Illinois Basketball: Top Braggin’ Rights Moments

Illinois Basketball’s Top Braggin’ Rights Moments

Illinois Basketball will play their Braggin’ Rights game against the Missouri Tigers on Friday night, December 22nd. Though the Brad Underwood era has been a success in many places that Illinois fans are not used to, Missouri has been a little bit of a different challenge. Brad Underwood has won a majority of recent battles against teams that used to give Illinois terrors. Teams like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State hold a handful of losses to Illinois, however, Braggin’ Rights has always been difficult. Brad Underwood has 2 wins and four losses in his Braggin’ Rights battles. Despite Missouri not being a stable winning program the past decade, they have somehow dominated Brad Underwood.

Most recently, Missouri and first-year coach, Dennis Gates, absolutely gobsmacked the Illini in 2022. Despite this, the past decade has its share of Braggin’ Rights memories.

Welcome Trent Frazier

There was some pretty bad blood in this rivalry when Brad Underwood first arrived in Illinois. Cuonzo Martin had just started his era at Missouri and was discussed as a possible candidate for the head coaching job at Illinois. Martin ultimately ended up in Missouri and also received the commitment of a big man, Jeremiah Tilmon. Tilmon was a prized recruit for John Groce, however, he reopened his recruitment after Brad Underwood took the job. Tilmon’s scorn left a sour taste in Illinois fans and really staked a hatred for the Missouri Tigers. Trent Frazier was finding his way and scored 22 points in his first Braggin’ Rights Game.

Rayvonte Rice’s moment

This moment is kind of self-explanatory. The John Groce era was one that most would like to forget. However, Rayvonte Rice hit this absolutely stunning game-winner against the Tigers in 2014. Rice was one of those underrated players who never got as much shine due to the era of Illinois Basketball he was in. Surprisingly, John Groce had a pretty good amount of success in the Braggin’ Rights game. However, the Missouri Tigers were disgustingly terrible during that era as well.

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