Mizzou Fueled by 'Tough, Physical, Disruptive' Mindset Entering Illinois Matchup

The Missouri Tigers have only one game remaining in their non-conference schedule, and it's a big one.

Sitting at 10-2 on the season with losses to Notre Dame and Kansas, the Tigers have yet to secure a truly impressive win, with their lone Power 5 victory coming against Minnesota early in the season. The Illini are Missouri's last grasp at straws to pick up a resume-building win before the gauntlet of the Southeastern Conference.

It's going to take a certain mindset to earn a win against Illinois, along with finding success in a tough SEC this season. The Tigers have an opportunity to show off that mindset at the Enterprise Center on Monday.

"Just being ourselves, being who we are," junior guard Anthony Robinson II told the media on Sunday. "TPD is what we preach. Tough, physical, disruptive. So just going out there and embodying that is going to prevail us to do what we want to do."

Brad Underwood's squad this season is a unique one that's littered with transfers and international talent. It seems as if Underwood spent a large chunk of the college basketball offseason in the Baltic region of Europe to recruit nearly half of his roster, marking the beginning of a league-wide trend of the mass additions of international prospects.

A commen theme with those international players, whether they came from an overseas league or another NCAA team, is their size and the ability to score.

"I think the size that they have, they have great size," Gates said. "They have six players that can score in double digits anytime. And when I say double digits, they lead them in scoring."

Illinois loves to shoot from the perimeter and it's doing so at one of the highest values in the Big 10 at 28.9 attempts per game. That places them at No. 43 in the country.

The 34% mark from the perimeter that the Illini boast isn't as good, however. That doesn't mean they won't shoot them, because they will, and Missouri's defense needs to be ready for a three-point barrage regardless of if they're falling.

"They got about 318 three-point attempts so far this season," Gates said. "Last year, they were a team, one of seven high major teams to shoot over 1000 threes. So they're on pace to shatter that again."

For Crews and his teammates, part of finding success on offense means trusting one another and the looks they can generate, regardless of whether the result is a make or miss. That all comes with following the orders of the coaching staff and hunting for looks that fall into the realm of the offensive game plan.

"Don't worry if the ball is going in or not," Crews said. "Trust that we're able to make shots. Trust that we're able to get what we want. I think as long as we play defense and rebound, the shots will come easier. We'll have more confidence."

A part of the mindset that Gates and his coaching staff have attempted to instill in the roster is being physical. Illinois is full of size that can be disruptive in a variety of ways.

The average height of the Illinois starting unit who suited up against Nebraska Dec. 13 is around 6-foot-5, with the shortest member of that group being Kylan Boswell at 6-foot-2. Everyone else, including guards Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic, along with forward David Mirkovic and center Tomislav Ivisic, is at least above 6-foot-6.

Because of the height, length and strength that the team as a whole possesses, rebounding will be a top priority. It doesn't take rocket science to realize that it will take a physical team to match what Illinois does on the glass.

"We got to rebound," senior guard Jacob Crews said. "I think we got to match the physicality of Illinois. Really good team. Always have been."

Stojakovic could easily be a player who causes issues for the Tigers. He's averaging 15.5 points per game on 53.7% shooting from the field, but a career-low 21.4% from the three-point line.

Don't let the poor perimeter shooting percentage take away from how good Stojakovic has been this season. He can get to his spots in the mid-range area with ease and knock down those shots at a high level, while using his 6-foot-7 frame to help in getting downhill. It also helps him on defense.

Boswell, the team's senior point guard, is in the middle of the best season of his career in the points-per-game category. He's averaging 16.1, which is leading the Illini, while shooting 47.4% from the field and 32.7% from the perimeter.

Boswell is at the forefront of Illinois' ability to make plays. He's a true hard-nosed point guard that has learned how to score in a variety of ways as his career has progressed, while also being consistently unselfish during that time.

The Illini are a good passing team, despite the assist numbers not backing that up. They're only averaging 14.4 assists per game, which has created issues at moments for Underwood's squad. It's still something that stands out to Gates as a potential area for disruption.

"Ultimately, you have guys being able to make plays for each other, and that's what I look at, the difference and the sacrifices are happening," Gates said. "Brad does a great job and can't take nothing away from his players. They're doing a great job sharing the basketball and having a positive assist-to-turnover ratio."

Ultimately, Illinois is a nationally ranked team for a reason. They have the size, scoring and depth to compete with anyone in the country, which should make for an intense game against the Missouri Tigers, who are in desperate need of a standout win.

Missouri and No. 18 Illinois tip off in St. Louis at 7 p.m. on Monday in another installment of the Braggin' Rights rivalry.

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