“It’s one of the best rivalries in the country.”

“I would be a fool to sit here and act like it was just a normal game, like it wasn’t any different,” Missouri guard said Tamar Bates said. “It’s just as serious for the players as it is for the fans.”

Raised in Kansas City, Bates and Tiger forward Mark Mitchell I have a full understanding of what today’s matchup between the Tigers and No. 1-ranked Kansas means.

“Of course it’s a big deal. “It’s a great thing that we can bring this rivalry back,” Mitchell said. “…It’s going to be a great environment, two great teams, two great coaches competing against each other.”

The Tigers haven’t played in a great environment so far this season.

Opening the season in Memphis was a good test, but many Tigers fans were rightly discouraged by last season and have yet to return to Mizzou Arena.

The number of participants was small, especially compared to that time Dennis Gates‘ first year in Colombia when the energy was sky high.

That will change today.

“All rivalry games have a different kind of energy, a different feeling in the air,” Mitchell said. “…I have experience in situations like this, so I can bring that experience to the team and support the guys who maybe didn’t play in this game last year or last year. Show them what it means to be in a rivalry game.”

Mitchell is new to the Tigers this season, but in his two years of college basketball he played in four editions of Duke/North Carolina, one of college basketball’s other premiere rivalries, and also gained some experience against Kansas in a five-game series. Annual tournament. Point loss in 2022, where he had seven points on 3-of-7 shooting and five rebounds as a freshman.

“Throw away the records, the stats, whatever else,” Mitchell said. “We’re just two teams with animosity towards each other.”

The series’ return after nine years without a matchup didn’t go the way the Tigers had hoped.

But after a big loss in the first game back of the series, the Tigers struggled to a single-digit loss with Bates and his fellow Kansas City native last year Aidan Shaw both in the starting line-up.

However, with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, Mizzou lost most of its stats from last year’s matchup Sean East17 points and two assists Nick Honor and seven points and seven boards Noah Carter.

“We have a completely different roster, we have some returning players, but just the makeup of the team is different,” Bates said. “Obviously the mentality is the same, the preparation is a little different just because they have some different players and new players… it’s not really that much different apart from the names on the back of the jerseys.”

The two teams go into today’s duel with different momentum.

The Tigers came back from an 18-point deficit to win their last game, while Kansas suffered its first loss of the season with a 76-63 loss to Creighton in its last game.

“No breaks, no gaps between us, just the connection we had, that’s what kept us fighting in the last 20 minutes,” Mitchell said of the comeback. “We were a little bit back and forth in the first half, but I think we played so well in defense. Offensively, I think we’re just together and we’re one of the best teams in the country.”

If the Tigers can carry this momentum from Tuesday’s second half, they can accomplish something a Mizzou team hasn’t since Marcus Demon scored 29 points and beat Kansas in February 2012.

“It’s a whole different game,” Mitchell said.