#BragginRights Next for @MizzouHoops on Wednesday

Opponent	Location	Day/Time	Media
vs. Illinois Buy Tickets	Scottrade Center	Wednesday, Dec. 23 6 p.m.	TV: ESPN2 Radio: Tiger Network Online: WatchESPN \| Live Audio \| Live Stats Game Notes

#ZOUNotes

Mizzou Men's Basketball (5-5) next heads to the 35th Annual Bud Light Braggin' Rights Game at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., tipping off vs. Illinois at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Head coach Kim Anderson's Tigers are led in scoring by freshman forward Kevin Puryear's 12.1 points per game. Puryear has scored in double figures in seven of Mizzou's 10 games, thus far.
Three of Mizzou's top five scorers are freshmen, as guards Terrence Phillips and K.J. Walton average 9.4 and 6.0 points per game, respectively.
Phillips has also been an energetic addition to Mizzou's defense, as the Orange County, Calif., native has a team-high 14 steals.
Anderson's rotation has solidified itself into Puryear, Phillips, Namon Wright and Wes Clark serving as Mizzou's only players averaging more than 20 minutes per game.
Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant has a team-high 10 blocks through the first 10 games of the season.

Last Time Out

Mizzou (5-5) dropped to 2-3 all-time against NC State and 1-1 during games played in Columbia after a 73-59 result on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Freshman guard Cullen VanLeer drained four three-pointers, which was the highest total by a Tiger this season. Previously, a Mizzou player had connected from beyond the arc three times in a game on eight different occasions this season.
Sophomore guard Tramaine Isabell finished with 10 points, the third time this season that he has scored in double figures. He also tied a career-high with two steals for the sixth time and matched a season-best with two assists. He also dished out two assists vs. Arkansas State on Dec. 1 and vs. Wofford on Nov. 13.

Gaining Traction at the Line

Three of Mizzou's top four scorers, Kevin Puryear (12.1), Terrence Phillips (9.4) and Wes Clark (7.7) are all shooting 75.0 percent or better from the free throw line, a good trend for a team that finished last season with just two players over the 75.0-percent mark.

Dish It Out, K.J.!

Mizzou freshman guard K.J. Walton handed out three assists in the game vs. NC State (Dec. 19), which marks just the third time this season he has recorded multiple assists.

About Illinois

Illinois (7-5) enters the Braggin' Rights Game as winners of four-straight games, including a victory in recent action over South Dakota (Dec. 19) by a score of 91-79.
The Fighting Illini have scored 80 points or more on six separate occasions so far in the 2015-16 season.
Led by head coach John Groce, the Fighting Illini are working to return to the NCAA Tournament that the squad made in Groce's first campaign in Champaign (2012-13). Illinois has made two consecutive NIT fields since then.

Closer Look at the Illini

Illinois has been powered by the dual scoring threat of junior guard Malcolm Hill and junior guard Kendrick Nunn, who average 18.5 and 18.4 points per game, respectively.
Graduate transfer forward Mike Thorne, Jr. leads the Illini on the glass with his stout 8.4 rebounds per game. Thorne has seven more offensive rebounds (22) than the next closest Illini player (Hill, 15).
The Illini started the season 3-5, but its four consecutive wins have boosted the squad back above the .500 mark. Losses in that stretch included at Providence (Nov. 18, 60-59) and vs. Iowa State (Nov. 28, 84-73).

Schedule