NCAA Basketball: 25 best team rivalries heading into 2019-20 season

10. Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Missouri Tigers

Across college basketball, the yearly rivalry between Illinois and Missouri is one of the most unusual. These two schools play each season in late December in St. Louis at a neutral site halfway between both schools. Labeled the Braggin’ Rights, the crowds are typically half yellow and half orange and the games have given us a lot of excitement over the years.

Since Braggin’ Rights began in St. Louis in 1980, Illinois holds a 25-13 advantage in a series of back and forth winning streaks. Illinois won eight in a row early on and nine straight from 2000 to 2008, though the Tigers would win the next four games.

Last year’s Missouri win broke a five-year Illini streak, though some time has passed since this was a nationally anticipated matchup. Neither team has been ranked in the last five years of the matchup, a downturn after some really exciting games between highly ranked squads.

One of the rivalry’s craziest games was Missouri’s upset win in a 108-107 triple-overtime thriller in 1993, a game where Illinois had plenty of chances to put the Tigers away late. The 2014 game ended in Illinois’s favor on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Rayvonte Rice. Their game in 1989 featured a pair of top-five schools, with Illinois victorious 101-93 in a wild shootout.

This game still means a lot to the fans in both Illinois and Missouri, though the rivalry has lost a bit of luster in recent years. Third-year head coaches Brad Underwood and Cuonzo Martin have work ahead on their teams, though both squads project to take major steps forward this coming season.

There are no guarantees, but this could be an exciting, high impact game just like it used to be. This isn’t the Flying Illini or one of Norm Stewart’s great Tigers squads, but the rivalry could make a major return with these hungry young squads.