Jalen Wilson explains how Kansas took care of Missouri

Even if the roster looks a tad different, Kansas is still the reigning national champions. Not many environments are going to phase Bill Self’s squad, even if Saturday against Missouri was their first true road game of the season.

Mizzou Arena was bouncing to open the game before Kansas put their foot on the pedal. Even so, Columbia had not hosted a Border War in over a decade and was excited to host the program’s biggest rival once again. Cooler heads prevailed, with the Jayhawks getting a 28-point win.

“The key was just staying poised,” veteran forward Jalen Wilson said after the game. “The crowd was going to be amped up all game, no matter what’s going on. Had to come in here and play our game.”

Official attendance for the 3:15 p.m. local tip was just over 15,000 with just a few Kansas fans in the building. Kansas has played in some big-time environments over the years but not many games are bigger for the program than Missouri.

Atmosphere did not affect how Kansas was going to play their game, though. Wilson said the plan was executed well, wanting to get the shots up they wanted to. Letting a loud crowd rattle the game plan would have led to a drastically different result.

“Not settle for any jump shots,” said Wilson. “Get to the paint, create contact, and that’s what we were able to do. We got to the free-throw line a lot. Got some great dunks in transition, in the halfcourt.”

Kansas was able to get to the free throw line 19 times, converting on 15 of them. While they shot an impressive 45.5% from three, what the Jayhawks were able to do inside the paint was the real story.

KJ Adams was dominant, running at the five for Kansas, having 19 points. He made nine of his 11 shots while adding six rebounds. While he may not be like a dominant big we are seeing around the rest of college basketball, Adams did his job — exceptionally well — against Missouri.

You can make it three Border War victories win in a row for Kansas, with this being the first on road turf since March 2011. This one means a lot to everyone involved with the program, from players to fans and even the city of Lawrence.

Wilson may not have another shot at Missouri, playing his fourth year of college basketball. Saturday’s performance was nearly flawless and one he will be remembered for a long time.