, things opened up for him, and he succeeded when the pace of the game slowed down. The two teams averaged 36.6 possessions in the first half but just 30.8 in the second, and Tilmon made the most of his, shooting 4-for-4 in the second half.
"He's a very talented player," Martin said. "But in Jeremiah's case, and his gauge is not in how many points he scored, he has a tremendous amount of energy, enthusiasm and passion, so he brings life to everybody. I don't know if you would call it a skill, but he lifts everybody up."
Martin also praised Tilmon for his ability to move defenders without drawing a charge and his ability to run the floor. The way Iowa State defended in transition required wings to collapse into the paint first, which left players like Puryear, Jordan Barnett, Jordan Geist and Kassius Robertson with open three-pointers. His punishing presence inside also freed up Jontay Porter's mid-range game.
The boisterous atmosphere and packed house, even though it was friendly, was a test for Tilmon, a natural communicator. He had trouble hearing his teammates and being heard by them, and said the noise forced him to play more disciplined and focused defense.
"Last year we didn't get a lot of games like that," Barnett said of the atmosphere. "I can count with one finger the games -"
"Zero fingers," Puryear interjected, before the two agreed Rupp Arena a year ago was similar.
Puryear, who led all scorers with 17, came in off the bench for the first time in his career after starting all 63 games from 2015-17. He said he liked getting a feel for the game from the bench before entering.
"To go in there prepared, I'm not blindsided by what's going on," Puryear said. "I like watching the flow of the game."