Mizzou Hoops Player Review: Jeremiah Tilmon

I don’t usually get too emotional when writing up these player reviews, even for beloved seniors who will be a part of this process for the last time.

But this one, y’all... it hurt me a little bit.

We’re continuing our process of reviewing the Mizzou Hoops roster player-by-player, and we’ve finally reached Jeremiah Tilmon. Tilmon, one of the highlights of the 2017 recruiting class, was also the longest tenured member of that class by a full three seasons. He was a beloved Tiger who could both stun and frustrate, sometimes within the course of a few minutes. By the end of his career, however, he was a force for what was one of the more exciting basketball teams Missouri has fielded in the past decade.

To catch up on our past player reviews, you can visit the links below. Otherwise, let’s get started on reviewing the senior season that was for Tilly:

• Xavier Pinson
• Parker Braun
• Mark Smith
• Torrence Watson
• Dru Smith
• Drew Buggs

What went well?

For three years, Mizzou fans wondered what Tilmon would look like if he were to avoid foul trouble. In his senior season, Tilmon finally delivered. While the fouls didn’t totally disappear, the senior logged the highest minutes percentage of his career, improved in almost every facet of the game and became an All-SEC big man. From the beginning of the season, Tilmon looked comfortable fighting off double-teams and conservatively using his size to work opposing bigs. For the first time in his career, Tilmon drew more fouls than he committed and went as far as sporting one of the best free throw rates in the country. When he wasn’t getting to the charity stripe, he was finishing at a 61 percent clip around the rim. It was a career year for the big man from East St. Louis.

What didn’t go well?

The one real hole in Tilmon’s game this season came in an area that could have flipped a few games for Missouri — the free throw line. Despite drawing nearly 140 free throws on the season, Tilmon’s free throw percentage dipped a full 10 points. That’s not to say Tilmon was ever an elite shooter from the stripe, but the big man hit at nearly a 63 percent clip in his junior season, a percentage that would have equated to 14 more points this season.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

In summary...

If you had to sum up Jeremiah Tilmon’s four seasons in Columbia, Missouri in a few short words or sentences, what would they say?

Really, feel free to write your own below... but I’ll give it a shot.

Tilmon was a brilliant enigma. Capable of stunning footwork and flashy dunks, while for much of his first three seasons just as capable of being saddled with foul trouble and sidelined. Most of the time when we review these guys there isn’t the amount of tantalizing talent to watch over the course of four years to try and sum up, but Tilmon’s inconsistency kept him in Columbia and the payoff came this past season. Tilmon showed what we’ve always known — he’s a really good and talented basketball player when he puts it all together.

I’m not sure he put it ALL together this year but he was there, playing, and impacting each and every game. Tilmon was the reason this season went the way it did. He was awesome early, and consistent through most of conference play. Sure, he had a few games off here and there, but in large part he was the All-SEC level big man Mizzou thought they were getting four years ago. On offense he’s pure gravity, sucking the defense towards him with each touch, on defense he’s 260 lbs of rim protection. Of course you want to see him figure it all out a little sooner, but in a lot of ways the build of Tilmon reflects the rebuild of the Missouri basketball program.

After getting off to a really hot start, a bumpy two years ended up with a mostly satisfactory finish. And now Tilmon moves on, leaving Missouri in a far better place than when he first signed up. We should at least be appreciate of that much from the big man.

— Sam Snelling