It’s that time of year again.

It’s the point in the college basketball season when the biggest game of the year is always the next game on a team’s schedule. It’s the part of the season junior guard Sherron Collins lives for.

Collins knows that as defining as Monday’s 87-78 victory against Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center was, it will mean little if Kansas trips up against Missouri on Sunday. That’s why Collins is already talking about the showdown between the two rivals five days before the game.

“We’re trying to keep this streak going,” Collins said. “We’re going to play tough. We’re going to be ready.”

No. 15 Kansas (23-5, 12-1) is alone in first place in the Big 12 Conference after beating Oklahoma. But if No. 8 Missouri (23-4, 10-2) beats Kansas State at 8 tonight in Columbia, Mo., and follows it with a victory at Kansas, the Tigers will suddenly be at the top of the Big 12 standings.

Collins is aware. That’s why, as the leader of the Jayhawks, Collins said he would make sure his teammates were still focused. He promised practices would be as intense as ever. Collins said Kansas could still get better.

“We control our own destiny so we feel pretty good about it,” Collins said. “But we’ve still got to get there. We’ve got to go out there and make it happen.”

Although these Jayhawks are in contention for a Big 12 title just like the teams from the past two years, Kansas coach Bill Self has noticed a difference. Unlike the 2007 and 2008 teams, which were eventual No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, this year’s squad hasn’t received much national attention.

Add another opportunity that a victory against Missouri could present. Self said he thought it would force people around the nation to take notice.

“We have a chance to help ourselves playing a top-10 team Sunday,” Self said. “If we’re able to take care of business Sunday, I think we’ll be in the discussion.”

The matchup against the Tigers goes beyond all that for the Jayhawks, though. To them, it’s about redemption.

Kansas lost to Missouri 62-60 two weeks ago at Mizzou Arena. Self said Kansas “gave that one away.” And it’s hard to argue against it.

The Jayhawks led by 14 at halftime and by eight with seven minutes to go before Missouri came back. Missouri guard Zaire Taylor made a jumper with one second remaining to win the game, and fans rushed the court.

Not surprisingly, the Jayhawks remember the defeat better than any game this season.

“We made a lot of uncharacteristic plays and lost our poise there at the end,” sophomore center Cole Aldrich said. “But you’ve got to learn from it and get better. It makes our team go.”

If Kansas beats Missouri, it will be two games away from winning its fifth consecutive Big 12 regular season championship. Then, the Jayhawks’ final two games — at Texas Tech on March 4 and against Texas on March 7 — will become the biggest of the year, because if Kansas wins, it will clinch the conference. Collins wouldn’t have it any other way.

— — Edited by Chris Horn