The Missouri Tigers and Kansas Jayhawks have met 272 times on the basketball court since 1906. That’s the same year that the first wireless voice message was transmitted over the radio and the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series. 

Now, 119 years later, the Tigers and Jayhawks will top off in Kansas City, Missouri in another installment of the Border War Showdown. It’ll have all the usual heated implications of a typical Border War game, only with different personel and talent compared to recent seasons. 

All of the spotlight will be on freshman Jayhawk guard Darryn Peterson, who’s been tabbed as the best draft prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft class. He’s only played in two games this season, but showed fully what he can do if he’s available. 

Kansas head coach Bill Self told the media on Friday that he expects Peterson to play. He’s been out with a lower body injury since Nov. 7 in a loss to North Carolina. 

“He’s very, very talented,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said. “He will be the first or second pick in the NBA Draft. I’ve seen him play since I was at Cleveland State. He was in Toledo. I’ve seen him play in grassroots. Some of our guys have played against him in AAU. So there’s familiarity.”

The Jayhawks have still managed to find some success, even without Peterson on the floor. He averaged 21.5 points in the two games he played in, including 22 points against the Tarheels. 

Kansas has picked up wins against Notre Dame, Tennessee and Syracuse since Peterson’s injury, while also racking up losses against Duke and UConn. 

“He is a talented young man, and his teammates thrived, even when he was out,” Gates said. “They were able to build isolated confidence in different roles. And now you add that piece back to the puzzle and keep those other guys as aggressive as they needed to be. They’re a really good team.”

Many guys have stepped up in the absence of Peterson, especially sophomore forward Flory Bidunga. He’s having a career season, with averages of 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He was going to receive an uptick of minutes compared to his freshman year regardless, but he’s truly stepped up over the last month. 

Tre White, a big and versatile transfer point guard from Illinois, has also been playing some of his best basketball of his career. His career-high of 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds provides a steady and physical presence for the Jayhawks on offense and defense. 

Self brought in a crop of elite freshman to surround Peterson, White and Bidunga, as well. Four-stars Kohl Rosario, Bryson Tiller, Paul Mbiya and Samis Calderon all joined Peterson in a talented freshman class that was ranked as one of the best in the country in 2025. 

“You have a young man who transferred in from Illinois in Tre White,” Gates said. “There’s familiarity there with him. You look at the freshmen, whether it’s Rosario or otherwise, guys who have impacted the game in a certain way. It’s a balanced team and real and well-coached.”

In general, the Jayhawks have size and length that can disrupt play on both sides of the ball. Missouri’s known for its length as well, but this will be the most similar team in terms of size that they’ve played so far. 

“They have great length, rim protection,” Gates said on Friday. “They sometimes double. Sometimes they don’t they play personnel-based. At the end of the day. They have really, really good instincts in terms of getting in the passing lanes and obviously chucking cutters.”

Gates’ squad struggled to execute on both sides of the ball in their most recent loss to Notre Dame. They’re ranked No. 25 on offense and No. 73 on defense. On the flip side, Kansas is No. No. 59 on offense and No. 10 on defense. 

Peterson throws a positive wrench in a Jayhawk offense that could take an immediate toll on the Tigers’ defense. They’ve allowed large chunks of points to teams like Southeast Missouri State and Prairie View A&M, showing some potential weaknesses to be exploited. 

“Ultimately, being able to execute on both ends is going to be crucial,” Gates said. “Our defense cannot overrun spots. We got to be there so that we can close out whether it’s the three-point shooters or not. But in transition, that’s where they defend and try to manipulate the game, and they’ve done a great job getting out in transition.”

The Tigers and Jayhawks tip off at noon on Sunday for the 272nd installment of the Border War in Kansas City, Missouri at the T-Mobile Center. 

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