Mizzou vs kansas
When | 12:00 p.m. CT
Where | T-Mobile Center; Kansas City, MO
TV | ESPN2
Radio | Tiger Radio Network
Twitter | @MizzouHoops
ESPN win probability | 44.1% chance
The Starters
Mizzou (8-1)
G: Anthony Robinson II (JR, 10.1 PPG)
G: Sebastian
Mack (JR, 9.7 PPG)
F: Jevon Porter (SR, 7.1 PPG)
F: Mark Mitchell (SR, 18.1 PPG)
C: Shawn Phillips, Jr. (SR, 9.1 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man: Jacob Crews (SR, 14.1 PPG)
No. 21 kansas (6-3)
F: Flory Bidunga (SO, 15.2 PPG)
F: Bryson Tiller (FR, 8.9 PPG)
G: Melvin Council Jr. (SR, 10.9 PPG)
G: Tre White (SR, 13.7 PPG)
G: Jamari McDowell (SO, 3.9 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man: Elmarko Jackson (SO, 5.0 PPG)
Note: these starting lineups are projected.
Get to know the kansas jayhawks
The Border War is back for the 2025 season and the hatred from both states remains.
I mean, Sam Snelling’s preseason preview echoes the statement above:
“Self IS a great basketball coach, but that doesn’t mean he deserves any respect for how he went about things. And I don’t think KU’s sudden slide coinciding with it being legal to pay players is some fluke. KU’s ability to fund their roster and program when others were trying to play it straight gave them an advantage and Self’s ability as coach put them over the top towards dominance …. so yes, Self is an all-time great coach who, for the longest time, played on an uneven playing field. Now the field is level and the treading has gotten tougher.”
kU is expected to rebound this season after an underwhelming 2024 season. The jayhawks finished the year unranked and sixth in the Big 12 conference with an overall 11-9 conference record. While they did secure a bid to the NCAA tournament they were given the No. 7 seed. kU hadn’t been seeded outside of the top four since the 2000 season. It was completely unchartered territory.
They also had a fall from glory at the hands of the Missouri Tigers last year. Entering Mizzou Arena as the No. 1 seed, the jayhawks succumbed to the Tigers in a dramatic 76-67 loss. Not only will the jayhawks be looking to make up for last year but they’re also bringing a whole new group to the court.
The only returning player from last year’s game was Flory Bidunga. Others had eligibility expire or chose to enter the portal. Meanwhile, Self also attacked the portal to build the new crew, including Illinois transfer Tre White, St. Bonaventure’s Melvin Council and Loyola transfer Jayden Dawson.
kU currently sits with a 6-3 record with losses against UNC, Duke and UConn, all ranked. In the win column sits a ranked Tennessee as well as Notre Dame, an opponent the Tigers couldn’t figure out.
According to TeamRankings, the jayhawks currently rank 13th in scoring defense, allowing an average of 64.1 points per game. Meanwhile, the offense needs work, sitting at 190th in points per game with 74.
The team is also still without star Darryn Peterson who has been sidelined the last seven games due to a hamstring injury. In two games this year, the guard averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. Peterson is ESPN’s projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
According to Bill Self, Peterson is on track to be available against the Tigers.
“He has practiced the last two days, so he should be available, unless he has a setback between now and game time,” Self said. “But we’re approaching it like he’s available.”
Overall, kU leads the series record 176-95.
Three Keys to the Game
Darryn Peterson is back. Maybe.
If Peterson does return to action on Sunday he will pose as a major threat to Mizzou. While I wouldn’t expect the guard to go right back to an insane style of play, he may serve as a missing link for the Kansas offense.
The jayhawks offense has been quite flawed this season. According to KenPom, kU sits 58th in adjusted offensive efficiency. Without Peterson, kU has struggled to pile together high-scoring games. In fact, Bill Self has been on the record saying that Kansas doesn’t “know how to play without him.”
With Peterson back, the rival jayhawks will have a new burst of energy on the court that will be key for the Tigers to maintain while searching for a victory.
As noted above, in just two games this year, Peterson averaged 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. Against Green Bay and North Carolina, the star made 50% of his three-point attempts in both games.
Mark. Mitchell.
Hailing from Kansas City, Kansas, the rivalry game also stands as a homecoming for Mitchell. It will be the first time in his career that he will be playing in front of a hometown crowd.
Against kU last year, Mitchell had 17 points and four rebounds. His performance wasn’t the first time that the forward caught the attention of Bill Self.
In a Friday media availability, Self said: “We recruited Mark hard, so I’m very familiar with him …. He’s like [Cameron] Boozer in a lot of ways. They are so good at driving and drawing fouls.”
Mitchell will look to continue that style of play on Sunday afternoon against one of the toughest defenses he will have faced all season. With a struggling offense, kU has maintained a top 25 ranking thanks to their shutdown defense. According to KenPom, the team sits No. 10 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Leading scorer Mitchell will need to exploit the defense in the paint, draw fouls and put numbers up on the board.
Mitchell also enters the game knowing how much it means.
“I’ve played in a lot of big games and I’ve been in college for a while,” Mitchell said. “It’s honestly not just another game. I mean I played in this game last year, when I was at Duke I played in some big-time games. I just take my experiences and what I’ve learned and what I’ve been through and being able to control my emotions.”
Fast start
A key asset to the Tigers’ victory last year was the fast start right out the jump. Mizzou started on an 11-2 run and made the jayhawks uncomfortable by putting them on their heels. kU was never able to gather enough momentum to push for a comeback.
Fast starts have been rough for this Tiger team, especially against major opponents. Mizzou trailed early against Notre Dame and allowed the Irish to go on multiple runs that thwarted any chances for the Tigers in a game they should have won. When Mizzou can dictate the flow, they play a much more composed style of play. Against an opponent like kansas, this is completely necessary.
A quick start will be the difference between taking control and letting a game slip away.
Game Prediction
Score prediction: Mizzou 70 – that state to the west 75
I know, I’m sorry. kU enters the game as a slight favorite, but honestly all odds should be thrown out the window in a rivalry game like this. This game feels like one that is destined to stay tight all game with the scales destined to tip either way. In the end, I think kU’s defense is strong enough to stop Mizzou when it matters most.
However, even with the score, I would not count the Tigers out. Additionally, if Peterson doesn’t come back on Sunday, that will also benefit Mizzou.
