The Illinois basketball team is about to have a tough matchup Monday night in St. Louis when they face their biggest non-conference rival, the Missouri Tigers.
It will be meeting No. 45 in the Braggin' Rights series, with the Illini leading Mizzou in the series 35-20. Brad Underwood's bunch will be looking to make it three in a row against Dennis Gates' crew, which would be Illinois' best stretch in the series since they went five in a row from 2013-2017.
This series has brought us tons of big moments through the years, with former Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis' two-point shot last year being the latest installment to the highlight reel. But what are some other moments from this historic rivalry that fans can sink their teeth into to get them ready for Monday's tilt?
1. Rayvonte Rice beats the buzzer in 2014
This was another instant classic in St. Louis, Missouri, between the Tigers and the Illini. Illinois was looking for its second straight Braggin' Rights win in the series after losing four of its last five to Mizzou.
It was an absolute barn-burner from the opening tip to the final buzzer. These two teams were trading blows all game long, with Illinois' six-point lead midway through the second half being the largest lead of the game. But in the waning seconds of the contest, former Illinois guard Rayvonte Rice hit the shot of his life over two Missouri defenders.
BRAGGIN’ RIGHTS GAME-WINNER ‼️#OTD in 2014, Rayvonte Rice’s buzzer-beater gave @IlliniMBB the win over Missouri in the 34th Braggin’ Rights game 🔥#FlashbackFriday x #B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/TW6dCMqqVW
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 20, 2024
Rice, who transferred from Drake to Illinois after the 2011-2012 season, would finish the game with a team-leading 19 points. This would mark the Illini's ninth win of the 2014-15 season, and would help jettison them to that year's NCAA Tournament.
2. Malcolm Hill owned the Missouri Tigers for four straight years
Malcolm Hill was one of the most important Illini to come from the 2010s. In his four years with the program, the Fairview Heights, Illinois, product became the second Illini in program history to record 1,800+ points and 600+ rebounds in a career.
Hill was one of the most electric players that this program has ever seen. But one of the biggest marks from his career had to be that he was 4-0 against Missouri. He dominated the state of Missouri, averaging 13.0 points per contest, including two 21-point performances in his junior and senior seasons.
Malcolm became the number one guy for the Illini in such a short amount of time. He was a dominating force in this rivalry with fellow classman Maverick Morgan, who both finished their careers with zero losses vs. their neighbors to the west.
3. Tracy Abrams had ice in his veins in 2013
Tracy Abrams had a bit of a rocky road through his collegiate career. The Chicago, Illinois, product played his four full seasons with Illinois, but he did have to redshirt twice between his junior and senior year due to injury.
Abrams was a top-notch guard for the Illini between 2011 and 2017, notching the thirty-third most career points in Illinois history at 1,191. But when it comes to the Braggin' Rights rivalry, it was his ability to recognize the big moments that made him special with the Illini.
A major example of that was when Abrams had ice in his veins in the closing seconds of Illinois' 2013 match-up against Missouri. After a highly-contested game where neither team led by more than nine points, Abrams was sent to the line with four seconds to go and his team down by one. It was a pressure-filled situation for the junior, but he was still able to sink two of the most crucial free throws of his career at the Scottrade Center, winning the game for his team 65-64.