Missouri and Kansas will meet on Sunday for their 272nd meeting all-time, and the familiarities don't stop there. Ahead of the matchup, Kansas head coach Bill Self offered some hight praise for the Mizzou Tigers, including some for a player he tried to recruit to the Jayhawks.
The Tigers' leading scorer Mark Mitchell, who transferred to Missouri from Duke two years ago, was also heavily recruited by Self and the Jayhawks Self revealed.
“We recruited Mark hard, so I’m very familiar with him,” Self said regarding Mitchell. “He’s like [Cameron] Boozer in a lot of ways. They are so good at driving and drawing fouls.”
Mark Mitchell could leave the Jayhawks feeling blue once again on Sunday
Mitchell, who is averaging 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists this year, has been an absolute monster for the Tigers. He's the engine of the team, and could be the x-factor against No. 21 Kansas on Sunday.
So it's no surprise that Kansas had significant interest in Mitchell, and he'll have an opportunity again this weekend to leave them standing outside in the cold. This year, he's top-10 in the SEC in points per game and field goal percentage, and could give Kansas fits in the paint.
In last year's upset victory over the Jayhawks, Mitchell dropped 17 points and, in all likelihood, would need to eclipse that total to take down Kansas again in 2025. Mizzou will take on the Jayhawks at noon central tomorrow. Check out the complete watch guide here.