KU Jayhawks’ Ochai Agbaji can tell his coach is ‘amped’ about Missouri Tigers game

Ochai Agbaji can sense the importance of Saturday’s Border War game against Missouri. Not only for the representatives of 78 student groups, who have been camped on the lower level, north end of Allen Fieldhouse since Monday, but also his teammates And 19th-year Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self.

“Yes, he’s juiced. He’s amped. That’s what he (Self) calls it,” said Agbaji, Kansas’ 6-foot-5 senior guard out of Oak Park High School who will take a team-leading 22.6 points a game scoring average into Saturday’s 2:15 p.m. home game against the Tigers.

“It means a lot to both universities, but it means a lot to the fans and the whole program. I know they (Tigers) are excited, and we are, too,” Agbaji added.

The fact Agbaji’s coach is “amped” is newsworthy because for several years leading up to the Oct. 21, 2019 announcement that the teams had agreed to a six-year, six-game series of games, Self was against scheduling MU in the nonconference season.

Self was asked Thursday to pinpoint “one reason” the two schools are playing again.

“I don’t know. Time has passed, probably,” Self said, acknowledging MU’s leaving the Big 12 for the SEC (after 2011-12 season), “and how it could have potentially affected us based on that move obviously didn’t sit well with everybody here (at KU). That’s a long time ago. I don’t know, maybe the biggest reason is Cuonzo (Martin, MU coach) and I wanted to play the game. So that’s probably the biggest reason why we’re playing,” Self added.

The game between Mizzou (5-4) and KU (7-1) is quickly approaching, meaning there’s been a lot of discussion in KU junior guard Christian Braun’s family about the matchup. Christian and his dad, Donny, have been the only two family members to have been lifelong KU fans. Relatives on his mom’s side were big-time Tigers supporters until Christian chose KU in recruiting his senior year at Blue Valley Northwest.

“They don’t let me stop hearing about it, to be honest,” Braun said of the KU-MU rivalry. “My uncle Mike (Sandbothe, former MU men’s team standout) talks about himself all day, I do hear about it a lot. My mom and everybody on my mom’s side are Missouri fans. My aunt Robin (Sandbothe) ran track there. My aunt Lori (Sandbothe) played basketball there. My mom played basketball there,” he added of Lisa Sandbothe.

“Me and my dad were always kind of on the other side. I always tell people I was always on the winning side, I felt like,” Braun added, smiling, “It feels good to be a winner. (It’s) kind of why I chose here. I never really looked over at Missouri’s direction (in recruiting). My brother (Parker, former Tiger now playing for Santa Clara) was there. I never looked in their direction. I’m proud to wear Kansas and proud to try to get this win Saturday,” added Braun, KU’s second-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game. He’s also team leader in rebounding (7.1) and steals (12 thefts in eight games).

Braun did note all family members will be rooting for KU versus the Tigers.

“All my uncles, all my aunts will all be in Kansas (gear) on Saturday. No question they are all Kansas fans now that I’m here,” Braun said. “We’ll try to give them something to cheer for.”

Braun said he expects a great game Saturday, one that could be witnessed by up to 20 former KU players who have told Self they’ll be in town for the contest.

“I am excited to get the rivalry back,” Braun said. “It means a lot to everybody.”

Upon reflection, Braun added: “It (rivalry) never really died to me, to be honest. I think every year you’d get those comments from people about KU-Mizzou. I don’t think the rivalry ever went away, they (two teams) just haven’t played each other in a bit. Everybody will be turned up. It will be a great game.”

McCormack cleared to practice

Self said David McCormack (ankle sprain) was cleared to practice on Thursday. Self said the fact the “swelling went down” classifies as “good news.”

This story was originally published December 9, 2021 at 5:35 PM.

Gary Bedore

The Kansas City Star

816-234-4068

Gary Bedore covers KU basketball for The Kansas City Star. He has written about the Jayhawks since 1978 — during the Ted Owens, Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Bill Self eras. He has won the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year award and KPA writing awards.