Missouri students started lining up the night before and had filled the student section at Mizzou Arena 90 minutes before tip-off. They belted out “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers and shouted obscenities as Kansas players warmed up. Football coach Eliah Drinkwitz eventually joined the party and held up a “Five Level One Violations” sign, referencing the looming NCAA case against Kansas.
The Border War rivalry (now officially known as the Border Showdown) returned last season after a nearly decade-long absence. On Saturday, Kansas made its first trip to Columbia since 2012 and it brought out one of the best atmospheres of the college basketball season to date. That same day, Cincinnati hosted Xavier in an always-hostile Crosstown Shootout rivalry game, and Syracuse took on Georgetown in an old Big East battle. The next day, Seton Hall went into a sea of red at Jersey Mike’s Arena and beat Rutgers to win bragging rights in the Garden State. College basketball doesn’t have an official rivalry week, but this past weekend featured three of the sport’s great rivalries and served as a reminder of what makes it special.
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