Bill Self hopes to see ‘A-game’ from Kansas Jayhawks and fans Saturday against Mizzou

Bill Self at the conclusion of Thursday’s pre-Border War news conference was asked by a reporter if he’d like to deliver “a message to Jayhawk nation” heading into Saturday’s 2:15 p.m. home game against rival Missouri.

“One thing I’d probably say is, ‘Everybody bring their A-game. We know Mizzou will,’’’ said Self, Kansas’ 19th-year men’s basketball coach.

He knows it’s his responsibility to make sure the No. 8-ranked Jayhawks (7-1) enter the contest with a healthy dose of respect for the Tigers — an unranked 5-4 team that has dropped games to Liberty (66-45), Kansas City (80-66), Wichita State (61-55) and Florida State (81-58) and also defeated Eastern Illinois (72-44), Paul Quinn College (91-59), SMU (80-75, OT), Northern Illinois (54-37) and Central Michigan (78-68).

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about (effort),” Self said. “You should never have to worry about effort, but this one will be a game you probably want to tone it down a little bit. There’s a magic level that teams and athletes try to get to where their energy and their focus and concentration is at a crossroads. If you have one way too high without the other that doesn’t lead to your best performances.”

As far as his requesting a collective A-game from the fans, Self recognizes the advantage a loud fieldhouse crowd can be for the Jayhawks … yet sometimes the visitors as well.

“People can say this which is true, that we have arguably one of the very best homecourts there is,” Self said. The Jayhawks have won 13 straight games versus Missouri in Allen Fieldhouse. “There’s no arguing the fact other players like playing in those environments as well. Sometimes it brings out the best in others, also.

“We’ve certainly had unbelievably epic games in my tenure here and I know going back to the beginning of time in this building, A game like this, I can remember playing K-State or Missouri, regardless of how the seasons are going, regardless of how stale we are or how stale they may be at that particular juncture of the season, it just seems to all go away on that one day. Now it (crowd) doesn’t guarantee you playing well. It guarantees the energy level being so high it gives you the best chance to play well.”

Even if the Jayhawks and their fans are emotionally primed for the resumption of the Border War on Saturday after a nine-year hiatus, the players will have to execute in some certain areas to defeat the Tigers, Self says.

Missouri forwards Kobe Brown and Ronnie DeGray III average 9.8 and 6.6 rebounds a game respectively. Former Kansas State guard DaJuan Gordon of chips in 5.0 rebounds per outing for a Tiger team that outrebounds opponents 39.1 to 31.8.

Brown averages a team-leading 14.8 points per game while DeGray nets 9.1 points per contest and Gordon 8.5. Guard Amari Davis averages 11.8 points, and 3.2 boards with 10 assists total to nine turnovers.

“They are a really good rebounding team. They are plus-8. That hasn’t been a strength of ours per se,” said Self. KU outrebounds its opponents 36.5 to 29.3.

“I think that’ll be a big key in rebounding the ball,” Self added.

Self is concerned about facing a Tiger defense that has allowed 63.4 points a game. The Tigers average 66.6 points. KU averages 84.5 points a game while allowing 67.3.

“They are going to guard us halfcourt. If you guard halfcourt you will limit your opponent to a relatively low percentage,” said Self, whose Jayhawks are shooting 51.8% from the field this season and 35.2% from three. MU is shooting 41.1% from the field and 24.6% from three. “We’ve got to be able to steal some possessions that way. I’m sure they are saying the same thing as well.”

MU coach Cuonzo Martin’s team, Self said, “has been up and down. They obviously have been playing better. They really guarded the other night in holding the team (Eastern Illinois) to 44 points.”

“Their schedule has been sneaky hard,” Self added. “Going to Liberty is a hard game. It’d be hard for anybody. They had a good win against SMU on a neutral floor. They didn’t make shots against Wichita State (2-of-18 from three in six-point loss in Columbia). They’ve played a good schedule.

“We’ve been up and down too. They’ll play their best game (of season to date) on Saturday. We are anticipating that. I hope we do the same. I know our guys will be excited being out there. By the number of students camping out (since Monday in the fieldhouse), it should be a pretty festive atmosphere,” Self added.

Chances are the KU players will be extra enthused seeing up to 20 former Jayhawks sitting in the first few rows right behind the KU bench.

“We’re excited. There will be excitement on both sides,” said KU junior guard Christian Braun, a graduate of Blue Valley Northwest. “They (Tigers) will be turned up and competitive. They’ve got a good coach. They’ll be turned up as much as we’ll be turned up. There won’t be a lack of effort for sure. It’ll be a great game,” Braun added.

Game 2 of the Border War series of six games will be held next season at Mizzou Arena, where KU is 5-4 in the 19-year Self era. KU is 9-0 in Allen versus MU under Self and 1-0 in Dallas.

Game 3 will be back in Allen during the 2023-24 season. Game 4 will be at Mizzou Arena in 2024-25. The series will conclude with games at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

A four-game football series between KU and MU will begin on Sept. 6, 2025 in Columbia. It will continue Sept. 12, 2026 in Lawrence; Sept. 6, 2031 in Columbia and Sept. 11, 2032 in Lawrence.

This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 9:46 AM.

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.