ST. LOUIS — The memory is clear, even if Sam Maniscalco would rather delete it from his mind.

It was February 2009. Bradley was hosting Northern Iowa. Maniscalco's Braves had built an eight-point lead with fewer than four minutes left. Then the Panthers hit a three-pointer with five seconds left to steal the win.

"It was the most emotionally high and low I've ever experienced. It was like, 'Did that just happen?' " Maniscalco recalled. "We were deflated. It was damage-control time."

Even though it was just one loss, Saturday's 16-point defeat to UNLV sent Maniscalco's Illini into damage-control time. It came in Chicago, the hometown of seven players. It was convincing and lopsided. It was the first college loss for six players. It rattled the locker room.

So No. 25 Illinois enters Thursday night's showdown against No. 9 Missouri needing to rebuild its confidence (8, ESPN2). Coach Bruce Weber said the confidence of some players, mainly the underclassmen, has been shaken. It's up to the older guys — like Maniscalco, who has played in 122 college games — to curb the negative momentum before it slides into a deeper funk.

"I try as much as I can to be an extension of him (Weber) on the court," Maniscalco said. "A lot of times when you hear it from one voice, you tend to block it out. And that's with anybody, nobody specifically, that's just how it goes. It's just human nature.

"So maybe if they hear it from another voice — and I found that was true at Bradley — you listen better. Maybe it will sink in better."

This is the sort of occasion that reminds why the Illinois coaching staff was ecstatic in picking Maniscalco off the college free agent market. A fifth-year senior, he has the experience of recovering from tough losses and refocusing a team. In four seasons at Bradley, Maniscalco often consulted with coach Jim Les to share the mood of the team after losses, to relay which players were upset and to set the tone of the next practice.

He also recognizes the importance and heightened intensity of a rivalry game. At Chicago St. Patrick's, it was Niles Notre Dame. At Bradley, it was Illinois State.

"There's something different about a rivalry game," he said.

Strangely, the guy who best understands the value of a rivalry is the senior who hasn't played in the annual Braggin' Rights free-for-all. He's never watched it on TV, either.

Here's a teaser, Sam: It's bananas. Coaches are doused with popcorn. Expert free throw shooters miss last-second freebies. Beer sales are plentiful. Blowouts are relatively common (the past three meetings and six of the past 10 were decided by double digits) and the refs are brave souls.

The winner often is the side that best handles the emotion of the split crowd. Missouri (11-0) is riding high, having won its 11 games by an average margin of victory of 27.7 points.

"They've been able to humiliate teams so far this season," UI center Meyers Leonard said.

"They can really explode on you. A two-point game can be 11 in less than a minute," Weber said, adding, "I told them, 'We're the underdog. Go play. See what happens.' "

Illinois (11-1) is trying to relocate its mojo, having fallen into a four-game funk since entering the Top 25 on Dec. 5. The Illini are very much a team that gets high or low with emotion — typical of a roster that features eight players in their first or second seasons.

A boisterous home crowd aided a win against Gonzaga in their finest performance. On the other hand, the Illini seemed to be affected by the negative vibes — and boos — inside the United Center as UNLV built a double-digit lead on Saturday.

"They'll be fine," Weber said of the underclassmen. "They're going to be good players."

"I remember when I was going through that as a freshman. Sometimes (it's a matter of) coming in and not making the big play but just being solid," Maniscalco added. "It's tough as a freshman coming in. You're bombarded with so many different things and so much information. The biggest thing is they have a good attitude."

Maniscalco also has hit a wall. And some of that is health, as his surgically repaired left ankle isn't yet 100 percent. At times he has played through pain; other times, such as between the back-to-back games in Cancun, the ankle recovered nicely.

It's easy to forget Maniscalco went roughly 18 months with a bum ankle.

Prior to the 2010-11 season opener at Bradley, he never participated in a full practice. Prior to this season, he was held out of most workouts for more than two weeks. The fact he's averaging 27.9 minutes — tied for second most on the team — is either a minor medical miracle or a testament to a Chester Frazier-like pain threshold.

"I'm really enjoying myself. I think the biggest thing is I'm back on the court again playing," he said. "Just to be back out there competing with the guys, being on a team, getting up and down the court and sweating. If it were all to come easy, it wouldn't be worth it.

"I've told you this before, it's an honor to wear the Illinois uniform. I can't tell you how many guys would like to be in this position. I think a lot of time us, as athletes, take for granted what we're given."