39th Annual Braggin' Rights | ILLINOIS (8-3) vs. Missouri (6-4)
Date	Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019 | 12 p.m. CT
Location	St. Louis, Mo. | Enterprise Center | Seating
Series History	Series | Great Moments
Tickets	Buy Online (Illinois sections: 104-115 & 304-319)
Television	SEC Network  (Mike Morgan & Jon Sundvold)
Live Stream	WatchESPN.com
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | Audio | TuneIn  | XM 381 (streaming 971)
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Mizzou | Big Ten
2019-20 Stats	Illinois | Mizzou | Big Ten
Pregame Press Conf.	Coach Underwood (Dec. 19)
Shop	Online Store | Auctions | Publications
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 143-69 (.675), 7th year
At Illinois: 34-42 (.447), 3rd year

Series Notes vs. Missouri

All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 32-17
Record at St. Louis: Illinois leads 25-13
Series Streak: Missouri W-1
Last Year's Meeting: Missouri 79, Illinois 63  //  Dec. 22, 2018 at St. Louis
Underwood vs. Missouri: 1-1

» Braggin' Rights Game-by-Game | Great Braggin' Rights Moments

Opening Tips

• Following a one-week break in the game schedule for fall semester final exams, Illinois returns to action Saturday in the 39th edition of Braggin' Rights (12 p.m., SEC Network). Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com or in person at the Enterprise Center ticket office (Illinois sections are 104-115 & 304-319).

• Trent Frazier is averaging 25.0 points in the Braggin' Rights series, tallying a game-high 22 points as a freshman and game-high 28 points last year. 

• Kofi Cockburn is the lone freshman in the NCAA averaging a double-double (15.4 ppg & 10.5 rpg). Cockburn is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, earning the award on Monday for a school-record fourth time just six weeks into the season. 

• Illinois' defense has allowed an average of just 58.7 points on 37.9% shooting, including 25.4% from 3-point range, over the last three games.

• Illinois leads the NCAA in rebound margin (+14.2) and ranks second nationally in offensive rebound percentage (40.7%) while standing 39th in defensive rebound rate (76.5%).

• Illinois is No. 1 in the nation in defensive free throw rate at 17.4% (FTA/FGA), a complete contrast from last season when the Illini defense ranked 338th out of 353 teams in that same category (42.4%).

Braggin' Rights Breakdown

Series Record: Illinois leads 25-13
Current Streak: Missouri W-1
Illinois when ranked: 13-6
Missouri when ranked: 6-10
When both teams are ranked: Illinois leads 6-3
When neither team is ranked: Illinois leads 8-4
In overtime games: Tied 2-2
At Enterprise Center (1994-Present): Illinois leads 16-9
At The Arena (1980-93): Illinois led 9-4
Illinois' longest winning streak: 9 (2000-08)
Missouri's longest winning streak: 4, twice (1991-94 & 2009-12)
Illinois' largest winning margin: 32 points (2005)
Missouri's largest winning margin: 18 points (1994)
Closest margin: 1 point, five times (1992, 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2013)
Illinois Scoring Record: 33, Andy Kaufmann (1990)
Missouri Scoring Record: 30, Doug Smith (1990)
Illinois Rebounding Record: 13, Mike Davis (2009), Mike Tisdale (2009 & 2010), Meyers Leonard (2011)
Missouri Rebounding Record: 15, Doug Smith (1990)
Attendance Record: 22,484 (1999)

Current Illini in the Braggin' Rights

• Giorgi Bezhanishvili
2018 – 10 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast in 28 min

• Ayo Dosunmu
2018 – 2 pts, 2 reb in 17 min

• Andres Feliz
2018 – 6 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl in 20 min

• Trent Frazier  (2 G): 25.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
2018 – 28 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl in 32 min
2017 – 22 pts, 3 stl, 1 ast, 1 reb, 1 blk in 28 min

• Alan Griffin
2018 – 0 pts, 0 reb in 2 min

• Kipper Nichols  (2 G): 4.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
2018 – 7 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast in 35 min
2017 – 2 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl, 1 ast in 10 min

• Tyler Underwood
2018 – 0 pts, 1 reb in 5 min

• Da'Monte Williams  (2 G): 1.0 ppg 1.5 rpg
2018 – 0 pts, 3 reb in 19 min
2017 – 2 pts, 1 stl in 8 min

Cockburn Earns Fourth B1G Freshman of the Week Honor

Center Kofi Cockburn was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday, sharing the award with Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis. Cockburn earned the accolade after averaging 15.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in a pair of wins.

He led Illinois to its first victory over a top-5 team since 2013, recording game highs of 19 points, 10 rebounds and career-high 4 blocks vs. No. 5 Michigan. The 19 and 10 performance against the Wolverines marked Cockburn's sixth double-double, tying the Illinois freshman record for most in a season in only his 10th game. He narrowly missed another double-double vs. Old Dominion, finishing with 11 points and game-high 9 boards.

This is already the fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolade for the Kingston, Jamaica native, just six weeks into season. He expands his school record for the most honors by an Illini, dating back to 2010-11 when the league began honoring a weekly outstanding freshman performer.

Last Time Out

Illinois returned to non-conference action but kept up the strong defense it showcased against two Big Ten opponents, posting a solid 69-55 win over Old Dominion Saturday at State Farm Center.

The Illini led the entire way, scoring on its first four possessions to open up a quick 10-2 lead and never looking back. Illinois led 40-25 at the half and the lead grew to as many as 29 points with six minutes remaining before the hosts were outscored 17-2 down the stretch. 

The Illini forced 19 turnovers, turning those into 23 points and accounting for much of the UI's 26-to-2 advantage in fast break points.

Alan Griffin provided instant offense off the bench, leading the team in scoring for the first time in his career with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three. Ayo Dosunmu had 14 points, Kofi Cockburn tallied 11 points and game-high nine boards, and Trent Frazier added nine points with a season-high four steals. 

Balanced Attack

Illinois is balanced offensively, with five players averaging more than 9.5 points, and its top three scorers averaging between 13.5-15.4 points per game, led by freshman Kofi Cockburn (15.4 ppg, 6th in Big Ten) and followed by sophomore Ayo Dosunmu (14.8 ppg, 9th in B1G) and senior Andres Feliz (13.5 ppg, 14th in B1G). The Illini are one of just five teams from within the six major conferences to have three players averaging at least 13.5 points (through Dec. 18):

Miami » Lykes-14.8 ppg, Vasiljevic-14.5 ppg, McGusty-13.9 ppg
Illinois » Cockburn-15.4 ppg, Dosunmu-14.8 ppg, Feliz-13.5 ppg
Oklahoma » Reaves-17.7 ppg, Doolittle-17.2 ppg, Manek-14.3 ppg
Washington » Stewart-18.0 ppg, McDaniels-14.5 ppg, Carter-14.1 ppg
Arkansas » Jones-19.6 ppg, Joe-16.4 ppg, Whitt-14.5 ppg

Double-Double Impact

Freshman Kofi Cockburn has been a double-double machine to start his college career. He is currently averaging a double-double at 15.4 points and 10.5 rebounds and has tallied six double-doubles in 11 games:

Nov. 5 vs. Nicholls 10 pts 11 reb
Nov. 8 at Grand Canyon 23 pts 14 reb
Nov. 18 vs. Hawaii 15 pts 14 reb
Nov. 20 vs. The Citadel 18 pts 17 reb
Nov. 23 vs. Hampton 20 pts 13 reb
Dec. 11 vs. #5 Michigan 19 pts 10 reb

Cockburn is tied for 11th in the NCAA with six double-doubles through Dec. 18, and is one of only two freshmen on the list with at least six along with Duke's Vernon Carey (7).

Cockburn tied the Illinois freshman mark for double-doubles in a season just 10 games into the year. He is one of only seven Illini freshmen ever to tally multiple double-doubles, and he is on pace to shatter the record of six first set by Efrem Winters in 1982-83. 

Most Double-Doubles in a Season by Illini Freshmen:

1t. Kofi Cockburn 6 (2019-20)
1t. Efrem Winters 6 (1982-83) 
3. Deon Thomas 5 (1990-91)
4t. James Augustine 3 (2002-03)
4t. Bruce Douglas 3 (1982-83 pts-ast)
6t. Mark Smith 2 (1977-78)
6t. Brad Farnham 2 (1973-74)

Nearing a Milestone

With a program record of 1,798-1,015, Illinois stands just two victories away from joining college basketball's 1,800-win club. Here is a list of the nation's all-time winningest teams:

School - Wins - Next Game
1. Kentucky 2,301 Dec. 21
2. Kansas 2,283 Dec. 21
3. North Carolina 2,267 Dec. 21
4. Duke 2,185 Dec. 19
5. Temple 1,933 Dec. 21
6. Syracuse 1,910 Dec. 21
7. UCLA 1,895 Dec. 21
8. Notre Dame 1,888 Dec. 21
9. St. John's 1,864 Dec. 21
10. Indiana 1,836 Dec. 21
11. Utah 1,828 Dec. 21 
12t. Cincinnati 1,823 Dec. 21
12t. Arizona 1,823 Dec. 21
14. Purdue 1,811 Dec. 21
15. Western Kentucky 1,802 Dec. 21
16. Washington 1,800 Dec. 22
17. Texas 1,799 Dec. 21
18. Illinois 1,798 Dec. 21
19. Penn 1,795 Dec. 21
20. BYU 1,791 Dec. 21

Team Notables

• Illinois' 71-62 victory over No. 5 Michigan last week marked its first win over a top-5 team since toppling No. 1 Indiana on Feb. 7, 2013. The Illini have now recorded three victories over opponents ranked in the top 15 dating back to last January.

• Illinois leads the NCAA in rebound margin (+14.2), ranks second in offensive rebound percentage (40.7%) and 39th in defensive rebound rate (76.5%).

• Illinois has outrebounded its opponent in nine of 11 games, and seven times by a double digits.

• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 24th in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 81.4 points. 

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks 15th in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 49.4%. That is fueled by 56.3% on 2-pointers, which is 12th nationally. 

• The Illini have one of the nation's highest scoring offenses despite ranking 308th nationally in 3-point attempts (183).

• The Illini are 8-1 this season, and 28-3 in the Underwood era, when shooting better than the opponent.

• Illinois leads the nation in defensive free throw rate (17.4) and ranks 54th in offensive free throw rate (39.0). These are dramatic early-season improvements compared to last year, when the Illini ranked 338th in defensive free throw rate (42.4) and 272nd in free throw rate (29.5).

• Illinois has made 81 more free throws than its opponents have attempted on the season, consistently winning the battle at the free throw line. The only game where Illinois did not make more free throws than the other team attempted was at Arizona.

• The Illini are currently outscoring foes by an average of 10.5 points per game at the free throw line. 

Player Headlines

• Kofi Cockburn ranks 20th in the NCAA in rebounding – and No. 1 among freshmen – averaging 10.5 rpg. And he is seventh nationally in offensive rebounds with 4.2 offensive boards per game. 

• Cockburn is No. 4 in the nation in offensive rebound rate (19.9%) and ranks 48th in defensive rebound percentage (26.3%).

• Cockburn leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg), marking the second straight year that a freshman is the UI's top scorer following Ayo Dosunmu last season. 

• Cockburn has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games, with three 20-point outings. 

• Cockburn is 14th nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.3).

• Cockburn is shooting 68.2% at the foul line on the year, but he's 28-32 on FT over the last six games (87.5%).

• Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu is second on the Illini and ninth in the Big Ten in scoring at 14.8 ppg. He has reached double digits in eight of 11 games with three 20-point outings.

• Dosunmu is averaging 16.3 points, meanwhile, in eight home games (130).

• Dosunmu is shooting 53.6% on twos (52-97).

• Dosunmu has grabbed 15 rebounds over the last three games (5.0 rpg) after totaling 12 boards the previous seven games (1.7 rpg).

• Senior Andres Feliz has netted double figures in eight of 11 games and is third on the team in scoring (14th in Big Ten), averaging 13.5 points.

• The 6-foot, 2-inch Feliz is 13th in the Big Ten – and first among B1G guards – in defensive rebounding (5.2 rpg).

• Junior Trent Frazier is averaging 12.2 points (61) while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range (12-30) with an average of 2.4 made treys over the last five games.

• After starting the year 0-7 on 3-pointers, Frazier is shooting 44.2% from 3-point range (19-43) over the last nine games. 

• Frazier is closing in on 1,000 career points, just 50 points away from becoming the 50th 1,000-point scorer in school history. 

• Sophomore Giorgi Bezhanishvili averaged 11.5 points (46), 6.5 rebounds (26) and 3.3 assists (13) while shooting 70.8% from the field (17-24) over a four-game stretch prior to Maryland. He has now averaged 9.0 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last two games. 

• Bezhanishvili is 5-10 from 3-point range through 11 games (50%) after going 5-30 from behind the arc as a freshman (16.7%).

• Senior Kipper Nichols is averaging 6.7 points (20) in 18.3 minutes (55) over the last three games.

• Sophomore Alan Griffin is shooting 44.4% from 3-point range (8-18) over his last five games. 

» Complete Illinois Braggin' Rights Game Notes