COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri-Kansas basketball Border War resumes with another much-anticipated rendition Saturday, but in some ways, this marks a fresh start for the 115-year-old series.
Yes, Bill Self’s No. 6 Jayhawks (8-1) annihilated the Tigers 102-65 last year in Lawrence, Kansas, the first Border War revival in the new six-game series. But little remains from that meeting on both sides of the floor. The Jayhawks soared to the national championship last March but return only two starters and a couple key reserves from their 34-win team.
The more dramatic changes came at Mizzou, where under first-year coach Dennis Gates, the roster features more players from Gates’ 2021-22 Cleveland State team (four) than last year’s Mizzou team (three).