It was once one of the strongest rivalries in college sports, but it’s now just a nonconference game as Missouri travels to Allen Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon to face No. 2 Kansas.
Kansas (8-1) already has faced four ranked teams in the nonconference season, going 3-1 against Kentucky, Marquette, Tennessee and Connecticut. The game against the Tigers looks like a break on the schedule, if it weren’t for history.
“It will be turned up today and tomorrow from a preparation standpoint without question,” Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday. “I hope the players sense that’s there’s a bit more urgency in how we go about our business. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to dial it up. I think it can easily be dialed up on their own.”
The rivalry resumed two years ago and it has been all Kansas in the first two games. The Jayhawks defeated the Tigers 102-65 in Lawrence two years ago and then demolished Mizzou 95-67 last season in Columbia.
The Jayhawks come into Saturday’s game with an average margin of victory of 15.5 points per game, 30th in Division I.
The Jayhawks have a high-scoring front line. Hunter Dickinson is averaging a double-double with 20.1 points (32nd nationally) and 12.2 rebounds (second) per game. Kevin McCullar is right behind Dickinson in scoring at 19.2 ppg and KJ Adams is scoring 12.4.
When Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC following the 2011-12 season, Self took the position that it was not in KU’s best interests to play Missouri in men’s basketball. It was more of a “thumb your nose” than a strategic ploy.
However, Self changed his position about scheduling Mizzou after the schools combined forces to participate in a charity basketball game called the “Showdown for Relief” in October 2017.
Now the animosities seem to have disappeared completely. Missouri coach Dennis Gates has not stated whether he’ll have his team stay in Kansas City, Mo., on the trip like former Mizzou coach Norm Stewart used to when the rivalry was at its peak, not wanting to spend any money in the state of Kansas.
Missouri (7-2) has won four straight games, but none have come against ranked teams. In fact, only Memphis – one of Mizzou’s two losses – is receiving votes in the current AP poll.
The latest victory was an 82-72 win over Wichita State on Sunday. Four Tigers scored in double figures. Sean East II led Mizzou with 22 points and nine assists. Nick Honor scored 15 points and Connor Vanover added 11 while Caleb Grill notched his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“This was a game where I thought we shot out of the cannon, so to speak, and we were able to do that defensively, which led to our lead,” Gates said after the game. “There were some plays that didn’t go our way. But we did a tremendous job being physical, getting to the foul line and executing.”
The Tigers are also led by a trio of double-figure scorers. East averages 16.8 points. He’s joined by Noah Carter with 12.6 and Honor at 11.8.
Now the attention switches to the next game. Gates refuses to bank on the past, or even look at the significance of the rivalry with Kansas.
“I have selective amnesia,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you what we won. I just want to make sure we’re moving our group in the right direction.
“The most important opponent we have is ourselves.”
–Field Level Media