Mizzou Hoops to Continue Long-Standing Rivalry in Non-Conference Play

The Tigers will travel to St. Louis on Dec. 22.

Missouri Tigers men's basketball is set for another matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini this upcoming season, according to Illinois' official release Thursday of the team's 2022-23 non-conference schedule.

The teams will meet on Thursday, Dec. 22 for the McBride Homes Braggin' Rights Game in St. Louis. 

Illinois has released its non-conference schedule for the 22-23 season. pic.twitter.com/Oce1biRHP3

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 29, 2022

This will mark the 48th all-time meeting between the two programs and the 40th-consecutive matchup dating back to 1983, as the teams have faced off every year since.

Illinois leads the all-time series 29-18, including a 88-63 win over Mizzou last season. The loss marked the third-worst losing deficit for Mizzou in the series history and the worst since 2005 when No. 6 Illinois won by 32. 

The Tigers couldn't buy a bucket in last season's meeting, shooting just 37 percent as a team. Illinois committed more turnovers (14) than Mizzou (12), but the Illini shot 57 percent from the floor and nailed 12 3-pointers.

Mizzou's leader Kobe Brown struggled, as he posted 13 points on 5-16 shooting. The 16 attempts were a game-high, as no one else on the team shot more than 10 times. 

Luckily for new Mizzou coach Dennis Gates, the Illini will be without star center Kofi Cockburn, who took the NBA route. He dominated with 25 points and 14 rebounds in last year's win. 

Illinois is still expected to be in contention in the Big Ten this season after earning the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Illini present Mizzou with another classic rivalry matchup, but also one of the Tigers' toughest non-SEC opponents. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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