MU, Kentucky to visit Allen Fieldhouse in same season for first time in a long time
Bill Self views Kansas’ 2021-22 home men’s basketball schedule as one of the most attractive in his 19 seasons as Jayhawks’ head coach.
That’s all because of a pair of games that could emerge as two of the most sought-after-tickets in several seasons.
“You could say the biggest nonconference games we could possibly play at home for our fans would be Mizzou (Dec. 11) and Kentucky (Jan. 29). How many years do you get them both at home in the same year?” Self asked recently at the Coaches Vs. Cancer Season Tipoff at Hy-Vee Arena.
The answer to that is “not many.”
Mizzou and Kentucky last visited Allen during the same season back in 2005-06. That’s when the Jayhawks slugged Kentucky, 73-46, on Jan. 7, 2006, and Mizzou, 79-46, on, Feb. 18, 2006 both before the home fans. Prior to that, MU and UK last competed vs. KU in Allen during the same hoops campaign in 1989-90. Roy Williams’ Jayhawks clobbered Kentucky, 150-95, on Dec. 9, 1989 before losing to Missouri, 77-71, on Feb. 13, 1990.
“I’m excited about the Mizzou game. I know I’ll catch some crap from some because people will say I’m the reason we didn’t play them for about 10 years, which is partially true, not totally, but partially true,” Self said.
KU last played Border War rival Missouri on Feb. 25, 2012, the season before the Tigers started play in the SEC. The Jayhawks rallied from 19 points down to trip the Tigers, 87-86, in overtime, at Allen Fieldhouse.
In response to MU’s leaving the Big 12, Self and KU administration decided not to schedule the Tigers in nonconference action until the current six-game, six-year series was announced on Oct. 22, 2019. The series start was delayed a year because of last season’s COVID-19 attendance restrictions.
“I’m excited to get back to playing it. I missed the game ever since 2012,” Self said. “It’s good for the players, good for the fans and certainly there’s been enough water under the bridge and time passed that everybody can look past whatever transpired and want to do what’s in the best interest of both universities and that’s play,” Self added.
Back in October of 2019, shortly after the resumption of the KU-MU series was announced, Self said: “You could say I got the seven-year itch.”
When pressed about whose idea it was to play again, Self at that time said: “I can’t speak to it positively with Missouri. I can speak it’s a combination of myself and Jeff (Long, former KU athletic director) and also input from other coaches in our department. Not one person made this decision. We are all on the same page with this. It is a subject talked about during our head coaches meetings and certainly one in which my stance has probably been softened some since playing the exhibition game and seeing the interest in how an event like that can sell out in 24 hours with all the money going to a great cause,” Self said.
KU played Missouri in an exhibition game in October 2017 in the Sprint Center (now T-Mobile Center). Proceeds went to hurricane relief.
Self reminded The Star in 2019 that despite being adamant about not playing MU since the Tigers left the Big 12, “I never said we’d never do it. There’s been some time that’s passed. Missouri made the decision that was in the best interest of their school at the time. We made the decision in our best interest at the time. I see it as a positive.”
More on Kentucky game
The significance of this year’s KU-Kentucky game could be monumental.
The Jayhawks, who last played Kentucky at Allen on Jan. 30, 2016 (90-84 KU victory in OT), enter the 2021-22 season just four games behind Kentucky on the all-time college men’s basketball victory list.
Yes, Kentucky leads the Jayhawks, 2,327 victories (against 728 losses) to 2,323 victories (versus 871 losses). North Carolina is third on the all-time list at 2,294.
“I will tell you this, I think Kentucky has rightfully so used that as a recruiting tool for decades,” Self said late last season. “They’ve said, ‘We (Wildcats) are the winningest program in the history of college basketball.’ Rightfully so, we’ve said, ‘We are the second-winningest program in the history of college basketball.’ I don’t know that either one of those statements actually gets a player (recruit) in today’s time. I do think it adds interest and it certainly adds pride with your loyal fanbases and your alums.
“We are in a situation where obviously I am aware that we’ve narrowed the gap. ... The reality of it is, that’s something I really don’t think something that happened in the 1930s really translates to how successful a program is now. I do wish we had that feather in our cap. I know Kentucky has been very proud that they have had that feather in their cap for a long time. It would be nice to catch them. There’s a lot of work left to do with that.”
Other nonconference games on KU’s home slate this season: Tarleton State (Nov 12), Stony Brook (Nov, 18), Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 18) and Harvard (Dec. 29). The Jayhawks also have an exhibition against Emporia State on Nov. 3. KU also plays UTEP in the Sprint Center on Dec. 7.
This story was originally published October 12, 2021 at 9:09 AM with the headline "MU, Kentucky to visit Allen Fieldhouse in same season for first time in a long time."
