Bill Self looking forward to rivalry matchup with Missouri
Kansas and Missouri continue their rivalry renewal on Sunday. The two teams will meet at a neutral site, playing at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
The Tigers got the better hand of the Jayhawks last season in Columbia, with fans storming the court after Missouri’s 76-67 win. While this year’s roster features only one player who actually played in the game last season, it’s still a topic of motivation for Bill Self.
“They kicked our ass last year,” Self said. “So I certainly haven’t forgot that, nor has our guys because they were certainly better than us last year in that game.”
Self has a longstanding history of a rivalry with Missouri in his time as a coach with both Illinois and Kansas. He boasts a 19-5 record against the Tigers as the Jayhawks’ head coach, and Self thinks the rivalry game is good for the game of college basketball.
“I understand it, and I understand the energy between the fanbases, which maybe at times spreads to animosity or anger or whatever it would be,” Self said. “I think it’s good for the game to play against your rivals. So we’ll look forward to it. This would always be one of the most looked forward to games on our schedule, and that certainly hasn’t changed.”
Self said future games with Missouri up in the air
Kansas’ scheduling agreement against Missouri is set to expire after another game at the T-Mobile Center in 2026. Self said the possibility of future games against Missouri is up in the air.
The expansion of the Players Era Festival seems to be a factor in Kansas’ future scheduling plans. The tournament is set to expand to 32 teams over three weeks in 2026. Self said things have changed with the way they approach scheduling.
“Do I like the [Missouri] game? Yes. But I also like going to the Players Era tournament and getting money for the guys,” Self said. “I think everything is changed on how you approach scheduling, so we’ll approach it in a way that’s best for us moving forward.”
Missouri holds an 8-1 record on the season, with its only loss a close one at Notre Dame. Mark Mitchell leads the way for the Tigers with 18.1 points per game. Self said his ability to drive and get fouled is similar to Duke’s Cameron Boozer.
“We recruited Mark hard, so I’m very familiar with him,” Self said. “He’s a lot like Boozer in a lot of ways, in that he’s so good at driving and drawing fouls.”
Missouri has had a high-powered offense this season. The Tigers are in the top 25 in points per game (90.4) and top 40 in three-point percentage (37.95%).
