After a week off, the Kansas is set to make the trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for one of its biggest non-conference tournaments this season. The Jayhawks will be part of the Players Era 8 Tournament with the likes of Florida, Auburn, Notre Dame, Rutgers, UNLV, West Virginia, and Houston.
Kansas will begin the tournament with a game against UNLV on Tuesday, November 17, at 8:30 p.m. CT, and if the Jayhawks win, they could meet up with some fellow Big 12 teams. In a tournament-style bracket with the ability to advance and play in consolation games, the Jayhawks could meet up with well-known conference foe West Virginia as early as their second game at the tournament.
The Jayhawks could see a newer Big 12 foe, Houston, a couple of games into the tournament, either in the Championship or in a lower-placement game. Either way, head coach Bill Self is a little undecided on whether or not he is happy or concerned about seeing conference opponents this early in the season:
Self on potentially seeing some Big 12 teams in Vegas...
— Matt Tait (@mctait) November 13, 2026
"I'm not crazy about that. It's not the greatest thing, but I also don't think it's the worst thing either." #KUbball
"I'm not crazy about that [meeting fellow Big 12 teams]," Self said. "It's not the greatest thing, but I also don't think it's the worst thing either."
Meeting conference foes this early in the season can be both good and bad for the Jayhawks
It is not the norm for conference foes to meet in non-conference play, especially so early in the season, but with the Players Era Tournament, Kansas could see not just one, but two Big 12 teams. While Kansas has looked very strong to start the season, Self will want to be careful not to show his hand if he does meet up with West Virginia or Houston in Vegas.
It is understandable that Self would be indifferent about meeting a conference opponent this early on. Self knows the Jayhawks will meet both the Mountaineers and Cougars again later in the season, so giving these teams a sneak peek isn't always ideal. However, on the flip side, Self can get a look at Houston and West Virginia as well, and hopefully be ready when they meet later on.
Kansas actually begins conference play at home against West Virginia, so getting an early look at the Mountaineers and how they are playing this season could give the Jayhawks a better idea of what they will face once they hit Big 12 play.
The good news is that West Virginia and Houston won't see Kansas at full strength with the Jayhawks without Melvin Council Jr. at least for the rest of non-conference play due to a foot injury.
Kansas could also miss out on playing West Virginia and Houston altogether, depending on how the bracket shakes out, but this will definitely be the biggest test so far for the Jayhawks.
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