Friday, February 27, 2009
“The Border Showdown,” it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
I would rather call it something else, a different epithet that all KU fans use to describe the Kansas-Missouri rivalry. Kansan style withholds my ability to print that word here, but you know what it is.
That passion makes Jayhawks-Tigers rivalry one of the most heated in the nation. While the rivalry has always been there, over the past few years the impact of the games has faded. Missouri toiled in mediocrity over the waning years of the Quin Snyder era and struggled in Mike Anderson’s first couple years. Now, though, Missouri bears a top ten ranking and the pride of a victory over Kansas in Missouri.
That victory has Jayhawk fans seething. Zaire Taylor’s shot may have looked ugly because he was a wearing a Missouri uniform — granted, it looked aesthetically ugly from a basketball standpoint as well — and Cole Aldrich may have been fouled at the end of the game. But the fact is Missouri defeated Kansas, something it hadn’t done since the ’05-’06 season.
The pop hadn’t been there in the rivalry until that point. The Tigers split with the Jayhawks in the ’04-’05 season and the following year, but the contests in Lawrence were blowouts, including a 33-point victory by Kansas in Lawrence in 2006. The Jayhawks added insult to injury for the Tigers in the following two seasons. The Jayhawks swept the series both seasons, which included Julian Wright’s dominating 33-point, 12-rebound performance in Columbia in 2007.
The Tigers have had their tails between their legs for some time now. They’ve even had trouble selling out their new arena. Now, they’ve resharpened their claws and have a share of the conference title in their sights.
There’s more up for battle in this grudge match than just bragging rights. The winner will be sitting in the driver’s seat in terms of the Big 12 Championship. Sherron Collins has been blazing for Kansas, and the freshmen are starting to find their way.
The Jayhawks need smarter play considering they turned the ball over 27 times in Columbia. This team has been steadily improving, which adds to the anticipation of a rematch with Missouri.
Missouri’s versatile big men DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons gave the Jayhawks all they could handle last time. The Morris twins need to be strong on the defensive end to help out Aldrich in shutting down Missouri’s best scoring options.
The freshmen now know what this rivalry is about. They won’t underestimate that element again. Missouri will put it all on the line in Lawrence. The Tigers haven’t been this prominent in the national media’s eyes for a long time. Their last trip to the NCAA Tournament was in 2003 and their last conference title was in 1994. They’ll have both goals in sight when they travel to Lawrence on Sunday.
Sunday’s game will be more than a rivalry. When “Requiem for a Tower” plays before the KU player introductions, realize that Sunday’s game could go down as one epic battle.
— —Edited by Sam Speer
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