The Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers have an illustrious history on the hardwood.
It isn’t the first rivalry you think of when you are asked to name some of the season’s biggest games across a college basketball season, but to the two fan bases, there is almost nothing more important.
However, as it stands, next season’s matchup between the two is the last on the currently agreed-upon schedule.
When asked on Jon Rothstein’s podcast, “Inside College Basketball Now,” about the state of getting the matchup back on track, Gates responded, “Well, you know, I hope we can get to a place where we can keep that game on the schedule,” the pair have been squaring off once per year since the 2021-22 season, going 4-1 over the last five years, with the latest loss coming in the 2024-25 season.
Kansas has dominated this matchup
“...It won't be me holding it up. I know that. I would sign a contract for it right now. But sometimes there's other things that play a part of it, that I'm not a part of.”
Last season, the Jayhawks outpaced the Tigers on an 80-60 scoreline that was led by Tre White’s 20 points. Four Jayhawks notched at least 10 points, as KU held Missouri to just 34% from beyond the arc inside the T-Mobile Center.
Missouri would end up finishing the season with a 20-13 overall record and the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling out in the first round to the No. 7 seed Miami.
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks wrapped up the season with a 24-11 mark before losing to St. John’s in the second round of the tournament in a 67-65 buzzer-beating loss.
“ …But also, we have to try to get our ADs, our presidents, to make sure we preserve that game, because it's such a good game for both fan bases and the history of the Big 12, the history of our competition, but also the legendary coaches.”
…Regardless of who was on those sidelines, I believe, historically, it has added memories for both institutions, but it's something I want to always stay on the schedule…”
Overall, Kansas leads the series 177-96 with a dominant home record of 104-37, while still hitting above .500 on the road, going 68-57. Since the start of the 2000-01 season, KU has gone 24-7.
Latest transfer sparks new drama
One of the biggest KU storylines this offseason was the fact that freshman power forward Bryson Tiller made the bold move of leaving the Jayhawks and choosing none other than Mizzou. Tiller was ranked as the nation’s No. 42 transfer after a freshman season with the Jayhawks where the former Overtime Elite player notched 7.9 points on 44.9% from the field, along with 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. There were moments where Tiller shone as a freshman, but in a team with lots of room for development, Tiller ended up not being able to fully maximize his freshman potential and, like many others, found a new home through the portal.
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