GAME 13

Missouri vs. Illinois, 8 p.m. Thursday

LINEUPS

ILLINOIS (11-1)

Probable starters

P Name HT. YR. PPG

G Sam Maniscalco 6-0 Gr. 11.5

G D.J. Richardson 6-3 Jr. 14.2

G Brandon Paul 6-4 Jr. 10.3

F Tyler Griffey 6-8 Jr. 7.4

C Meyers Leonard 7-0 So. 12.8

Top reserves

G Tracy Abrams 6-1 Fr. 2.8

G Joseph Bertrand 6-5 So. 3.5

F Nnanna Egwu 6-11 Fr. 2.6

MISSOURI (11-0)

Probable starters

P Name HT. YR. PPG

G Phil Pressey 5-10 So. 8.6

G Marcus Denmon 6-3 Sr. 19.6

G Kim English 6-6 Sr. 16.0

G Matt Pressey 6-2 Sr. 8.3

F Ricardo Ratliffe 6-8 Sr. 14.3

Top reserves

G Michael Dixon 6-1 Jr. 12.6

F Steve Moore 6-9 Sr. 4.4

F Kadeem Green 6-8 Sr. 3.3

FACTS & FIGURES

Site: Scottrade Center (21,906), St. Louis.

Radio: Brian Barnhart and Jerry Hester call the action on WDWS 1400-AM, WHMS 97.5-FM, WDAN 1490-AM, WDNL 102.1-FM and WPXN 104.9-FM.

TV: ESPN2. Dave Pasch is on play-by-play duties, and former Indiana coach Bob Knight is the expert analyst.

Series: Illinois leads 27-14 overall and 20-10 in St. Louis. Missouri has won two straight in the Braggin' Rights series and hasn't won a third straight since 1999. No one on the UI roster has beaten Missouri. Bruce Weber is 6-3 against the Tigers.

Coaches: Weber (204-87 in ninth season at Illinois, 307-141 in 14th season overall); Frank Haith (11-0 in first season at Missouri, 140-101 in eighth season overall).

PAUL KLEE'S STORYLINES

1

Changing game plans

Bruce Weber and his staff morphed into mad-scientist mode in preparation for Thursday's game. Missouri's brilliant guards are a tough matchup for Illinois. So the coach was scheming how to nullify their quickness. With three days to prepare, look for several new looks that Illinois hasn't shown (much) this season. "We're going to have to mix it (up)," Weber said. Expect a four-guard lineup at times. Tracy Abrams was the fourth guard late in the win against Cornell. "We're going to have to do that on Thursday," Weber said. He said the defensive mismatch is at the big-forward spot. Missouri plays 6-foot-6 guard Kim English, which presents a David Lighty-like mismatch for Illinois. Tyler Griffey said he is prepared to defend a "smaller, quicker" player. "Obviously our advantage is size," said Griffey, who had an extended meeting with Weber before practice Tuesday to discuss the matchups. "Their advantage is quickness." If Illinois is to pull the upset, it likely will be as much about inventive, creative coaching as anything. And it sounds like Weber isn't scared to add a few wrinkles to the game plan. "I think we're going to try a few things differently," Griffey said.

2

The big factor

Missouri has shooters (Marcus Denmon and Kim English shoot better than 45 percent on threes) and quickness (even at 5-10, Phil Pressey has NBA potential and Michael Dixon is like a sixth starter). What the Tigers don't have: a big man like Meyers Leonard. The 7-foot sophomore will be defended by 6-8 Ricardo Ratliffe. Though Ratliffe is enjoying a breakout season, Leonard has the advantage. One non-Illinois coach, who has scouted Missouri, said Leonard should get 18 to 20 touches if the Illini are to beat the Tigers. Not that he needs to shoot 18 to 20 times. "Good things happen when he gets the ball," as Weber put it, whether it's a kick-out to an open shooter or a trip to the free throw line. Asked if he prefers to go against a taller defender (like himself) or a shorter, strong player, Leonard said, "There's no matchup that I honestly feel like I cannot score against." To beat confident Missouri, the Illini will have to channel some of the sophomore's swagger. Leonard also said he's capable of playing 35-plus minutes if necessary. "Obviously the Big Ten is going to be wear and tear," said Leonard, who noted he would take advantage of timeouts. "But I'm an athletic freak. I'm capable of doing that. Obviously nobody is a robot. It's going to take its wear and tear (eventually)."

3

Notes from STL

Tyler Griffey, who hails from the St. Louis area, has attended the Braggin' Rights game since the fifth grade. He said roughly 70 percent of his graduating class at Wildwood (Mo.) Lafayette attended Mizzou. "And I was the only one that chose (Illinois). Other than that, it's all Mizzou and Missouri State," Griffey said. "It's kind of the reason I chose Illinois. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to be the outlier." ... Regardless of Thursday night's result, Illinois will escape the nonconference season without a bad loss. That wasn't the case in 2007 (Tennessee State), 2009 (Bradley, Utah) or 2010 (UIC). Bruce Weber noted there have been several so-called upsets recently. "South Dakota State (beat Washington). Kansas lost (to Davidson). Vanderbilt lost to Indiana State," he said. ... Officials expect Thursday night's game will be a sellout. ... The expectations for this Braggin' Rights game are similar to last season. Missouri was ranked No. 9 last year (and is No. 9 this year). Illinois was No. 21 last year (and is No. 25 this year). ... Frank Haith picked up a big transfer last week when freshman guard Jabari Brown, a former top 20 recruit, announced he would transfer from Oregon to Missouri. The 6-4 guard should be eligible for the 2012 Braggin' Rights game.

PREDICTION

No. 9 Missouri 83, No. 25 Illinois 69

Now would be an ideal time for a leader to emerge for Illinois. For the first time there is doubt in the locker room. So we polled arguably the finest leader on campus for his take on the 31st Braggin' Rights showdown. Plus, Nathan Scheelhaase has several ties to this rivalry. The Illini quarterback and team captain played AAU ball with Missouri guard Michael Dixon. His Kansas City-based club team played against Tyler Griffey's St. Louis-based squad "at least 10 times," Scheelhaase said. "I used to try to guard Tyler. It was always my goal to hold him to as few points as possible. It wasn't easy." Scheelhaase also is close friends with classmate Brandon Paul and attended the basketball team's game-day walkthrough before the Cornell game. His prediction for tonight's game? "Obviously Missouri's a fast team. But I think we're as athletic a team as Illinois has been in recent history," he said. "So I do think we'll go down there and get a win." Sorry, Nathan. We adore your leadership qualities and respect your opinion. But these rivals are headed in opposite directions at the moment. Quickness has been the Illini's Kryptonite. Missouri is quicker than a blink. It would take a near-perfect game plan — and look for Bruce Weber to surprise the Tigers with a number of new looks — to swing the upset. The Tigers will raise the Braggin' Rights trophy for the third straight year. (News-Gazette prediction record: 11-1)