Sunday was a huge step forward for Illinois (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) on multiple fronts. An 80-77 win over Missouri in the team's annual Braggin' Rights game was the headline, but the subtext was infinitely more important.

After a full week off, Illinois (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) made the short trek across the Missouri border to St. Louis for its annual clash with Mizzou (10-2, 0-0 SEC). In yet another physical, whistle-heavy matchup – similar to last week’s contest against No.