KU Jayhawks have dominated series against MU Tigers since renewal of hoops rivalry
Kansas has claimed two blowout victories and one single-digit win against rival Missouri during the first three games of the six-game, six-year renewal of the men’s basketball Border War between the two schools.
Game four in the on-campus portion of the series — the final two games will be contested in 2025-26 and 2026-27 in Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center — is set for noon Sunday at Mizzou Arena and broadcast on ESPN2.
KU will enter with a 7-1 record and No. 1 national ranking. The Jayhawks figure to relinquish the top spot next week following Wednesday’s 76-63 loss to Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska. The unranked Tigers, meanwhile, will be trying to protect home court with a 7-1 mark including Tuesday’s 98-93 home win over California.
Kansas stopped Missouri 73-64 on Dec. 9, 2023 in Allen Fieldhouse in the most recent game between the two. The Jayhawks rolled in the two meetings before that — 95-67 on Dec. 10, 2022 at Mizzou Arena and 102-65 on Dec. 11, 2021, at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU’s 37-point victory at Allen in 2021-22 was the largest margin of victory by KU in the series since the Jayhawks’ 47-point victory (96-49) over the Tigers on Dec. 28, 1977 in Kansas City. The KU win in 2022 was the fourth largest margin of victory in the series, trailing only the games listed in 1977 and 2021 and a 44-point Kansas victory (98-54) on Feb. 15, 1966 at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks’ 28-point triumph at Mizzou Arena two seasons ago proved to be KU’s second-largest margin of victory ever in Columbia, trailing only a 91-58 victory on Feb. 16, 1957.
The Jayhawks are 6-4 at Mizzou Arena, with all of those games coached by Bill Self for Kansas. The Jayhawks are 68-57 versus the Tigers in Columbia overall.
Meanwhile KU is 11-0 versus Missouri at Allen Fieldhouse during the 22-year Self era.
Kansas is 90-33 in Lawrence vs. MU, 44-14 in Allen. KU, which leads MU 177-95 (MU’s record book has it 176-95 in favor of the Jayhawks) has won five in a row, 15 of 17 and 19 of 23 overall against the Tigers.
Self is 19-4 versus the Tigers; Missouri coach Dennis Gates 0-2 against the Jayhawks.
Here’s a look at the first three games played in the six-year renewal of the Border War. Remember the series was put on hiatus after KU’s 87-86 overtime win over the Tigers on Feb. 25, 2012 at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Tigers started play in the SEC in 2012-13 with no game against KU on the slate until the resumption of the series in December of 2021.
KU 73, Missouri 64, Dec. 9, 2023, Allen Fieldhouse: Hunter Dickinson, a transfer from Michigan, scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.
Kevin McCullar and KJ Adams scored 17 points apiece for the No. 2-ranked Jayhawks. McCullar, who had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half, sparked a half-ending 14-0 run that turned a two-point deficit into a 41-29 halftime lead.
Sean East led Missouri with 21 points, and Nick Honor chipped in 17 for MU, which was without one of its guards, Caleb Grill, who was out with a wrist injury.
Kansas dominated in the paint with 42 points down low, but committed 16 turnovers, which helped keep Missouri in the game. The Jayhawks, who improved to 9-1, hit 25 of 56 shots while Missouri went 24 for 58 from the floor and fell to 7-3 on the season.
Missouri jumped to an early 15-6 lead, taking some of the energy from the home crowd. But KU went on a 20-2 run that provided the Jayhawks a 12-point lead at the break.
“I thought it made for a great atmosphere and a really great basketball game,” said Dickinson.
These are the types of games that you love to play in.”
KU out-rebounded Missouri 42-25 and outscored the Tigers in second-chance points, 17-0. The Jayhawks led by as many as 18 points in the second half before a 13-3 Mizzou run pulled MU within single digits. Despite the MU effort, Kansas hit several free throws late to wrap up the nine-point victory.
“The game had no flow. It had no rhythm,” Self said. “If we’re playing well, we kind of play with some rhythm offensively.”
At halfime, former KU great Thomas Robinson had his No. 0 jersey hung in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse. He led the Jayhawks to the NCAA title game in 2012 and was named a consensus All-America first team selection that same year.
KU 95, Missouri 67, Dec. 10, 2022, Mizzou Arena: Gates’ first game against KU resulted in a blowout loss. The No. 6-ranked Jayhawks, who like the unranked Tigers entered with a perfect 9-0 record, raced to a 50-33 halftime lead and were never threatened.
In front of a sold-out crowd in Columbia, Jalen Wilson scored 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting and Kevin McCullar 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting for Kansas. Gradey Dick added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Adams 19 points with six rebounds.
Dajuan Harris, KU’s point guard from Columbia, scored six points and dished nine assists.
KU jumped to an early 19-point lead and led by 17 points at halftime. The Jayhawks led by 24 (57-33) points with 18 minutes, 49 seconds left and by 26 points (59-33) with 17:41 remaining.
“I wanted to play in front of my old friends, put on a show for my teammates,” Harris said after the win. “I had 20 people here on my (ticket) list.
“I took my time, did what I always do in trying to lead my team and make the right plays, I wanted to come back here, get a ‘W’ and enjoy the night. We played unselfish like we do and got the win.”
Mizzou, which led the country in assists entering the contest, finished with a season-low eight assists. Honor and D’Moi Hodge scored 15 points apiece. Noah Carter added 12 and DeAndre Gholston scored 11 for the Tigers, who were hoping to open 10-0 for the first time since 2013-14.
“The atmosphere was electric,” McCullar said. “We just tried to embrace the environment.”
MU’s Gates was pleased with the sellout crowd but not the result.
“It was an outstanding atmosphere. I thought our guys did a great job leading into this game,” Gates said. “I thought their level of focus was excellent. We shot the ball well in practice. But there’s a reason why Kansas is top 10 in the country. There’s a reason why Bill Self is a Hall of Fame coach. I thought we showed and displayed different things throughout the game, where we almost had runs going. But somehow, some way whether a missed free throw or a turnover sort of took the wind out of the sail.”
KU 102, Missouri 65, Dec. 10, 2021, Allen Fieldhouse: No. 8-ranked KU ran away from the unranked Tigers in taking the first game played between the teams after a nine-year break.
KU guard Ochai Agbaji scored 21 points, while point guard Harris hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points as the Jayhawks (8-1), sizzled in making 55.9% of their shots.
Christian Braun scored 13 points, while David McCormack contributed 11 points and seven rebounds and Remy Martin 10 points with five assists for KU, which in dropping MU to 5-5 on the season, won its 14th consecutive game versus the Tigers in Lawrence.
Javon Pickett scored 19 points, while Sean Durugordon scored 11 and DaJuan Gordon and Trevon Brazile 10 apiece for Mizzou, which was trying to win its first game in Allen Fieldhouse since the 1998-99 season when Norm Stewart coached the Tigers. MU forward Kobe Brown was held to five points points and six rebounds.
“They’re a really good team,” Brown said of the Jayhawks. “They came out and did what we thought they would do.”
Pickett, a native of Belleville, Illinois, said: “I used to watch this game on TV but never really understood it. I knew it was a big game, but it was just another game to me when I was younger. It was a great atmosphere, though. Super loud.”
KU’s Agbaji scored 13 points, while Braun and Harris scored 10 for KU as the Jayhawks, despite a 15-point early onslaught from MU’s Pickett, led 49-27 at halftime.
“The key to the game was they were going to play five against four and they weren’t going to guard Juan,” Self said. “And I saw Cuonzo (Martin, MU coach) just laughing when Juan made his first one because that’s what they wanted and he made them pay.”
After the game, Self acknowledged that it was special beating rival MU after not playing so many seasons.
“Did it feel different walking out there? Absolutely,” Self said. “There’s something about Mizzou and a few others on our schedule, only those guys can bring the type of energy that existed today.”
