The Border Showdown Continues: Missouri vs Kansas Preview
The rivalry between Missouri and Kansas hardly needs an introduction.
Both premier schools of their respective states have a storied history between each other, and it dates all the way back to the Civil War. There's bad blood between the two fanbases, and they'll be the first to tell you that.
Every game these two schools face off against each other – primarily in football and basketball – are sure to be a heated battle of gigantic proportions. Saturday's game will likely be no different, as the Tigers look to get their first win of the new six-year series against the Jayhawks.
Missouri has lost the first two games of the series by a wide-margin, getting demolished 102-65 in 2021 and 95-67 in 2022. It's a new season and largely different team, but the Tigers haven't exactly gotten off to a strong start to their 2023-24 campaign.
Currently sitting at a 7-2 record, Missouri has struggled in figuring out how to juggle all of the incoming freshman and transfer pieces. Its two losses came against a quality Memphis Tigers roster, but also a previously 0-5 Jackson St. Tigers team.
The losses of Kobe Brown and D'Moi Hodge have been rightfully difficult to fill, but Sean East II has stepped into being a true leader for the Tigers. The senior is averaging 16.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game on 58% shooting from the field and 62% from 3-point range.
The pair of Nick Honor and Noah Carter have also continued to be key pieces for Missouri, allowing for some continuity from last season. Honor is averaging 11.8 points per game on 45.3% shooting from three, while Carter is scoring 12.6 points on 44.8% shooting from the field.
From there, transfer guards Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill and freshman Anthony Robinson II follow behind, all giving the Tigers quality minutes and reliable production.
Meanwhile, Kansas has been on another level.
The Jayhawks are the No. 2 team in college basketball with an 8-1 record, falling just behind the Arizona Wildcats. Their only loss came against the No. 4 Marquette Golden Eagles, a much stronger opponent than any team Missouri has faced as of yet.
Kansas is led by a trio of great players, including Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr. and K.J. Adams Jr.
Dickinson has performed as one of the top players in college basketball this season. The 7-foot-2 giant is averaging 20.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 63.5% shooting from the field. While most of his scoring comes within the paint, he also can knockdown shots from behind the arc at an efficient rate.
The leading guard of the Jayhawks is McCullar, who is averaging 19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game on 54.4 shooting from the field. He does a little bit of everything for his team, and will be another large task for the Missouri defense to handle.
Adams is in his third season at Kansas, possessing plenty of experience within the program. While he was a solid contributor last season, he has made a scoring jump from 10.6 points per game to 12.4 this season. The junior lacks any ability to stretch the floor, but is a threat to look out for at the basket.
The odds will once again be stacked against the Tigers, so they must come out strong offensively to stand any chance against a dominant Jayhawks team. Unlike like last year, Missouri will have the disadvantage in playing in a hostile environment, causing further pressure during the game.
Missouri will also have to limit the rebounding struggles that its been all too familiar with the last two seasons, which Dickinson can easily take advantage of on the glass.
The best chance the Tigers have in rolling over the Jayhawks is getting hot from the three-pointer, which they have yet to truly accomplish against more challenging opponents this season. They certainly have the ability to between the likes of East and Honor, but doing it against the Kansas defense will be a whole new challenge.
Tonight will easily be the biggest strength-test of the season for Missouri thus far, but for being another installment in the Border Showdown series, it's only right.
