Rivalry Renewed: KU-MU alumni hoops game planned for July 28

A Kansas-Missouri alumni basketball game for charity, entitled “Rivalry Renewed,” will be contested on Saturday, July 28, at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, former Missouri Tigers player and game organizer Kareem Rush said Friday.

The game, set for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff, will benefit Rush’s “Rush Forward Foundation” and the Boys and Girls Club. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

“The game is something we’ve been thinking about the last few years," Rush said. "I saw the success of the game between KU and Mizzou (sold-out Sprint Center for the Showdown for Relief on Oct. 22) and thought this was a good time to see if I could get some alumni of both schools to come back and play.

“It’s for a good cause. At the end of the day it’s about competing against the Jayhawks again and (for) me personally, I never got a chance to play against my younger brother (Brandon) in a Jayhawk jersey. I kind of want to bust his tail a little bit wearing the old Black and Gold again. I’m planning on getting 30 or 40 (points).”

Former KU wing Brandon Rush said at Thursday’s Rock Chalk Roundball Classic he was involved in getting some Jayhawks to play in the game. Kareem said the list of Jayhawks who are slated to play include his brother Brandon, plus Cole Aldrich, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Drew Gooden, Brady Morningstar and Travis Releford. There’s a possibility of landing Nick Collison, Ben McLemore, Marcus and Markieff Morris and others, Kareem said.

Former Mizzou players slated to play include Michael Dixon, Keyon Dooling, Kim English, Clarence Gilbert and Ricky Paulding. There’s a chance of landing Travon Bryant, Arthur Johnson and others, Kareem said.

The idea is for the July 28 game to be a competitive game.

“We’ll see," Kareem Rush said. "It is a charity game. I’m sure once we get going and the guys start playing, the level of intensity will go up. I think the quality of basketball will be good. These guys are fan favorites. The Mizzou-KU rivalry is always there. We’re trying to revitalize the rivalry with former greats. If we put on a good show we think this can definitely be something the fans enjoy and something that can grow.”

Rush said the game could be held at a bigger venue in the future if fan interest is there. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena seats 5,800.

This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Rivalry Renewed: KU-MU alumni hoops game planned for July 28."