<table> </table> COLUMBIA | Well, we got Missouri-Kansas basketball back. That was the beauty of Monday night. For years now, this was a rivalry on fumes, a twice-a-year matchup that had plenty of history and a few rude chants and some bad blood. But when it came down to the basketball, Kansas was supreme, Missouri played for the upset, and the rest was as predictable as San Diego weather.</p><p>That&#8217;s why Monday night was so great. Because we really did not know, coming into this game, which team was better. We really did not know how Kansas would handle the intense Missouri pressure (Answer: The Jayhawks did not handle it especially well; they turned it over 27 times). We did not know how Missouri would handle the weight of playing a big game with its new and gaudy No. 17 ranking (Answer: The Tigers looked nervous and flat and scored just 16 points in the first half).</p><p>We did not know anything. And then in the final seconds, with the score tied, with the sellout crowd at Mizzou Arena humming with nerves, with the clock ticking down, Missouri&#8217;s Zaire Taylor took the ball, dribbled in, faked a shot, then let go. The shot was too long &#8212; the basketball hit the left side of the rim. But instead of caroming away, it jumped straight up. Then the ball brushed against the backboard. And then it fell in. The clock showed 1.3 seconds left.</p><p>Madness. Mayhem. Kansas&#8217; Cole Aldrich caught a long pass and did manage to release a desperation shot with defenders hanging on him, but it was not close, and Missouri won the game 62-60. The Tigers are now 21-4. The Tigers are now 15-0 in the once-haunted Mizzou Arena. The Tigers are very much for real.</p><p>Then again, so is Kansas. The Jayhawks &#8212; with only the barest resemblance to last year&#8217;s national championship team &#8212; are playing inspired basketball under coach Bill Self. They came into this game undefeated in the conference.</p><p>And that&#8217;s what made Monday&#8217;s game so great. This wasn&#8217;t for some sort of vague bragging rights. No, this was really to see which team is best.</p><p>And it was intense. The basketball wasn&#8217;t often graceful. Neither team scored the first 3 minutes. The first 9 minutes or so were ugly, the teams could not get themselves untangled. There was lots of passion but no rhythm. The crowd kept trying to stand and get excited, but play was so choppy that the cheers would not sustain.</p><p>Then, the Jayhawks began to dominate the game. Coaches and announcers always talk about how well-coached a team is &#8212; <em>always</em> &#8212; and so you can begin to wonder what a well-coached team actually looks like. Well, you can see that Kansas is well-coached when it gets into the half-court offense. The Jayhawks move the ball around crisply. They get good shots time after time. Mario Little worked free for an open jumper. Sherron Collins drove hard to the basket for a layup. Tyrel Reed made a wide-open three-point shot. Travis Releford made a layup.</p><p>When the half ended, Kansas led by 14. And the game seemed over.</p><p>Midway through the second half, the Tigers made their stand. Mike Anderson came to Missouri three years ago and promised to bring a furious style of basketball, full-court havoc, attacking defense, intensity that would make opponents wilt. It&#8217;s a tough way to coach because you need players to believe, really believe, that they are tougher and more resilient and more unrelenting than anyone else.</p><p>These Tigers players believe that. Leo Lyons hit a jump shot that cut the Kansas lead to seven. He cut to the basket &#8212; perfect pass from Taylor &#8212; and made the layup that pulled Missouri to within five. Taylor made a couple of free throws that made it three.