Mizzou Takes on Illinois in Basketball

The Missouri Tigers take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a big basketball game tonight. Who will come out on top?

Mizzou vs. Illinois: The Rivalry

Mizzou and Illinois have been bitter rivals on the basketball court for years. The two schools are separated by just over 100 miles, and the fan bases are fiercely loyal to their respective teams.

The rivalry reached its peak in the early 2000s, when both teams were consistently ranked in the Top 25 and competing for conference titles. The games were usually close, hard-fought affairs, and the animosity between the two fan bases only grew.

In recent years the rivalry has cooled off a bit as both teams have rebuilt their programs. But with both teams on the upswing, there’s a chance that the rivalry will heat up again in the near future.

Mizzou’s Road to the Tournament

In order to make it to the NCAA tournament Missouri will likely have to win some key games against ranked opponents.
Mizzou’s first big test comes on December 12th, when they travel to play Illinois.
This will be a tough road game for the Tigers, but if they can pull out a victory it will go a long way towards solidifying their place in the tournament.
Other key games for Mizzou include a home matchup with Arkansas on January 23rd and a road game at Kentucky on February 27th.
If Missouri can come away with victories in these games, they will have a great chance of making the NCAA Tournament

Illinois’ Road to the Tournament

The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball team is having a historic season. They are currently ranked #1 in the nation and are the favorites to win the NCAA tournament This is a huge turnaround from last season when they had a losing record and did not make the tournament. So how did they turn things around so quickly?

It all started with a new coach, Brad Underwood. Underwood is known for his aggressive style of play and his ability to develop players. He quickly instilled a new culture of winning at Illinois. The players bought into his system and they have been rewarded with success on the court.

Underwood has also been able to rely on a core group of players that have been together for multiple years. These players have provided leadership and stability for the team. They have also been able to rely on some talented newcomers to provide a boost.

All of this has come together to create one of the most successful seasons in Illinois basketball history. The team has set their sights on winning a National Championship and they have the talent and coaching to make it happen. It should be an exciting March Madness!

The Matchup: Mizzou vs. Illinois

In a battle of two evenly matched teams, the Missouri Tigers take on the Illinois Fighting Illini Missouri is coming off a Big Win against the Kentucky Wildcats while Illinois is coming off a close loss to the Michigan State Spartans

This should be a great game as both teams are looking to prove themselves. Missouri is led by star guard Jordan Clarkson, who is averaging 19 points per game Illinois is led by center Nnanna Egwu, who is averaging 11 points and 9 rebounds per game

Both teams are strong on defense, so it will be interesting to see how they handle each other’s offensive weapons. It should be a close game but we think Missouri has the edge and will come out with a win.

Keys to the Game: Mizzou

The Missouri Tigers men’s Basketball team is set to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini tonight at Mizzou Arena The game tips off at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU. Missouri is looking to keep its perfect home record alive, as well as get back on track after two tough losses on the road. Here are three keys to the game for Missouri:

Limit Ayo Dosunmu The Tigers must do a better job of containing Illinois’ star guard than they did last month in Champaign. In that game, Dosunmu had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists as he led the Illini to a come-from-behind victory. Missouri’s defense has improved since then, but it will still have its hands full with Dosunmu, who is averaging 22 points, six rebounds and five assists per game this season.

Make some shots: The Tigers have struggled offensively in their last two games, shooting a combined 38 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range. Missouri will need to be better offensively if it wants to win tonight, especially against an Illinois team that is allowing opponents to shoot just 42 percent from the field this season.

Get out and run: One of Missouri’s strengths this season has been its ability to score in transition. The Tigers rank seventh in the nation in transition points per game (16), and they will look to get out and run against an Illinois team that likes to play at a slower pace. If Missouri can get some easy baskets early in the game, it will put itself in good position to win tonight.

Keys to the Game: Illinois

Defense will be key for Missouri if they want to come out on top against Illinois. In their last five games, Missouri has allowed an average of 74.2 points per game while Illinois has averaged 67.4. While Missouri’s offense has been solid, averaging 78.8 points per game they will need to keep up the intensity on defense if they want to win.

In addition, Missouri will need to be careful of Illinois’ three-point shooters. In their last five games, Illinois has shot 39.7% from behind the arc while Missouri has only shot 29%. If Missouri can limit Illinois’ three-point shots and make them work for their baskets, they should come out on top.

What the Experts are Saying

The Mizzou men’s basketball team is set to take on Illinois this Saturday, and the experts are weighiing in on who they think will come out on top.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas believes that Mizzou has the talent to win, but he thinks that Illinois’ experience will give them the edge in this match-up.

“Mizzou has a lot of young talent, but Illinois has more experience,” Bilas said. “I think that will be the difference in this game.”

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein also sees Illinois as the favorite, citing their strong home court advantage

“The Fighting Illini are one of the toughest teams to beat at home,” Rothstein said. “I think they’ll be too much for Missouri.”

However, not everyone is picking against the Tigers. Fox Sports’ Nick Baumgardner is forecasting a Mizzou victory, citing their recent success against ranked opponents.

” Missouri has already beaten two ranked teams on the road this season,” Baumgardner said. ” I think they’ll find a way to get it done again.”

X-Factors: Mizzou

In order for Mizzou to take down theIllini, they will need players to step up in a big way. Here are three X-Factors that could make the difference in the game:

1. Missouri will need to rely on their bench players to provide a spark.
2. The Tigers will need to make sure they limit turnovers and take care of the ball.
3. Missouri will need someone to step up and knock down some Big Shots

X-Factors: Illinois

In order for the Mizzou Basketball team to take down Illinois, they will need to pay attention to the following x-factors:

– Illinois’ shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu is one of the best players in the country and will be a tough matchup for Mizzou’s defense.
– The Illini are a very deep team and can wear down opponents with their bench play. Mizzou will need to be fresh in the second half if they want to win.
– Illinois is a very good rebounding team. Mizzou will need to box out and keep them off the offensive glass if they want to win.

Prediction

The Missouri Tigers are set to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a matchup of two of the best teams in the conference. The Tigers are coming off a Big Win against the Vanderbilt Commodores and will look to continue their winning ways against the Illini. The Illini are also coming off a big win, defeating the then-ranked number one team in the country, the Michigan State Spartans. Illinois will look to continue their success against a tough Missouri team.

Both teams are extremely talented and it should be a close game However, I believe that Missouri has the slight edge and will come out with the victory. Missouri has been playing great basketball as of late and I think they will be able to continue their winning ways against Illinois.