The Illini basketball team earned their coffee today because “coffee is for closers.” They beat #23 Mizzou in the 33rd annual Braggin’ Rights, with the Illini now owning a 21-12 advantage over Missouri in the annual rivalry game played in downtown St. Louis. Illini basketball is now up 28-16 overall for the series. Illinois won eight consecutive Braggin’ Rights from 1983-90 and won nine of the first 10 in St. Louis. After Missouri won seven of nine games from 1991-99, Illini basketball won nine in a row from 2000-08, the longest winning streak in the history of the series. Mizzou had won four straight heading into this year, equaling the Tigers’ longest Braggin’ Rights win streak.
Obviously, that streak is now snapped.
So why the hell do they call it Braggin’ Rights? And more importantly, why can’t spell correctly? Why drop the ‘g’? Are you just too busy? And brag about what? To whom? I’m an Illini alum, I have lots of Illini basketball fan friends, do you know how many Mizzou people exist in my social circle? 0. In my extended circle? ZERO. The Illini basketball team won, but I have no one to “brag” to. As if I actually did anything that caused the Illini basketball victory.
This was the signature win for Illini basketball this season. The non-conference schedule this year is mostly on the road or neutral sites in the states of their opponents. All the non-con opponents you’ve actually heard of UNLV, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Oregon and Mizzou– all on the road, or at the NBA venue closest in location to their opponent. The Illini home non-conference slate is terrible. It’s the worst it’s been in many many years. Assembly Hall welcomed all mid-majors and low-majors.
Now, with a win over #23 Mizzou Illini basketball have a resume win for March. Rayvonte Rice willing the Illini to victory at UNLV Thanksgiving week was nice, but it didn’t mean much as UNLV is way down from what they usually are. It sounds weird to say but the Running Rebels are better at college football than they are at college basketball right now. The utter collapse at Georgia Tech was….INEXCUSABLE. EMBARRASSING. The loss to Oregon at Portland; there’s no shame in that. They took a good Ducks team that was averaging over 90 ppg and held them down for 30 minutes, and way below their average. the quack attack barely broke 70. So that’s not a bad loss.
However, this was key as Illini basketball needed a big win heading into Big Ten play. They knocked off the #23 team in the country who was undefeated entering this evening. They had a decent win over an okay UCLA team, so Missouri is solid.
Nice win and a joyous evening for Illini basketball.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS Catch him Tuesdays talking Illini and Northwestern for KOZN 1620 The Zone, Fridays talking Chicago Bears for WAOR 95.7 The Fan