KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This Saturday, the Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers will tip off in Columbia one last time.
For two bitter rivals, the stakes are as high as they’ve ever been for a regular season match-up. For the first time since 1990, Kansas and Missouri will be facing off as two top ten teams. Both teams are contending for a Big 12 conference title this season. Next year, Missouri will leave the Big 12 for the SEC.
No. 8 Kansas (18-4, 8-1 Big 12) and No. 4 Missouri (20-2, 7-2 Big 12) have at least one thing in common statistically. They both can shoot the ball. Both rank in the top 20 nationally in field goal percentage. Mizzou ranks 5th, shooting 49.8% from the field, and KU ranks 18th, shooting 48.4%.
There are also a couple of glaring differences. KU ranks 7th in the nation in FG% defense. On average, their opponents shoot 37.7% from the field. Mizzou ranks 178th nationally in that department, allowing their opponents to avg. 43% from the field. Another big factor could be the turnover battle. Mizzou takes care of the ball. The Tigers rank 5th nationally in turnover margins with a ratio of +5.4. The Jayhawks rank 86th with a ratio of +1.7. Early game jitters in a game of this magnitude could lead to some costly mistakes. Also, watch for some potential matchup problems down low with Missouri’s guard heavy lineup.
Kansas leads the all time series against Missouri, 171-94. The Jayhawks have won five straight games over the Tigers by an avg. margin of 17 pts, and have taken 10 out of the last 11. The Tigers’ last win came in 2009 after a game winning shot by Zaire Taylor.
From the Confederate stylings of Quantrill’s Raiders, to the violence carried out by Pro-Union Jayhawkers, Kansas and Missouri have been bitter rivals since the Civil War. Out of all the classic games and unforgettable moments from a rivalry built on blood, this one has the potential to top them all.
