Mizzou's Win Over Kansas Marks Pivotal Chapter for Program

A court storm the likes of the one seen at Mizzou Arena on Sunday don't happen very often. It takes just the right underdog story, timing and rivalry to not only pull it off, but to make it worth it.

Missouri's first win over Kansas since 2012 and a top-ranked opponent since 1997 had the exact recipe to make it one of the most memorable games in the school's recent memory.

Since one of college basketball's biggest rivalries was reinstated in 2021, the Tigers had lost three-straight matchups before they picked up this win. In the first rematch, Missouri was decimated by 37 points in 2021. Then 28 in 2022. And although much closer in 2023's attempt, the Tigers still came up nine points shorts.

To truly prove itself as a program that could legitimately compete with the team it so clearly has distain for, Missouri needed to get one over the Jayhawks. A home game against a reeling Kansas coming off a loss at the hands of Creighton prevented a golden opportunity to do just that — and it found a way.

The Tigers picked up their eight-straight win of the year in a 76-67 battle. They forced 22 turnovers that proved to be detrimental for the Jayhawks, while Tamar Bates led the way with 29 points and five steals on 9-of-15 shooting from the field.

Like the historic wins that came before it, Dec. 8 will go down in Missouri history as an all-time great win. Though coach Dennis Gates had a successful first campaign — reaching the NCAA Tournament with Kobe Brown and D'Moi Hodge — he hadn't earned a truly defining win at the helm.

Beating Kansas for the first time as coach earned him that. The Tigers tend to be on the losing end of the rivalry more times than not, and taking it down when it was a No. 1 team just put icing on the cake for them.

"Man, this is not just a game. It's not. It's not a game," Gates said. "I want these dudes to remember what they accomplished, and that's what we talked about in our scouting report. 'Well, how do you want 20 years from now when you look back?'"

Though Missouri did compete with the Jayhawks last season, it went on to have one of its worst campaigns in program history. It finished a whopping 0-18 in the SEC, failing to notch a single win from January on.

A season as frustrating as that would put any program in a frenzy, but Gates was able to bring back key returners and introduce one of the top freshman and transfer classes to his roster. It's a tough situation to bounce back from, but the Tigers needed to get results again.

Entering the Kansas matchup, Missouri held a 7-1 record. It had taken care of business against lesser opponents in non-conference play and beat Cal in the SEC/ACC Challenge, only dropping its season opener to Memphis. The odds of winning on Sunday weren't exactly high, but the Tigers brought the fight they needed to secure an upset victory.

It's impossible to predict where Missouri goes from here. It could carry this game into Illinois in a couple of weeks along with conference play, or it could be one of the only games the season is remembered for.

"I just want to use this moment to build what we need to continue to build here in these infant stages of the program," Gates said after the win.

Regardless, it brings back the lost confidence in a program that hasn't found much success in the last decade. Since the 2013-'14 season, the Tigers have only reached the NCAA Tournament three times, and only gone past the first round a single time. There's been a considerable lull in Missouri having notoriety in basketball.

It's too early to tell if the Tigers are going to find that again, but beating the Jayhawks at their best ranking puts them in the conversation across the country. They'll be put in a position to earn a spot in the AP top 25 for the first time since the 2022-23 season, a huge step forward from the lows of last year.

Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers point guard Anthony Robinson II (2) slams down a dunk during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

As Gates is fond of saying, Missouri is still in the "infant stages" of building its program. It's trying to become not only a contender in the SEC again, but a brand that gains national respect. It isn't anywhere near the status of Kansas despite the win — it has far more things to accomplish to get there, and it's going to take time.

Bill Self has been at the helm of the Jayhawks for 20 years, and to bring home two NCAA Tournament wins and appearances in every single one aside from the COVID-19-shortened season takes that sort of longevity. Few coaches can compare to Self, but Gates aims to reach that bar in his career.

Beating Kansas wasn't the only meaning behind the win for the Tigers. It brought them out of the shadow of last season, boosted the confidence of its personnel and returned the faith of the future of the program.

"You don't have to go far to play big-time basketball and win big-time games," guard Tamar Bates said. "You can come play for this guy [Gates]."

A court covered with Tiger fans dressed in black and gold, signs demonstrating the hatred for their biggest adversary and the chants of f-bombs every time Mr. Brightside blared through the arena's speakers proved that. No matter how long they went without beating the Jayhawks, the confidence they could do it never wavered.

Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers fans storm the court at Mizzou Arena after the team's win over No. 1 Kansas. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

Even if it's just for a few of days before the season moves along, Missouri can bask in the glory of one its most important wins in the past several years.

More from Mizzou vs. No. 1 Kansas:

Three Takeaways From Mizzou's Upset Victory Over Kansas
Coaches, Players React to Mizzou Basketball's Upset Over Top-Ranked Kansas
Bill Self Compliments Mizzou's Court Storming, Dennis Gates' Timeout