In Columbia, many know them, many hate their very existence, and many want to see them lose.
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball program has been one of, if not the most successful team in the entire NCAA over the past 20 years. Led by Bill Self, the Jayhawks have won two national championships, Eight Big 12 tournament championships and 16 Big 12 regular season titles since 2004. Self has one AP Coach of the Year twice and sports an overall winning percentage of 80.
Most impressively, the Jayhawks have become an NBA factory, too. There are 11 former Jayhawks currently in the NBA, including MVP Joel Embiid as well as NBA champions Andrew Wiggins, Christian Braun and Markieff Morris.
Kansas is one of the greatest college programs to ever exist. I should appreciate its greatness and understand that we are currently witnessing an amazing coach leading an amazing team.
But I can’t. I want the greatness to falter every time they take the floor. I despise the program with a burning passion that is only fulfilled when it loses, ideally in embarrassing fashion (last year’s blowout at the hands of Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament? I soaked that up like a dry sponge).
I am a student at the University of Missouri, and I am also a college basketball fan. Most importantly, I am 6-foot-1 and overweight, meaning that I cannot beat the Kansas Jayhawks, nor can I be a part of any team that beats the Kansas Jayhawks. Instead, I am writing this memoir, a manifesto, if you will, to try and solve the problem that Mizzou has yet to be able to solve, at least in recent history.
Feb. 4th, 2012 represents the last time the Missouri Tigers beat the Kansas Jayhawks in men’s basketball. I was nine years old and had no idea how important this rivalry was. I’ve known this rivalry for a handful of years now, and every time, the result has been the same: a Jayhawks win, usually in comfortable fashion.
Missouri has gone through numerous coaching changes since that time. However, the Jayhawks still have Self. He is where the problem starts for MU. Self owns a 18-4 record against Mizzou, with many of those wins being complete dominations. Even last season, arguably the worst in Lawrence under Self, the Jayhawks beat the Tigers at Allen Fieldhouse 73-64. Coincidentally, that was also one of Mizzou’s worst seasons ever, as it went 0-19 in conference play.
Last year’s Kansas team lacked a lot of traits that a normal Self-led team usually possesses. Depth and shooting were both major concerns for the Jayhawks last year, and they finished their season by getting blown out in the aforementioned Round of 32 contest against Gonzaga. This season, Self addressed those issues and, on paper, has one of the stronger teams he’s ever had.
So, the question must be asked: can the Missouri Tigers beat the Kansas Jayhawks in 2024?
I truly believe that the answer is yes, even though you might not believe me. Not only do I think this Kansas team is beatable, but I think Missouri has enough talent to overcome everything Kansas brings to the table.
How? Let me tell you how Missouri (and every other team in the country) can beat the Kansas Jayhawks.
Individualize them
Breaking down Kansas starts with taking a look at each individual player, and identifying their weaknesses. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks have a lot of strengths. I do think however, that the team’s biggest strength is their teamwork / chemistry. The best Kansas team always plays at its best when all five players on the court are in-rhythm together. So let’s go player-by-player and identify the best way to stop them.
Hunter Dickinson:
One of the best players in the country, Dickinson has tremendous all-around skills. standing at 7-foot-2, Dickinson has a plethora of post moves that can be unleashed at any time on any given defender. Dickinson also has a wide wingspan, which helps him stifle inside attacks on defense, especially against guards. He will be by far the toughest player to stop on this Kansas team, but it is not impossible.
Dickinson’s biggest weakness is what he does (or rather doesn’t do) on the perimeter. Offensively, Dickinson has been able to develop a decent outside shot, but it’s far from perfect. The best way to stop Dickinson from getting to where he wants to go is letting him take open threes. If he knocks them down, so be it.
The pick and roll game is also extremely important to try and eliminate Dickinson when Mizzou is on offense. If he’s forced out to the perimeter, it can leave the rim open without its best defender. I really want Mizzou to try and execute this when KJ Adams is not on the floor.
Playing fast and making Dickinson consistently run up and down the court is an effective means of slowing him down, too. Josh Gray and Peyton Marshall need to be physical with Dickinson. The star center has been known to be overly aggressive at times, even getting ejected in a game against Duke during Feast Week.
If that happens again, pray that Dickinson doesn’t get attacked by an Antler.
KJ Adams:
KJ Adams might be the most underrated player in the entire country. Standing at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, Adams is an absolute unit. He is incredibly fast and incredibly powerful. Adams has played against Mizzou in every year of his college career, and he’ll look to dominate like he has done the past two years.
Two years ago at Mizzou Arena, Adams was productive, scoring 19 points and adding six rebounds in one of the most efficient games he’s ever played. Last season, Adams put up 17 points in an equally-efficient game. His performance was culminated by one of the most incredible blocks I’ve ever seen, denying Anthony Robinson II of an open layup. Thomas Robinson’s game-saving rejection of a Phil Pressey floater in 2012 stands as the best block in the history of this rivalry, but Adams’ efforts weren’t too far off.
Adams completely eliminated Mizzou’s best player, Kobe Brown, in 2022, limiting him to only four points. He will look to do the same against Mark Mitchell this year, and to be completely honest, I am not sure he will have much trouble.
Stopping Adams offensively shouldn’t be incredibly difficult, as he relies on easy floaters and dunks. As long as Missouri doesn’t overcommit on the perimeter to stop Kansas shooters, the Tigers should be able to put a strong body on Adams down low.
Defensively, Adams is a beast. Getting continuous switches and making Adams move as much as possible around the court while not being an on-ball defender is probably Mizzou’s best bet. This is by far the tallest task Mizzou has.
The good news is that Adams doesn’t have a sky-high offensive ceiling, but he does have the defensive power to stifle a complete Missouri attack.
Dajuan Harris:
To round out the Jayhawks’ big three, Dajuan Harris is extremely familiar with the importance of the Border War. Originally from Columbia, Harris played at Rock Bridge High School, located just down the road from Mizzou Arena.
Harris will likely not score a lot of points, as he only averaged 8.5 points per game last season. His biggest strength is conducting this Kansas offense. He is one of the smartest basketball players in the country; he sees the whole court at all times and knows how to make the perfect pass in any given circumstance.
Harris is versatile, but has not been able to find his shot this season. MU should try to force Harris to hit the three-ball, and if he does, so be it. Overall, I like Mizzou’s chances of playing this game outside in, not inside out.
AJ Storr:
Transferring once again, this time from Wisconsin, AJ Storr is on his third team in three years. His talent has never been doubted. His ability to work on a team, in my eyes, is his issue.
Storr does not start on this team, but he has the talent to be their best player. I think the way to stop Storr is pretty easy: make him be selfish. Let him take contested shots, force him to be the guy. I like Mizzou’s chances a whole lot more if Storr is taking close to 10 shots in this game.
Rylan Griffen:
Perhaps the most unique player on this team is Rylan Griffen. To me, it always seems like a red flag when an important player transfers away from a good team, which Griffen did from Alabama, who made the Final Four last season and is a contender to get there yet again in 2025.
Griffen was a double-digit scorer last year, with his best game coming against Mizzou. Griffen scored 21 against the Tigers, hitting five three-pointers in the process. He joins a Kansas team this year as an extremely important piece contributing outside shooting and occasional rim protection.
I think putting a bigger defender on Griffen and not letting him take over this game with his shooting is an absolute must for Missouri. If he has the shooting performance like Gradey Dick had two years ago for the Jayhawks, this game will be out of reach just as fast as that one was.
Zeke Mayo:
Zeke Mayo comes in as another really strong shooter and great overall offensive player. Defensively, his size and stature takes away his quick footwork.
When Mizzou is on offense, it should be attacking Mayo. When Mizzou is on defense, it should let Mayo attack them. Make him go inside and play amongst the big boys.
While Mayo is a great shooter, he is shooting at a lower clip this year, only 31%. He was one of the best players in the Summit League a year ago at South Dakota State, averaging 19 points per game and shooting 39% from beyond the arc.
Mayo is originally from Lawrence, and he almost certainly grew up watching this rivalry. It would not surprise me if he tries to be the best player on the court, and unlike Storr, Missouri has to stop that from happening.
Flory Bidunga:
Everyone, meet KJ Adams 2.0. Physically, Bidunga is a bulldozer. Listed at 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, Bidunga is just a freshman but is built like a senior. He thrives down low, and to be honest, I am not sure who on Mizzou is going to be able to physically match up with him.
I think the best way to beat Bidunga is something we will get into later on, and that is the crowd. Bidunga will be playing in the most hostile environment he has ever played in on Sunday at Mizzou Arena.
This is the rare occasion where I encourage The Antlers to get in someone’s head. I want that long blonde hair guy on The Antlers in Bidunga’s nightmares.
Rakease Passmore:
I don’t see Passmore having that big of a role this Sunday. However, if he is in the game, the crowd can absolutely play a factor in affecting his performance. Passmore is a freshman, and the moment might be too big for him.
I think Passmore could become quite a good player in his career and potentially play at the pro level as well. He just doesn’t have a big enough impact on this team for me to think he’ll contribute much on Sunday.
Shakeel Moore:
I can’t imagine Shakeel Moore causing too many issues, but I still want to mention him. Moore has only played in two games this year with a very small minute restrain in both. He is coming off an injury and is still working his way back to being game-ready.
Moore was an important player for Mississippi State over the past three years, and he played Mizzou five different times. Moore himself had a great game at Mizzou Arena last year, scoring 14 points. Moore is 4-1 against the Tigers.
Moore is really short and small, so being physical with him on both sides might be the best play for MU. I like any of Mizzou’s guards over Moore in this matchup, so overall, I am not too worried, even if he plays.
Enough about this Jayhawk team. Let’s talk about Mizzou’s strengths.
Use the crowd
Much like two years ago, Mizzou’s best weapon in this game is the fan base. Mizzou Arena will be one the loudest places in the country on Sunday. The student section will be rocking, The Antlers will be saying disrespectful things, and most importantly, this team will be energized.
Unlike two years ago, Mizzou has to be able to play within themselves. The moment was just too big for an undefeated Tiger team, as the crowd was out of it within the first five minutes. This is an older Mizzou team with more experience, especially when it comes to playing in loud atmospheres. Pretty much every single player in Mizzou’s rotation has played in a noisy environment. It was almost the exact opposite two years ago.
From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, Mizzou Arena will be the place to be. Waves of students will sprint in, trying to get as close to the action as possible. They will chant severely rude and heinous words towards the team from Lawrence.
It just so happens that Kansas plays a road game a few days before its trip to Columbia. The Jayhawks go to Omaha and take on a talented Creighton team. How convenient for them. With all due respect to the Creighton Bluejay faithful, however, that arena will be no match for Mizzou Arena.
Mizzou has to control this energy. They cannot let it overcome them. Play within themselves, and the Tigers might just have a chance. One thing is for certain: if this game is anywhere close in the second half, the roof might actually pop off.
What Mizzou NEEDS to do
First and foremost, the Tigers need to hit their shots. It sounds so easy, yet can be so difficult. One thing that is absolutely true is that Mizzou can score the crap out of the ball.
The Tigers have scored over 90 in half of their games this season. I project that they need to score at least 85 to win this game. In Mizzou’s last win over Cal, it stayed away from the three-point shot, turning its attention to the interior more often. The approach worked, as the team scored over 60 points in the second half while attempting just three triples.
The three-point shot has to be a little more active in the game this weekend. Mizzou has to shoot at an extremely high level to win this game. Tamar Bates and Anthony Robinson HAVE to be great.
MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS:
I can’t say this enough. The game will be won and lost at the charity stripe. Mizzou gets to the free throw line better than anyone. Technically, they are 2nd in the whole country at free throw rate (dang it, Rice!).
The point still stands, as the Tigers shoot so many free throws per game. They shot 38 against Cal earlier this week. That is a great number. Unfortunately, they missed 13 of those free throws, which is not so great of a number. Not only do the Tigers have to get to the free throw line, but they have to cash in.
On the other side, Kansas ranks No. 346 in free throw rate. Not great! The Jayhawks don’t get to the line, and Mizzou does. Let’s hope that is on full display this Sunday.
A few thoughts:
Play fast:
Kansas plays really slow, as it averages over 15 seconds per possession. Mizzou is at its best when it plays fast, but controlled. If the Tigers consistently get out in transition and make the Jayhawks run with them, I think that improves the chances of a Mizzou win.
Avoid the killshots:
A killshot is when a team goes on a 10-0 run. Kansas is famous for this. On Sunday, Mizzou needs to avoid it. If the Jayhawks go on a 8-0 run early, Gates HAS to call timeout. Do not let this game get out of hand. Hang around long enough so the second half is competitive, then seize your moment.
Stay cool:
Kansas can get under any team’s skin pretty easily. If the Jayhawks get hot, Mizzou needs to stay calm. Let the Jayhawks pick up the technicals and flagrants. Use those points to an advantage. If Kansas feels like a competitive game, especially in the second half, it could get tense.
Final thought:
Kansas is favored to win. Kansas has more talent. Kansas is better coached. Kansas is 3-0 against Mizzou since this rivalry resumed. All signs point to the Jayhawks winning this game by a lot.
However, there is just something about this game that will make it weird. In a year nobody expects Mizzou to win, maybe it will do just that. Maybe the Tigers will surprise everyone in the college basketball world and beat Kansas.
In what could go down as the best Mizzou win in any sport in the past decade, the Tigers defeat the Jayhawks of Kansas 90-89. A moment in history.