| Illinois Probable Starters (from the last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-2 |
175 |
Sr. |
11.3 |
3.6 |
3.1 |
5th in Big Ten in steals (1.6 spg) |
| G |
11 |
Alfonso Plummer |
6-1 |
180 |
Gr. |
16.9 |
2.2 |
0.8 |
15th in NCAA in 3-pointers (3.5 avg) |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
215 |
Sr. |
3.6 |
5.8 |
3.5 |
5.2 apg over the last six games |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
210 |
Gr. |
13.2 |
4.2 |
1.8 |
50% 3FG (23-46) |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
285 |
Jr. |
21.4 |
11.9 |
1.1 |
6th in NCAA in scoring, 3rd in rebounding |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Brandin Podziemski |
6-5 |
200 |
Fr. |
1.3 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
2021 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
235 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Team's lone walkon in second year |
| F |
4 |
Omar Payne |
6-10 |
240 |
Jr. |
1.6 |
1.8 |
0.2 |
53.8% FG and 7 blocks |
| G |
5 |
Andre Curbelo |
6-1 |
175 |
So. |
9.3 |
4.3 |
5.5 |
Leads nation in assist rate (47.9) |
| G |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
200 |
Fr. |
3.3 |
2.1 |
0.7 |
2021 Indiana first-team All-State |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
220 |
So. |
1.6 |
1.0 |
0.2 |
Career-high 4 points vs St. Francis Pa. |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
r-So. |
2.1 |
3.6 |
1.2 |
2nd on UI with 19 offensive rebounds |
| G |
15 |
RJ Melendez |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
3.8 |
1.9 |
0.8 |
2021 Florida SIAA Player of the Year |
| G |
22 |
Austin Hutcherson |
6-6 |
190 |
Gr. |
2.8 |
2.0 |
0.5 |
Out for remainder of season |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
8.4 |
5.3 |
2.5 |
Leads UI in blocks (10) |
Career Record: 188-86 (.686), 9th year
At Illinois: 79-59 (.572), 5th year
Series Notes vs. Missouri
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 32-19
Streak: Missouri W-3
Record at St. Louis: Illinois leads 25-14
Last Year's Meeting: Missouri 81, #6 Illinois 78 (Dec. 12, 2020 at Columbia, Mo.)
Underwood vs. Missouri: 1-3
Opening Tips
• After a one-year absence, Braggin' Rights is back in St. Louis. The 41st edition of McBride Homes Braggin' Rights between Illinois and Missouri is set for Wednesday night. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com or in person at the Enterprise Center ticket office (Illinois sections are 104-115 & 304-319).
• Illinois is shooting 44% from 3-point land over the last seven games, making an average of 12.6 threes (88-200).
• Illinois ranks 18th nationally in 3-point percentage (.390) and 19th in made 3-pointers (10.4 avg.).
• The Illini set a school record on Saturday with 18 three-pointers against Saint Francis (Pa.), one game after hitting 16 treys versus Arizona.
• Illinois has outrebounded nine of 11 opponents and ranks third in the NCAA in rebound margin at +13.1 rpg.
• Illinois ranks second nationally in offensive rebound percentage (42.1).
• Preseason All-American/Big Ten Player of the Year Kofi Cockburn ranks fifth in the nation in scoring at 21.4 ppg and is the NCAA's third-leading rebounder at 11.9 rpg.
• Cockburn is one of just two players averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (Jamal Cain, Oakland).
• Alfonso Plummer is averaging 23.0 points over the last seven games (161), shooting 47.9% from 3-point range (34-71) while averaging 4.9 made threes.
• Trent Frazier is averaging 18.0 points over the last three games (54), shooting 55.2% from the field (16-29) and 55% on threes (11-20).
• Grandison is averaging 17.3 points over the last four games (69), shooting 52.2% from the field (24-46) and making an average of 3.5 threes.
Braggin' Rights Breakdown
Braggin' Rights Record: Illinois leads 25-15
Record in St. Louis: Illinois leads 25-14
Current Streak: Missouri W-3
Illinois when ranked: 13-7
Missouri when ranked: 6-10
When both teams are ranked: Illinois leads 6-3
When neither team is ranked: Illinois leads 8-5
In overtime games: Tied 2-2
At Enterprise Center (1994-Present): Illinois leads 16-10
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: 36, Ayo Dosunmu (2020)
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)
Braggin' Rights All-Time Results
| Dec. 10, 1980 |
Illinois 84, #14 Missouri 62 |
| Dec. 8, 1981 |
#13 Missouri 78, Illinois 68 (OT) |
| Dec. 28, 1983 |
#20 Illinois 66, Missouri 60 |
| Dec. 6, 1984 |
#7 Illinois 65, Missouri 50 |
| Dec. 21, 1985 |
#15 Illinois 67, Missouri 55 |
| Dec. 23, 1986 |
#9 Illinois 92, Missouri 74 |
| Dec. 22, 1987 |
Illinois 75, #17 Missouri 63 |
| Dec. 19, 1988 |
#5 Illinois 87, #10 Missouri 84 |
| Dec. 20, 1989 |
#5 Illinois 101, #4 Missouri 93 |
| Dec. 19, 1990 |
Illinois 84, Missouri 81 |
| Dec. 23, 1991 |
#16 Missouri 61, Illinois 44 |
| Dec. 23, 1992 |
Missouri 66, Illinois 65 |
| Dec. 22, 1993 |
Missouri 108, #19 Illinois 107 (3OT) |
| Dec. 22, 1994 |
Missouri 76, #23 Illinois 58 |
| Dec. 20, 1995 |
#14 Illinois 96, #15 Missouri 85 (OT) |
| Dec. 28, 1996 |
Illinois 85, Missouri 69 |
| Dec. 23, 1997 |
Missouri 75, Illinois 69 |
| Dec. 22, 1998 |
#15 Missouri 67, Illinois 62 |
| Dec. 21, 1999 |
Missouri 78, #15 Illinois 72 |
| Dec. 21, 2000 |
#5 Illinois 86, Missouri 81 (OT) |
| Dec. 22, 2001 |
#9 Illinois 72, #8 Missouri 61 |
| Dec. 21, 2002 |
#12 Illinois 85, #11 Missouri 70 |
| Dec. 23, 2003 |
#21 Illinois 71, #11 Missouri 70 |
| Dec. 22, 2004 |
#1 Illinois 70, Missouri 64 |
| Dec. 21, 2005 |
#6 Illinois 82, Missouri 50 |
| Dec. 19, 2006 |
Illinois 73, Missouri 70 |
| Dec. 22, 2007 |
Illinois 59, Missouri 58 |
| Dec. 23, 2008 |
Illinois 75, #25 Missouri 59 |
| Dec. 23, 2009 |
Missouri 81, Illinois 68 |
| Dec. 22, 2010 |
#9 Missouri 75, #21 Illinois 64 |
| Dec. 22, 2011 |
#8 Missouri 78, #25 Illinois 74 |
| Dec. 22, 2012 |
#12 Missouri 82, #10 Illinois 73 |
| Dec. 21, 2013 |
Illinois 65, #13 Missouri 64 |
| Dec. 20, 2014 |
Illinois 62, Missouri 59 |
| Dec. 23, 2015 |
Illinois 68, Missouri 63 |
| Dec. 21, 2016 |
Illinois 75, Missouri 66 |
| Dec. 23, 2017 |
Illinois 70, Missouri 64 |
| Dec. 22, 2018 |
Missouri 79, Illinois 63 |
| Dec. 21, 2019 |
Missouri 63, Illinois 56 |
| Dec. 12, 2020 |
Missouri 81, #6 Illinois 78 (@Columbia, Mo.) |
Notes from the Last Time Out: Illinois 106, Saint Francis (Pa.) 48 | Box Score
• Illinois scored 1.742 points per possession. That is the highest PPP recorded by a team in any college basketball game dating back to at least the 2007-08 season (barttorvik).
• It was Illinois' highest points per possession and best effective field goal percentage (.810) in any game dating back to at least the 2001-02 season (kenpom).
• Illinois made 18 three-pointers, setting a school record and breaking the previous UI mark of 17 treys set in last season's opener vs. North Carolina A&T (Nov. 25, 2020).
• It marked Illinois' fifth straight game making at least 11 three-pointers, and sixth time in the last seven games. The Illini made 16 threes the previous game vs. Arizona.
• Illinois shot 65.5% overall (38-58), its highest field goal percentage since Jan. 6, 2011, when the Illini set the current school record with 70.5% accuracy vs. Northwestern.
• Illinois held Saint Francis (Pa.) to just 26.2% shooting, the lowest field goal percentage by a UI opponent since Jan. 5, 2020, when Purdue made 25%.
• Illinois hit the century mark for the first time since scoring 122 in last year's opener vs. North Carolina AT&T (Nov. 25, 2020).
• Illinois' 58-point win was its largest victory margin since beating Chicago State by 59 last season (97-38, Nov. 26, 2020).
• Kofi Cockburn tallied his fourth straight double-double and sixth in eight games this season, recording game highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
• Cockburn now has 34 career double-doubles, most in the nation among active players since 2019-20, and ranking fifth on the Illini all-time list.
• It was the 11th game of Cockburn's career registering at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
• Jacob Grandison tallied his 1,000th career point on a 3-pointer to start the second half. Grandison totaled 737 points in two years at Holy Cross and has now scored 271 points in two seasons with the Illini, giving him 1,008 for his career.
• Grandison is the third 1,000-point scorer on the current UI roster, joining Trent Frazier (1,536) and Kofi Cockburn (1,132).
• Grandison finished with 18 points, his fourth straight game scoring at least 14.
• Alfonso Plummer scored 19 all coming in the first half. That ended his streak of consecutive 20-point games at six, tied for the fourth-longest streak by an Illini in the last 50 years.
• Plummer remained perfect at the foul line, hitting two more to improve to 33-of-33 on the season. His current run of 33 straight made free throws is now the second-longest streak in Illini history.
» Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
