Braggin’ Time

By: Eli Kaberon

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois play their annual basketball game at the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis. The states border each other, with Missouri’s eastern border the same as Illinois’ western: the Mississippi River. The schools are both very close to the Gateway Arch, each campus being less than 180 miles away. And because the game always takes place over both schools’ winter break, it allows students and alumni to fill the arena with an equal number of fans from both sides. Half the crowd is dressed in Fighting Illini orange and blue, the other half in Tiger black and gold.Many people call the contest, which is known as the Braggin’ Rights Game, one of the best non-conference rivalries in the country. That’s pretty high praise, putting the game next to Kentucky-Louisville, Cincinnati-Xavier and the Big Five Philadelphia schools (Drexel, Penn, St. Joseph’s, Villanova and Temple, which all play each other annually). Illinois and Missouri have been going at it in basketball for the last 28 years, with the Illini holding a 20-8 edge. This includes nine of the first ten games (1980 and ‘83-’90, with no game in ‘82) for Illinois and also the last eight, after Saturday night’s 59-58 victory.

For some people, having the best non-conference rivalry is like having the best non-conference record - it sounds impressive, but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t do much for you. Illinois-Missouri may be big, but it will never be on par with North Carolina-Duke, Indiana-Purdue, or UConn-Syracuse in the pantheon of college hoops challenges. In the end, a Big 12 title will mean a lot more to the Tigers than a win over Illinois.

Don’t tell that to the fans and students of each team, though. The Illinois fans would tell you that a win over the state to the west is as big as one over the state to the north (Wisconsin) or the east (Indiana). And Mizzou fans have no problem at all comparing this game to their rivalry with their own border foe to the west, the University of Kansas.

“I think, because it is non-conference, you don’t get a bigger rival than Mizzou,” said Ryan Cozab, a senior sousaphone player in the Illinois marching band. “It’s the battle of the river. You got a bunch of representation at the game, half and half, for Illinois and Mizzou. And it really is a great way to close out the non-conference season.”

“This game is unique because you have two sides coming together,” Phil Laposa, a Missouri junior from St. Louis said. “This atmosphere is a little more hostile. At home, you have all the students around supporting you. This game’s a little more annoying, because you have to deal with the other people. I’ve gone to the game the last few years because I love the rivalry here.”

It’s an easy rivalry to love, because of how enthusiastic the fans are. Similar to the Oklahoma-Texas Red River Shootout football game - played every season in Dallas - the tickets to the Braggin’ Rights Game are split right down the middle. At section 162 on the east side of the arena and 116 on the west, staircases act as makeshift borderlines. There is no written sign, but all the fans know: everyone to the left wears orange, everyone to the right wears black. Both squads bring marching bands and cheerleaders, giving the game a sort of high school atmosphere. And at any given time, both fan sections could be in the middle of their call and response cheers: M-I-Z … Z-O-U / I-L-L … I-N-I.

“It’s definitely NCAA or Big Ten [tournament] caliber, because both fans are excited about having their programs doing well the last few years,” said Laramie McMasters, a senior member of the Orange Krush cheering section at Illinois. “Everybody is up to the occasion, so its not downplayed even though it’s a neutral court. Both teams have the fans, so it’s like having a tournament game on a neutral court.”

Even the players recognize the special environment of the Braggin’ Rights game. Illinois senior forward Brian Randle has played in 12 NCAA and Big Ten tournament games throughout his career, as well as three previous Braggin’ Rights games. He acknowledged that the Scottrade Center crowd of 21,941 on Saturday was on par with the highest level of college basketball.

“This is NCAA; this is that environment - having as many fans as you can fit into one arena,” Randle said after the win. “This is a border war. Having Missouri and Illinois being right there gives you a push. This one having an official title, having an official trophy, it makes it really special.”

Basketball isn’t the only sport these two schools face off in on a yearly basis. 2007 marked the renewal of the football rivalry between the Fighting Illini and Tigers, a Sep. 1 game the Tigers won 40-34, also in St. Louis. And with each team’s success during the season - Mizzou went 11-2, was ranked #1 heading into the final week and will play in the Cotton Bowl; Illinois finished 9-3, beat two teams ranked in the top five and will make their first Rose Bowl appearance in 24 years - the rivalry will only intensify. The two loudest cheers of the game both appeared when there were no players on the court, but instead when Tigers football coach Gary Pinkel appeared on the Jumbotron, followed by a Juice Williams highlight video. The Illini fans even threw some football-related taunting at Mizzou, chanting “B-C-S … B-C-S!”.

To some fans, the football teams getting better at both schools will make the basketball game more intense, too. Jordan Shroyer, a senior cheerleader at Missouri, has been to plenty of rivalry games in his college career. But he says that the addition of relevant football will make Illinois vs. Missouri even bigger than it already is.

“Any time both sides are doing well, you always want to beat the other one. It leads to a great level of respect among your rivals,” Shroyer said. “You always want your rivals to be as good as you - until you play them.”

The 2007 edition of the Braggin’ Rights game lived up to the hype and pressure put on it by the football teams’ success. A physical battle throughout - at one point in the first half, four of the ten players on the court were actually on the court, tossed around like salt on a snowy road - it came down to the last few minutes, like all Illinois games seem to this year. The battle mainly took place when the Illini had the ball, with Coach Bruce Webber’s motion offense trying to score again Mizzou coach Mike Anderson’s famed 40 Minutes of Hell, full-court press defense.

But in the end, it was the offense of Illinois that prevailed - with the help of a couple well-timed Missouri turnovers - to give U of I a 59-58 victory. The win gave the Fighting Illini a series-record eighth straight win, but it was far from easy.

Despite being held scoreless for over 25 minutes of the game, senior center Shaun Pruitt came through with the go ahead put-back with 35 seconds left, after missing from point-blank range four times. That was followed by a blocked shot by Illini forward Mike Davis, and two missed free-throws by point guard Chester Frazier, giving Missouri the ball with seven seconds left and no timeouts - in other words, one more chance.

Tigers point guard Keon Lawrence, the fastest player on the Mizzou roster, got the ball after the second missed free throw. Frazier pressed him in the backcourt, not allowing Lawrence to go straight ahead towards his basked, instead forcing him to zig-zag across the court. Under the stifling watch of Frazier, the Tigers guard dribbled the ball off his foot as time expired, giving Illinois the victory in a wire-to-wire game that featured ten lead changes and six ties.

“We needed it. I’m sure Missouri felt they needed it, but we needed it worse than they did. Our kids found a way to win,” said Coach Webber. “This makes Christmas much better, there’s no doubt.”

So, once again, Illinois holds the Braggin’ Rights - and the trophy that goes with it - over their neighbors to the west. Of course, there still is an entire conference season to play, as well as potential postseason berths for both schools. Still, having those rights over a rival means a lot.

That is, until these schools meet again on the football field on August 30, 2008. Then Illinois and Missouri start the rivalry all over again.

Eli Kaberon is a 2005 graduate of Evanston Township High School and currently is attending Columbia College in the loop, majoring in print journalism. A life-long fan of the Cubs, Bears and Bulls, Eli also works as a seat vendor at Wrigley Field and has sold hot dogs to everyone ranging from Bears tight end Greg Olsen to Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. Eli can be reached at ekaberon@yahoo.com.

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