Kansas and the University of Missouri-Columbia meet up for the first game of a scheduled 6-game series.

Wait... why did we sign a 6-game agreement with a hyphenated school? Ugh. Whatever.

Kansas enters the contest with a ranking of #8 by the AP, while UM-C comes in unranked. KenPom has the Jayhawks at #4 and the Tigers at #139. The preseason conference media poll picked UM-C to finish 10th in the 14-team SEC this year.

Kansas leads the all-time series between the two schools 174-95 (including the 2017 charity exhibition game). Kansas has won 7 of the last 8, and 12 of the last 14 meetings, but UM-C is 1-0 in the Border Cold War that began when they left the Big 12 for the SEC back in 2012.

Here are the essentials:

The Numbers

(8) Kansas: 7-1, 0-0 Big 12

UM-Columbia: 5-4, 0-0 SEC

Line: KU -25

How to Watch

Saturday, Dec 11, 2:15 p.m. CST

Lawrence, KS: Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

TV: ESPN

- Tom Hart (Play-by-Play), Chris Spatola (Analyst)

Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network

- Brian Hanni (Play-by-Play), Greg Gurley (Analyst)

Online Streaming: www.espn.com/watch or the ESPN app (cable subscription required)

Fun Facts

Kansas is 42-14 all-time against UM-C inside Allen Fieldhouse, including 13-straight and 9-0 under Bill Self.

UM-Columbia has lost to respectable basketball powerhouses Liberty, Wichita State, Florida State, and UMKC so far this season, with all of those double-digit affairs save one (WSU).

So far this season, Kansas ranks in the top-20 in the NCAA (out of 358 D1 teams) in: Scoring, Assists, Assist-Turnover Ratio, and Field Goal Percentage.

Don’t forget your teddy bears! This game is the annual “Teddy Bear Toss” where KU Athletics will collect donated teddy bears to distribute to the local Toys for Tots chapter.