Illinois @ Missouri preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 22, 2018 ) Illinois 63, Missouri 79

One of the underrated regional rivalries in college basketball is renewed on Saturday afternoon when Illinois takes on Missouri at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The Illini come into the game on a two-game winning streak, including a win over Old Dominion last Saturday, while the Tigers have also won two straight, including topping Southern Illinois on Sunday.

Illinois has one of the better freshman big men in the country in 7-foot Kofi Cockburn, who leads the team in scoring (15.4 points), rebounding (10.5) and blocked shots (1.3). Guards Ayo Dosunmu (14.8 points) and Trent Frazier (10.2) are also starters averaging in double figures, while guard Andres Feliz has moved to a scoring sub role, scoring 13.5 points per game and ranking second on the team in rebounding (5.9) despite being only 6-2. The Tigers aren't quite as prolific of an offensive team as the Illini, averaging just 66.2 points to Illinois' 81.4, but they do hold opponents to 57.9 points and 37.1 percent shooting from the floor. Junior guard Mark Smith -- who played at Illinois as a freshman before transferring to Missouri -- leads Cuonzo Martin's squad with 12.9 points and 5 rebounds per game, with Dru Smith (no relation) the only other double-figure scorer at 10.8 points.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, SEC Network.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (8-3): Brad Underwood always wants his team to get out and run when it can, but this season's Illini squad hasn't had quite the pace as the first two seasons under Underwood. Part of that is likely attributed to having a post player like Cockburn to throw it into, which could be a big key in this season's version of the "Braggin' Rights" game with Missouri. Last season, the Tigers held the Illini to just 63 points in an easy win, dominating the paint (36-24) and keeping the Illinois fast break in control, though Missouri could have a little trouble doing that again with Cockburn on the floor.

ABOUT MISSOURI (6-4): Missouri's chances against Illinois likely come down to the play of Mark Smith, who struggled in his first meeting with his former school last season. Smith played 35 minutes but finished with just five points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range. The junior should have an easier time focusing and putting his emotions aside in his second time on the Missouri side of the rivalry, and Martin will certainly try to get him going early to calm any nerves he might have in this one and get the Tigers off to a good start.

TIP-INS

1. Illinois leads the country in rebound margin (plus-14.2) and ranks second nationally in offensive rebound percentage (40.7 percent).

2. Missouri held Southern Illinois to just 10 field goals in its win over the Salukis, the second-fewest allowed by the Tigers in a game this decade.

3. Frazier is averaging 25 points in his first two games against Missouri, scoring a game-high 22 points as a freshman and a game-high 28 points in last season's game.

PREDICTION: Illinois 72, Missouri 65