After knocking off the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils on their own court, the Illinois basketball team will look to get its second-straight roadkill vs. the Missouri Tigers Saturday night.
Last season’s Braggin’ Rights game was not a fun one to watch for any Illini fan, as Illinois fell to the Tigers 63-56. However, the Illini will come into this year’s rivalry game with a much deeper and more talented roster, given that they are the No. 6 ranked team in the country.
Missouri, however, will also come into this game more talented than they were last year. They have not lost any of their four games on the year, which includes an impressive 83-75 win vs. No. 24 Oregon.
Here are four keys for the Illini to beat the Missouri Tigers.
1. Slow down the former Illini
Former Illini guard Mark Smith has been the go-to-guy for the Tigers this year. The senior guard is averaging an impressive team-high 17.9 points per contest. Smith is shooting an exceptional 53.7-percent from the field, which includes an eye-catching 52-percent from beyond the arc. He is also taking advantage of the charity stripe, converting on 92.3-percent of his free-throw attempts.
The Illini did a great job of containing the then-junior guard in last year’s Braggin’ Rights game. Smith failed to score a single point, as he shot 0-of-4 from the field and 0-of-3 from the three-point range. He also missed both of his free throw attempts, finishing the day 0-of-2 from the charity stripe.
If the Illini are able to put the pressure on Smith again this year, the Tigers will be in trouble.
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