Illinois exposes more Mizzou weaknesses

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri coach Quin Snyder decided to challenge Kareem Rush, assigning him to guard Illinois' Frank Williams in Saturday night's annual "Braggin' Rights" game.

It backfired on Rush, who suffered through his second straight sub-par game, and on Missouri, which lost its second straight game after a 9-0 start. Just like Iowa a week earlier, No. 9 Illinois exposed weaknesses in the eighth-ranked Tigers' game in a 72-61 victory Saturday night.

"We've got to roll our sleeves up," Snyder said. "He's got to roll his sleeves up."

It's no coincidence that Missouri (9-2) has lost Rush's two worst games, by far, the last two seasons.

Without the preseason All-American clicking, guard Clarence Gilbert is reduced to forcing shots, going 4-for-23 the last two games, and Snyder is still searching for a bona fide third outside option in the attack.

"There are things we need to do to make us a complete team," Rush said. "Right now, we are not. For us to be an elite team, we've got to bring it all together."

Rickey Paulding followed a 22-point performance against Iowa with 14 points against Illinois. He's good for a highlight-reel dunk every game, but he's inconsistent from outside. So is point guard Wesley Stokes, who missed his first six shots and went 1-for-8 as Illinois fans rooted for him to keep firing.

"Rickey is playing well, and he and Wesley are going to get shots because of the way people are playing Kareem and Clarence," Snyder said. "Our team hasn't been in enough of these situations to be as comfortable as we should be.

"We're not as well-oiled as we need to be against a good defensive team."

Missouri shot 36.2 percent against Illinois after misfiring at a season-worst 33.3 percent a week earlier against Iowa. The Tigers were a combined 13-for-60 from 3-point range in the losses.

Missouri also struggled inside after 6-9 Arthur Johnson picked up two fouls in only four first-half minutes and went to the bench. Illinois scored 18 of its 33 first-half points by pounding the ball inside.

"We talk about it every day, he's got to be more disciplined," Snyder said. "I don't think he's seen a double team all year, but we weren't terrific inside.

"When these guys are out it's tough for us to generate offense without being just a jump-shooting team."

Snyder also has problems with the Tigers' lack of toughness inside.

"Now, toughness is not putting up your dukes," Snyder said. "It's waiting for a screen. Two or three times, we should have gotten an offensive rebound.

"We had the opportunity and we took the outs."

Youth also is working against Missouri, which has three sophomore starters plus a sophomore, Paulding, who's the first player off the bench. Inside players Travon Bryant and Arthur Johnson are 18 and 19.

"That makes a difference, but that's not an excuse," Snyder said. "If that's the case, let's just wait two years before we try and beat Illinois.

"I think we can do it and it's going to require more investment and more commitment."

Rush, for one, doesn't believe the roof is caving in on the Tigers.

"I'm not a person who gets shook, and neither is this team," he said. "This loss hurts, but we're not going to sit here and mope about it.

"We're going to keep playing hard, because we know we have a long season to go."