Thursday, February 2, 2012
Your Jayhawks calendar was printed for tomorrow’s date.
Kansas at Missouri. It’s a rivalry that started in 1907 and has brewed hatred ever since. Now, with the Tigers off to the Southeastern Conference, this game holds another meaning. It may be the final Border Showdown played in Columbia, Mo.
No tears, hugs or kisses required. Junior forward Thomas Robinson only wants one thing.
“I want to get this W,” he said. “I’m not letting anybody in that gym, stadium, state, anything stop me.”
Junior forward Thomas Robinson dunks the ball during Wednesday nights game against the University of Oklahoma at Allen Fieldhouse where Robinson had 20 in the Jayhawk's 84-62 victory over the Sooners.
Tip-off between the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 4 Missouri Tigers is set for 8 p.m. tomorrow , as ESPN’s College Gameday makes its first trip to Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
“This is why we came to Kansas,” senior guard Tyshawn Taylor said. “To play in games like this.”
Forget about the rivalry and you’ve still got two of the best teams in the country going head-to-head.
Coach Frank Haith usually deploys a rotation of four guards and one forward, opting for speed and chaos over size and strength. This atypical rotation has confounded opposing teams, but the Jayhawks said theyfeel prepared, especially with junior guard Travis Releford and his ability to defend multiple positions.
“We see them having to match up with us, instead of us having to match up with them,” junior center Jeff Withey said.
The Tigers prefer to operate in the fast break, using the speed of their guards to beat transition defenses down the floor. This creates space for versatile playmakers such as senior guard Kim English, who Self said is one of Missouri’s greatest strengths when playing as a forward.“They’re so good at making the extra pass and they’re very unselfish,” Self said.
For all the skills of English, the savvy of junior guard Michael Dixon, the scoring acumen of senior guard Marcus Denmon and the power of senior forward Ricardo Ratliffe, Self knows that the fastest Tiger is the one he’s got to keep an eye on.
“Little Phil Pressey is still the guy that drives the bus,” he said of the sophomore guard. “He makes plays with his speed that’s very hard to coach.”
Taylor will be tasked with staying in front of Pressey, who often gets post players into foul trouble with his ability to get to the basket and improvise for himself and teammates.
More than Pressey, Taylor and the team must deal with the weight of a rivalry that may be nearing its end.“The rivalry goes way back before we even know,” Taylor said. “We take on that role of not really liking those guys.”
Obscenities will fly through the air. Students clad in black and gold will boom with noise. Two teams, both fast, athletic, and hungry for a Big 12 title, will dance in Columbia one last time.
“There’s nothing more fun, in my opinion,” Self said, “than beating Missouri.”
— Edited by Ian Cummings
Game Day: Kansas at Mizzou
Sports writers Max Rothman and Kory Carpenter analyze the starters before No. ...
And so it ends
In the final Border Showdown, Kansas overcame a 19-point deficit and defeated ...
Hype builds as Border Showdown approaches
Men's basketball hopes for different outcome in the highly anticipated game against ...
Rothman: Anderson uplifts Tigers
Missouri's basketball is more than what it used to be.
KU-MU rivalry still ignites excitement
KU has won 11 of the last 14 match ups, but players ...
Aldrich helps Hawks cruise past Tigers
Sophomore center scores 19, rebounds 15 and dunks five in the Phog.
Taylor redeems himself in 87-86 victory against ...
Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor had to make two free throws late in ...
Softball team optimistic going into Mizzou games
The Jayhawks open their home season against No. 13 Missouri today.
Withey struggles against smaller players
A lack of productivity from Withey hurt Jayhawks in the game against ...
Jayhawks begin difficult four-game slate at Iowa ...
The men’s basketball team begins what coach Bill Self said is the ...
Foul trouble spells Tigers' defeat
Three leading Missouri scorers foul out in Monday night's game, aiding a ...
Taylor's late-game errors cost Kansas at Missouri
The Missouri Tigers used one of the most raucous environments in Mizzou ...
Second half focus key in defeat of ...
Despite a close first half score, the Jayhawks pull away for an ...
Hawks showcase speed in season opener
The men's basketball team scored 19 points in transition against Longwood Friday.
Basketball team prioritizes motives
Self is focusing on playing a rivalry and preventing turnovers, the team ...
Little becoming a ‘big man’ on the ...
The junior guard has moved away from perimeter, and Self says that’s ...
Jayhawks can play at faster pace this ...
Basketball team thinks that the athleticism and speed of this year’s roster ...
Turnovers low point in Kansas' strong game
The Jayhawks dominate the stat sheet against the Tigers, except in turnovers.
Dar(r/n)ell off the bench
Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur took entirely different roads to Kansas basketball. ...
The Grading Scale: Jayhawks' perseverance secures victory
See how the players fared in this gritty Border Showdown
Bragging rights at stake tonight in Columbia
Women hope for a win at Missouri to build momentum for the ...
Quidditch border showdown this weekend
Kansas and Missouri are ready to face off on the quidditch field.
Jayhawks face different style Monday
After Nebraska’s slow play, Missouri gives an exciting change of pace.
Senior night honors three, clouds Kansas' focus
Kansas defeated Texas 73-63 in its final game of the regular season, ...
Blog: Top ten Border War moments
Sam Kovzan breaks down his 10 favorite border war moments
Jayhawks ready to take on Mizzou
Despite all the history of the infamous rivalry, Kansas wants to prove ...
Kansas gameday at Texas Tech
The Kansan previews tonight's game, as Kansas takes on Texas Tech at ...
Depth an issue for KU men's basketball
Bill Self will rely on veterans until he is able to trust ...
Women lose another game on turnovers
As the Tigers get their first win in 11 games, the Jayhawks ...
KU-MU game important for many reasons
Today’s game presents the last chance for Kansas to earn Big 12 ...
Men's Basketball: The season in review
Beginning with Boot Camp and ending at the Elite Eight in San ...
Mizzou we no likey: The rivalry lives ...
Border Showdown heads to Kauffman Stadium
It doesn’t count for Big 12 records, but tonight’s game still means ...
Brew: Victory a token title for Tigers
Students storming Norm Stewart Court shows misguided priorities of Missouri fans.
Taylor reinstated to men's basketball team
Junior guard Tyshawn Taylor was suspended indefinitely Feb. 21, but will rejoin ...
Volleyball to face Missouri in Border Showdown
The Jayhawks won the season's first match against the Tigers n four ...
Orange out propels team to sweet victory
Kansas saw its fifth consecutive victory over Missouri, 90-71 Monday night. Coach ...
Jayhawks fumble lead, lose to Missouri
Despite a strong performance, Kansas let a victory in Columbia slip away ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID