Illinois has been waylaid by injury but heads to St. Louis a Braggin' Rights favorite

What's On

1 day to Braggin' Rights. Huge, huge game for many reasons.

Post-Dispatch: Nothing has come easy for Groce’s Illini

The basketball team has suffered one major injury hit after another to diminish expectations. Senior point guard Tracy Abrams suffered a torn Achilles tendon in July, ending his comeback from the torn ACL that wiped out his previous season. [...]

During the team’s European adventure in August, junior forward Darius Paul’s off-court problems resurfaced in France. Authorities there nabbed him for vandalizing cars, resisting arrest and public intoxication. For the second and final time, Groce booted him off the team. [...]

[J]unior guard Kendrick Nunn suffered a left thumb injury in October. Nunn returned to active duty after missing five games, but 6-foot-11, 270-pound graduate transfer Mike Thorne Jr. suffered a knee injury during his seventh game.

Sophomore forward Leron Black is struggling to overcome a similar knee injury. He has been in and out of the lineup — missing five games and counting — and Groce isn’t sure how much Black will contribute for the rest of the season.

Just a crazy amount of bad injury luck for Illinois, which ranks just 114th in Pomeroy's ratings. Of course ... Mizzou's 190th, and Illinois is still given a 68% chance of winning in St. Louis. Good times.

Oh yeah, and...

12-0

University of Missouri Athletics - @MizzouWBB Defeats Texas State 82-56 Behind 14 Assists by Lindsey Cunningham

Lindsey Cunningham's 14 assists help MU women beat Texas State - Columbia Daily Tribune | Columbia Missouri: MU Basketball

W/o attempting a FG, Lindsey Cunningham was responsible for 35 of @MizzouWBB's 82 points. Her 14 assists led to 32 points & she made 3 Fts

— Shawn Davis (@ShawnDizzle77) December 22, 2015

Mizzou's Lindsey Cunningham had 14 assists tonight - one off MU single-game record set by Dee-Dee Polk in 1984

— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) December 22, 2015

Didn't tweet this earlier, but Texas State Coach Zenarae Antoine gave a dynamite interview in her postgame presser tonight.

— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) December 22, 2015

Antoine closed her opening statement with this, regarding MU: "They’re definitely prepared for SEC play...

— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) December 22, 2015

I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re in the top 3" in the SEC "because right now,after taking a look at that field, that’s where I’d put them"

— Blake Toppmeyer (@btoppmeyer) December 22, 2015

Big Shel in court in January

Post-Dispatch: Court case against NFL's Sheldon Richardson continued again, until Jan. 25