Kansas basketball: Series with Gonzaga would benefit both squads

Kansas basketball and Gonzaga have reportedly agreed to a home-and-home series set to begin in 2022.

As reported by Jim Meehan of the Spokesman-Review, Kansas basketball and Gonzaga will play a home-and-home series beginning in 2022. The first game will take place in Allen Fieldhouse and the second in 2023 at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. This would be a huge matchup, and it’d benefit both Kansas basketball and Gonzaga.

The Kansas City Star confirmed the initial report that the series is “Definitely a possibility. But details not finalized.”

According to Meehan, the games are set to be played in December, which is another key factor. Some games between powerhouse programs happen relatively early in the season, which can devalue them by the time March rolls around. The Kansas-Duke game in last year’s season-opener is a great example.

While critics of the series with Gonzaga will point to their relatively weak conference, the Zags have qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the past 22 years and that’s no fluke. Gonzaga also regularly finishes high in the AP Poll, coming in at No. 2 last season behind Kansas.

For the Jayhawks, this series is a great opportunity to pick up quality wins, as the games will undoubtedly be classified as quadrant one by the NET. At the same time, they aren’t make-or-break games for Kansas, which is the benefit of being in a major conference.

The series will also serve to bolster Kansas’ strength of schedule, which has ranked in the top 10 of KenPom every year since 2014. Playing that difficult of schedule is one reason why Kansas has been able to land a No. 1 or 2 seed in nine out of the past ten years (not including 2020 where the Jayhawks likely would have been the No. 1 overall seed).

So far, Kansas basketball and Gonzaga have met only one other time on the court, and that was back in 1998. The Jayhawks, led by Kenny Gregory, came away with the home victory 80-66.

This series should provide great entertainment for fans in addition to being a good resume booster for both squads. It’s a win-win scenario, what’s not to like?