Braggin’ Rights on the line for Mizzou hoops in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)

The final Mizzou men's basketball game of 2025 will come with Braggin' Rights on the line.

On Monday, Tiger hoops is set to face No. 18 Illinois in the annual Braggin' Rights showdown at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. This game is a continuation of a series that has been around since 1983, as the Tigers and Fighting Illini have met every year, outside of 2020.

Overall, the Illini own a 35-20 advantage in the series, including victories in the last two meetings with MU. This time around, head coach Brad Underwood on his team will roll into downtown St. Louis with an 8-3 record, which includes a statement win over then-No. 13 Tennessee at the start of December.

Following Sunday's practice at the Enterprise Center, Coach Gates said playing in games like this, against top-ranked opponents, can only help them in the long run.

"I think when you have possession-by-possession games, where sometimes it may not go your way early, but you fight back and you have different lead changes throughout the game, you have different runs take place, you have certain crowds, whether it's ours or opponents...it's great to see that transpire," Coach Gates said. "I think when you have a game plan in place, sometimes that game plan may be thrown out on both sides and players just got to go out there and make plays, make tough shots, make free throws and get loose balls. I think last year we had a loose ball opportunity on the sideline right in front of the benches and it didn't go our way. But, our guys got right back up and and got into the mix of the battle. I think that's when you really have an environment where players make plays and and you know, whether, it's Coach Brad or myself, we just sit back and we're able to see our players take over the game in those moments, I think that's that's the greatest accomplishment...There's no doubt we want to both win games, but our players have to make plays."

You can watch the full press conference with Gates in the video player below.

During Sunday's practice, both forward Trent Pierce and guard Jayden Stone were seen getting up shots and getting in the mix, a bit. Those guys have been dealing with injuries, as Pierce has yet to get into a game this season with an undisclosed injury and Stone has been grappling with a hand injury, causing him to miss the last six games.

Coach Gates said it's not out of the question that those guys could play in Monday's game against Illinois, but it will come down to a doctor's decision.

"Jayden did things today in practice, which was great to see. Trent did do some things....It's good to see [Jayden] in drills, participating. It's good to see Trent get going. I think this is the second year in a row where we've had sort of injuries, I think last year Caleb Grill was out for this game and we'll see what game decisions bring us. Our guys will be ready to play, regardless," Gates said.

With or without both Pierce and Stone, the Tigers will have a tough matchup on their hands.

The Illini are led by Kylan Boswell, who averages a team-best 16.1 points per game and 3.6 assists. However, overall, Illinois is capable of spreading out its scoring attack, as four players have each gotten into double-figures in 2025.

"[They're] a good team, just the way they play, the coaches, they have great players all-around and really can shoot the ball and crash hard. So, just focus on the game plan. It's going to, you know, get us to where we want to be in the win column," guard Anthony Robinson said.

You can watch the full press conference with Robinson in the video player below.

The Fighting Illini have quite a few Tigers they'll need to watch out for. Over the course of the first 12 games of the season, four players are averaging double-digit scoring, with senior Mark Mitchell leading the charge with an average of 18.2 points per game.

Robinson has also found his stride in the past two games, notching back-to-back performances with 15 or more points and at least five assists.

"The past couple games [I've] just been trying to get back to me, getting back downhill and creating and getting to the free throw line," Robinson said. "So me just playing off my instincts and not overthinking stuff is what I'm trying to get back to being."

Forward Jacob Crews has also found quite a bit of success in the scoring column, lately, especially since moving into the starting rotation. In his two starts, Crews had back-to-back 20-point nights and looks to carry that momentum and hot shooting from 3-point range into Braggin' Rights.

"I feel like everything's changed [from last year]. I mean, just my approach, my mentality, the rhythm I have right now is one of the best in the country from the three ball. I'm on a little bit of a high horse, but, you know, I'm still focused and still locked into the game plan," he said. "I'm very blessed to be in this position. It's a lot of hard work, though, coaches believing in me, giving me motivation, affirmation and that just helps with my focus."

You can watch the full press conference with Crews in the video player below.

Up next - Mizzou will face off with No. 18 Illinois on Monday, Dec. 22. Tipoff at the Enterprise Center is set for 7 p.m.