Slide or speed bump? What better defines Missouri's recent stretch of play?
Mizzou's game against Kansas on Saturday could go a long way in helping shape that narrative heading into the postseason.
No matter what a diehard Missouri fan tells you, beating Kansas does not immediately cure all ills for Mizzou. But a win against KU would be a spoonful of medicine that could at least temporarily quell the nausea.
Despite three wins against the KenPom Top 30, Mizzou lacks a truly signature win atop its tournament résumé. Two of those wins (vs. No. 21 Illinois and No. 23 Vanderbilt) feel like a generation ago, and its third (vs. No. 30 Kansas State) came against what might have well a completely different team.
Beating Kansas certainly wouldn't erase Mizzou's most prominent black mark – its inability to win on the road. By defeating the Jayhawks on Saturday, Missouri would secure its second undefeated home season in three years. But skeptics both domestic and abroad would still rightfully question Missouri's ability to perform consistently outside the 573 area code.
No, a win against Kansas doesn't change the facts, but it does change the talking points. And after the last seven days, that alone sounds appealing.