COLUMBIA, Mo. - The stated purpose of Saturday's Mizzou Madness was to build up the preseason hype for men's and women's basketball to a fever pitch, and it succeeded.
But for better or worse, during the dunk contest and the 10-minute scrimmage for Cuonzo Martin's squad at Mizzou Arena, fans were thinking ahead to today's Showdown for Relief at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, which tips at 3:30 p.m.
That's what happens when a bitter rivalry is revived from dormancy, if only temporarily.
"Mizzou versus Kansas, I don't know if there's a bigger rivalry in any sport than Mizzou versus Kansas," Michael Porter Jr. said after the event. "I think that it's a game that should be played every year. The fans love it, and it's just a good game to play, I think."
In the wave of emotion that comes with a program turning around so quickly without even playing a game like Missouri men's basketball and the return of an important rivalry match, though, it's easy to forget who was filling up Mizzou Arena the past two seasons.
Robin Pingeton and Sophie Cunningham were the first from either team to speak with the fans. Both thanked their audience for the atmosphere at Tigers home games during the past two seasons and pointed to the 15-1 home record as proof of the kind of atmosphere that helps push a home team and intimidate visitors.
A large but not at-capacity crowd was vocally supportive of both teams. But Pingeton and company don't play their first exhibition until Nov. 2, against Southwest Baptist. Kansas is Kansas, and that exhibition is today.
Players on the men's team spoke about the size and energy of the crowd, how it would help them prepare for the charged atmosphere in Kansas City. Most of the crowds of more than 10,000 people Missouri played in front of a year ago were on the road or at neutral sites. That'll surely change this year.
"I had chills, coming out and seeing everyone here," Kevin Puryear said.
The season officially starts Nov. 10 against Iowa State, but today's exhibition is huge for both sides of the rivalry. And make no mistake, Missouri wants to win it.
"To win. To win the ballgame, that's the only goals we have," Puryear said. "We're not going to be holding anybody back, reserving anybody. Everyone who's capable of playing I'm sure is going to play, and we're going to go all-out."
Regardless of the result, the Showdown for Relief will give the Tigers a better understanding of successful lineups and what needs work than an added month of practice or even an exhibition against a different opponent. The Jayhawks are No. 3 in the AP's preseason poll, and Missouri will find out very quickly if it can run with the sport's bluebloods out of the gate or whether major adjustments need to be made.
Aside from the money raised for charity, this Missouri-Kansas matchup, with the help of the NCAA, did something equally as important: it allowed other teams to follow suit. Once the dam was broken, the idea caught on nationally, and many teams, including Texas-Texas A&M, Houston-Baylor and Missouri State-Kansas State, scheduled fundraising exhibitions.
Information on video streaming of the exhibition game is available at showdownforrelief.com.