I know when Sagarin reported his ratings he explained that the ratings hit a point when the teams were connected. Once this happened the previous seasons records disappeared from his analysis. I think it took just about 6 games or so.
Pregame: Illinois vs Missouri, Friday, December 22nd, 8:00pm CT, FS1
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Thanks for stating the reality of Amani's situation but I am still holding out hope that a combination of the Illini doing a better job of holding big leads plus Amani working hard in practice will lead to more tick for him.
viking6888
Greeley, Colorado
Illinois Basketball vs Missouri 1988
When thinking of the Braggin' Rights games I have attended, for the earlier years I think of the 1989 game, Mizzou @ #4, Illini @#5 (I think,) the only time either team has registered triple digits in regulation. Gill, Liberty, and Kaufman against Peeler, Doug Smith, and Lee Coward (who always seemed to kill us.) The 1990 game was memorable because the whole game, seemingly, was Andy Kaufman going off, hitting some circus shots, then Doug Smith going to the FT line. I'm thinking this year's game could be one that stands out. Hopefully it will be the type of game that foreshadows our run to the Final Four.
Not sure if newbies like QG, JH, and Domask know the significance of this game. To me, that might be a good thing because possibly they won't overdo it and force things too much. Team ball this game, and a double-digit victory will ensue.
Domask probably has at least a general idea of the significance. Sure, SIUC isn't in the St. Louis metro area, but it's close enough that I'm sure he has at least a limited understanding of the rivalry.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Not sure if we for some reason “can’t” wear these right now, but … perfect game to bust these bad boys out again!
CleaverName
- Chicago but not there anymore
I get that the transfer seniors haven't lived through these games as underclassmen but surely someone on the team or on staff or on campus or on social media has mentioned the rivalry to them so they're not completely surprised by the game on Friday ?....
RichardKeenesCousin
Richard Keene's Cousin
Some are calling it the start of Illinois' rivalry gauntlet: https://www.thechampaignroom.com/20...erwood-terrence-shannon-missouri-northwestern
mhuml32
- Cincinnati, OH
I wouldn't take these so seriously this early in the season. If anything - The NET is saying the Big Ten hasn't had as good of a non-conference schedule as expected.
skyIdub
Winged Warrior
Not sure if we for some reason “can’t” wear these right now, but … perfect game to bust these bad boys out again!
I will never consider Northwestern a rival, any more than EIU or UIC.
Many intra-State contests around the Nation have real passion and energy. Think USC-UCLA or the two big Oregon and Washington schools. Or Florida-Florida State and Texas-Texas A & M... places like that. But this Illini-Northwestern competition just has little fire to it. They been going at it over all these years and most times it just does not rock. Even with Northwestern claiming to be 'Chicago's Big Ten Team' and tripe like that.
Except for Evanston and parts of the Chicago North Side... ask anyone who cares who Chicago's BIg Ten team is. And you probably get a lot of puzzled looks in a lot of neighborhoods. Of course the Illini have great presence in Chi-Town. But even with that... this 'rivalty' (?) just doesn't rate with real big National rivalries. Outside of the Illini, you've got more Notre Dame and Michigan fans around town than anything else.
You can't force a rivalry. It exists organically from real dislike or great battles over the years. And this local contest just can't catch much fire. Who really circles the date on the calendar for this game outside of a few interests parents or something? Does Coach U or Coach B tell the guys, 'Hey, look out! We've got NORTHWESTERN coming up!'.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
(For background, I just turned 32 … so I’m not like a fan who remembers the 1990s or 1980s…)
Unfortunately, if you educate a new generation of Illini fans that it’s “natural” that Northwestern is our biggest (or even just an important) rival, they’ll learn to believe it. This narrative has already unfortunately largely succeeded on the football side of things, as you will see the Illini Barstool account (run by younger fans) posting cringe memes about Northwestern being like this huge enemy. I hope it doesn’t succeed in basketball, lol.
That article referenced Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Purdue as rivals … 36% of the conference and a full 50% of the original conference are our rivals?! GMAB. Iowa is our true, fully reciprocated in-conference rival at this point. Period. Indiana is a historic rivalry, as well. The rest is noise and narratives people are trying so desperately to push (NU being instate, PU being our biggest competition right now, Michigan having very short-lived bad blood, etc.).
Conversely, I grew up learning to love the Illini in the 2000-2006 period, and guess what people said with PRIDE back then? That we didn’t really HAVE a true in-conference rival. NU was (and always had been) a joke, and Iowa/Indiana were down. MSU? Wisconsin? Uh, sure I guess because they were fighting us for Big Ten titles … but that honor was a revolving door, and it was our Illini who’d remain in the top spot!
However, there has been one constant for 40+ years that remains a Rivalry with a capital “R” every single season no matter how good/bad either team is, simply by virtue of the EVENT itself. And that’s Missouri. I understand some fans have never developed a proper hatred for Mizzou for geographical reasons, but … I’d suggest they give it a try!
#13 Illinois 83
Missouri 71
uofi7477
- Silver & Gold Vandals
And I am 72, and lived in St Louis from 1983-93 so absolutely concur. I became even a bigger Illini fan due to Miznoz Co-Workers with their inferiority complexes constantly harassing me. This game means way more to me than any games against B1G teams.
RichardKeenesCousin
Richard Keene's Cousin
Did we win the cheerleader competition last year? We lose almost every year. I want to see a "W" in that too!
If I remember correctly, we have won that last couple of years. We had a power pairing that was unbeatable, but I believe they have graduated. Robert actually had an article on it, but I don't know how to find it.Did we win the cheerleader competition last year? We lose almost every year. I want to see a "W" in that too!
How significant is this game to ANY of our players, honestly? Is this a rivalry game to them, or the fans? An honest question...
I don't perceive many "kids" knowing what a true rivalry is anymore. I'm a Junior High School Principal, been in education for 17 years now, and spent 7 years in the service before that. I honestly don't know if anyone under the age of 30 has an honest sense of the word rivalry and what it looks like. In my 17 years of education, I've been in 3 school districts, none of the kids and adults at those districts agreed on who the true rivalry was, or what the word means. The dads would always say one school whereas student/athletes, a different. The dads would say "X" school because of hatred towards the town, a player, the parents, a game ,etc. Today's kids say "because they always beat us," or "I don't know." I've had kids tell me schools they don't even play is their rival...
My generation got the mentality from our parents. Heck, the night before we played our rival in football, we met up at the river and fought it out, and did again the next night. A straight right was thrown at their pitcher after the baseball game, cheap shots were taken by both sides in basketball. It was a rivalry down to the bone and you didn't dare think about dating someone from there. Now half the kids in the 2 districts date, they don't even play each other in some sports because of ,football, I mean conference realignment. High school sports revolve around the playoffs and if you don't get in, you leave.
That mentality has been the same at all 3 schools and my guess is almost everywhere is the same. None of our players grew up watching Bragging Rights And I'm guessing none of Mizzou did either. So my final thought...is this an on court rivalry, or courtside seats and fan rivalry?
Miss hearing Steve Kelly's call games.
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I wish he’d get a bit more tick to help his development.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
If the players don't understand the intensity of the rivalry between the fan bases beforehand they do the minute they step on the court. Kiwane Garris talks about this with Deon Thomas in a podcast three years ago: "If this don't pump you up... you shouldn't even be on the court. Go back to the locker room and get dressed."
It has been more than 25 years since Kiwane was out there but I don't believe the sitch has changed.
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