Welcome back to Columbia, kansas!

Do you smell it, children? Hate is in the air!

Mizzou Hoops — sitting at a perfect 9-0 after a too-close-for-comfort win over SEMO on Sunday — will get the next five days off before the kansas jayhawks return to Columbia for the first time since 2012 this coming Saturday. It’s a game Mizzou fans have been waiting for, as evidenced by the fact that the game has already sold out.

Coming off the back of a weekend full of bowl game drama — thanks to all you jayhawks who shared yesterday’s column with your friends, the engagement was outstanding! — the hate between the two schools is fresher than ever. It could feel intimidating for a first-time coach to step into this rivalry. Dennis Gates, true to form, is planning to work overtime to get a sense of how it all works.

Gates said he plans to call every former Mizzou coach this week to help prepare himself for the rivalry.

“Whether it’s my conversations with Norm (Stewart), conversations with Quin Snyder, conversations with Mike Anderson, Frank Haith, Kim Anderson and even Cuonzo, I have to do my research as leader, CEO of the program and now build a game plan with our staff,” he said.

That’s not the only thing Dennis Gates had to say about past Mizzou coaches, though. Gates took time to specifically call out Cuonzo Martin after yesterday’s SEMO win for the development of Kobe Brown.

Brown finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Let’s hope that’s just a tune up for next weekend’s date with that school from the west.

It remains to be seen what shenanigans The Antlers will be up to this week. I’m sure they’ll have something special planned for the occasion.

Yesterday at Rock M

• In which the Rock M Digest is back, baby!
• In which I argue that the Mizzou-kansas fiasco is proof that the jayhawks need Mizzou to regain football relevance
• In which Mizzou learns their bowl destination and opponent and Vegas weighs in
• In which FLIPMAS COMES EARLY in the form of Marvin Burks Jr.!
• In which the Mizzou men stay undefeated despite staying too close for comfort against SEMO
• In which the Mizzou women take care of business against both UMass and Arizona State this weekend

More Links:

• Here’s your weekly “Mizzou in the NFL” round up:

Jordan Elliott logged two tackles in the Browns’ 27-14 win over the Texans.

Akayleb Evans showed out against the Jets in Minnesota’s 27-22 win, registering six tackles and a pass breakup.

Kansas City suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Bengals, but Nick Bolton was a man possessed with 16 tackles (!!!) on the day.

• Thinking about heading to Tampa for Mizzou’s game against Wake Forest on December 23? Here are some things you may want to know!

The Tribune posted an early preview of the Demon Deacons, but you can rest assured that ours will be ready to rock in the coming days.

• It feels appropriate to give Robin Pingeton’s team some solo shout out space after their 71-60 win over the Sun Devils. Lauren Hansen and Hayley Frank matched each other with 23 points. However, it was the Sara(h)s who contributed heavily on the glass in the Tigers’ two-game trip to Tempe.

The Sara(h)s, Sara-Rose Smith and Sarah Linthacum, had to step up big to accommodate for the loss of Jayla Kelly in the rebounds column, and they did just that, totaling 33 rebounds over two games. Linthacum’s performance on Saturday off the bench, in particular, was rewarded with a start over the other Sara (Rose) in Sunday’s game. The Tigers outrebounded both the Minutewomen and the Sun Devils in the two tilts, by a total of 84-67.

• In case you hadn’t heard or read in our Rock M links above... MARVIN BURKS JR. IS GOING TO BE A TIGER! The four-star safety talked to Corey Miller about his decision to flip from Ole Miss, specifically citing his relationship with Blake Baker.

• The transfer portal opens today, and it seems notable that the brother of Tyrone Hopper and cousin of Ty’Ron — a tight end, as it turns out! — is in the transfer portal.

In less exciting transfer portal news, Dominic Lovett makes it official that he’ll enter the portal today.

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