USA Today via Reuters
Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) shoots the ball against Baylor Bears forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (23) in the first half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) shoots the ball against Baylor Bears forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (23) in the first half at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Men’s Basketball will see this year’s Braggin’ Rights game in six hours. The Illinois Fighting Illini have had a strong start to the season, but will face a massive test. That test is the undefeated Missouri Tigers, who are unranked. Illinois is ranked six right now, and a win here could solidify a top-five slot for them.
Missouri has already proven themselves this CFB season so beating Georgia is icing on the cake. A win over Illinois would be the biggest win for Missouri basketball since they left the B12. https://t.co/np5ZSC4vO1
— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) December 11, 2020
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This is an annual rivalry game that has happened every year since 1983. This will be the first battle since 1978, where the game didn’t take place in St. Louis, Missouri. Instead, Illinois will be going to Columbia, Missouri, for this game.
Illinois is 4-1 this season, with their only loss coming at the hand of the number two Baylor Bears. Missouri, on the other hand, has gone undefeated in their first four, even beating formerly ranked Oregon State.
NCAA Men’s Basketball: Illinois end the Tigers undefeated start?
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Illinois will be widely expected to win this game based on their talent, but the Tigers’ form is scary. An upset over Illinois could boost their hopes of getting ranked. On top of that, it is a nice win over a rival team in Illinois. However, beating this Illinois team is not an easy task.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 2, 2020; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Dru Smith (12) scores against Oregon Ducks guard Chris Duarte (5) in the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
The Fighting Illini will be lining up Ayo Dosunmu, Adam Miller, Da’Monte Williams, Trent Frazier, and Kofi Cockburn. Meanwhile, we will see Alterique Gilbert, Dexter Dennis, Tyson Etienne, Trey Wade, and Morris Udeze take the court for the Missouri Tigers.
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The key factor in this game will be the play of guard Ayo Dosunmu. Over the last few games for Illinois, Dosunmu has been the primary offensive conduit for his team. This was seen through him being responsible for almost 50% of his team’s points through points or assists.
As for a prediction, we stick with the favorite. Illinois is at the peak of their powers this season, exemplified with an impressive win over Duke in their last game. The Tigers haven’t faced opposition of this level, and we think they may fall to 4-1 after this game.
