Kansas head coach Bill Self
On if the biggest motivation for Saturday is playing Missouri or winning the Big 12 outright:
"It's Missouri. It's the rivalry more than anything else. We could play shirts and skins with nobody in the stands, and I think our guys would be excited to play. That's probably the primary thing, but also the chance to win the league outright is a big factor."
On Missouri scoring 86 points in the first meeting:
"I'll be shocked if there's that many points scored Saturday, but it will be a fast game. They want to play fast, and we want to play fast.
A lot of times it's misleading, just because you give up points doesn't mean you don't guard and just because you don't give up points doesn't mean you do guard. That's a misnomer because there are so many more possessions (in fast-paced games). More possessions usually produce more points, but we have to do a better job defensively. We allowed it to be a horse contest the first half against them, and they stepped up and made all of their shots."
On playing in a hostile environment at Missouri:
"We've only played one road game since Kansas State, and that was Oklahoma. That was a game where we made shots early, so we didn't feel the pressure in that particular game. We're going to feel some pressure Saturday, so we need to have a tight huddle and really talk about why we didn't succeed in Manhattan to make sure our mindset is such that we have a better chance to succeed in Columbia."
Junior forward Markieff Morris
On winning the Big 12 outright:
"We're definitely not happy sharing it. We want to win it outright every year. It's going to be a tough game for us at Missouri, but we're going to try to get it done."
On what makes Missouri tough at home:
"Everybody plays with a chip on their shoulder at home and Kansas-Missouri is always going to be a big game. It's always tough to beat them there, and I think they are a very talented team who can score the ball very well."
Junior guard Tyshawn Taylor
On what means more, beating Missouri or winning the conference outright:
"I think it's a little bit of both. It's Missouri, so it's definitely a rivalry game and they are going to play us tough. They are undefeated at home, so it's going to be a tough game. The last time we played a rival on the road, it didn't go too well. We have to come out and be better than when we were at Kansas State. I think we're going to be well-prepared and ready for their pressure. We know the atmosphere is going to be crazy, so we have to be ready to respond to it."
On giving up 86 points to Missouri in the first meeting:
"We're definitely going to focus on defending their motion. They run a five-out motion and a lot of back-cutting. We're going to be well-prepared for them. We're going to practice today and tomorrow and be ready for it."