Dennis Gates prepares team for “rich and longstanding” Braggin’ Rights rivalry

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Mizzou men's basketball team will play its final game before the holiday break Thursday against rival Illinois in the McBride Homes Braggin' Rights game.

With this being head coach Dennis Gates' first time in rivalry, along with 12 of his players, he compared his game to the UNC and Duke rivalry in being both rich and longstanding.

"I played for a high school coach out of Chicago who coached many University of Illinois guys and they would speak about this rivalry when I grew up and my coach George Stanton would do the same," Gates said. "Everyone talks about the UNC and Duke rival being one of college basketball's best, but the ones that understand this one will definitely vote this one number one."

Watch the full interview with Gates ahead of the matchup below.

The two teams have played every year since 1983 at the Enterprise Center, something that Gates said will have advantages for both teams.

"It's going to be electric," Gates said. "It's going to be half the arena orange and the other half black and gold. It's going to sometimes feel like you're on an away court and sometimes it's going to feel like you're at home."

Mizzou is coming off of a buzzer beater win at UCF. Gates said that he's proud of how his team responded in that matchup after taking the Border War loss to Kansas.

"To be able to bounce back that's what you want to see how your team handles adversity and obstacles," Gates said. "We have the opportunity to play a well-coached Illinois team and an NCAA tournament team and allowing us to see who we are."

With another big game approaching, Gates said it's important that his team doesn't let their energy overrun their defensive positioning.

"Sometimes if you don't settle your nerves down, you're kind of going to go overboard and give a little bit too much and sometimes that doesn't allow you to settle in," Gates said. "I think we just have to play with our instincts and not allow the moment to be too big for us, but to settle in and allow our energy to be on our side."

The Braggin' Rights game will take place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis Thursday at 8 p.m.