Kansas

First off, let me assure you I didn't write this open letter to Kansas basketball coach Bill Self. I personally am on record as supporting the stance of the woman who sent it to me and other media outlets, that Kansas and Missouri should continue their Border War rivalry as a non-conference matchup in any and all sports.

But let's face it, primarily in football and men's basketball.

I'll add only one editorial comment to what you are about to read: Self was arrogantly and impudently wrong in telling us on Saturday night that fans don't drive the bus.

Day after thoughts of Kansas’ 92-74 victory over Baylor on Monday

The game’s turning point came late in the first half. Baylor overcame an eight-point deficit and took a 27-22 lead. What happened over the next few minutes changed the game.

The Jayhawks started an inevitable flurry, with Tyshawn Taylor doing most of the damage. But a couple of Baylor baskets would have stemmed the tide. Instead, the Bears lost their offense purpose and started taking quick shots without ball movement. On KU’s 17-2 to end the half, Baylor missed eight of nine shots and turned it over three times.

The Border War football game between Kansas and Missouri at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium has moved into a prime 2:30 kickoff slot.

FOX - the network that will telecast the game - and Missouri announced the switch from an 11 a.m. start for the Nov. 26 game.

Tickets still remain for the regular season finale for the Tigers and Jayhawks and can be purchased at mutigers.com or ticketmaster.com.

Last night, feeling particularly snarky, I decided to have a little fun on Twitter and Facebook.

Playing off the notion that a possible Missouri move from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference could bring an end to the Missouri-Kansas Border War rivalry in football and basketball, I asked the following question:

“If Mizzou goes to SEC and Kansas refuses to play MU, who is really to blame for ending Border War rivalry? Answer in 3-2-1”

Now some survey specialist would undoubtedly say that I could have phrased the question better.

If the Big 12 Conference goes bust and Kansas City loses the Big 12 postseason basketball tournament, there is no reason Kansas City’s local college connection between Kansas State, Kansas and Missouri would have to go bust with it.

The Border War football game between Kansas and Missouri could be played as a non-conference opener to the football season.

But Kansas City would then have a real opportunity to keep the local economy booming by reinstituting the fondly remembered Big Six-Seven-Eight (Christmas) Holiday Tournament in basketball.

Missouri’s fifth-place finish in the Big 12 men’s golf championships has given MU a fifth straight M&I Bank MU-KU Border Showdown Series title.

KU came in ninth in the men’s golf event, and that outcome gave Missouri a 23-14 lead in the all-sports contest with Kansas.

On two more points are in play for this school year, assuring Missouri of its seventh trophy in the nine years of the series with the Jayhawks.

You can see the sport by sport breakdown of this year’s series at:

http://www.mutigers.com/ot/border-showdown.html

From the National Football Foundation comes the list of nominees to the college football hall of fame from major programs.

Former players from Big 12 schools are listed first, followed by the rest of the group. Usually about a dozen players from this group and two coaches are selected, and the announcement will be made in May.

Having served on the committee that selects the class, trust me when I say the sheer number of talent players makes it an impossible task. For instance, if you had to select two from the Big 12 schools, who would they be?

*-first year on ballot

Pitt is sixth?

There were no right answers for this week’s college basketball, but there is a wrong answer. There aren’t five better college basketball teams than Pittsburgh.

But that’s how the coaches in the ESPN/USA Today poll called it.

After Ohio State fell at Purdue on Sunday, giving all top four teams a loss in a week for the first time since 2003, this would be the perfect opportunity to rank the teams in order of perceived strength. Not simply elevating a team because of the traffic in front.

Kansas and Missouri gained ground in the Associated Press top 25 poll on Monday, while Kansas State dropped out.

KU moved up one spot to No. 2, behind new No. 1 Ohio State. Missouri is No. 13 after being ranked 15th last week.

Kansas State held on to a spot in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, ranked No. 24.

Syracuse is behind the Jayhawks at No. 3 in the AP poll, while former No. 1 Duke fell to fourth.

The AP poll:

1. Ohio State
2. Kansas
3. Syracuse
4. Duke
5. Pittsburgh
6. San Diego State
7. Villanova
8. Connecticut
9. BYU
10. Texas
11. Texas A&M
12. Kentucky

For the first time, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri are ranked together in basketball’s top 10.

The Associated Press and USA Today coaches’ poll agree on the Jayhawks and Wildcats at fourth and fifth. Missouri is eighth in the coaches’ poll and ninth in AP.

Kansas was sixth in the previous polls and moved up two spots after a 3-0 week, capped by a victory over Arizona.

The Wildcats dropped only one spot after a 1-1 week, which included a loss to top-ranked Duke at the Sprint Center.

The Tigers moved into the top 10 after a 3-0 week.