Both Kansas basketball teams have officially kicked off their seasons, and both teams walked away from Allen Fieldhouse with their own respective victories. While the men spread the scoring around, the women saw great nights from their two biggest stars: S'Mya Nichols and Jaliya Davis.
The Jayhawks secured the 66-48 win over Omaha to open the season, and Nichols and Davis are already looking like they have picked up right where they left off last season. It is no wonder both Davis and Nichols were selected to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team when they combine for 27 of the Jayhawks 66 points.
Game one? GAME WON! pic.twitter.com/ulm0nWFoQA
— Kansas Women's Basketball (@KUWBball) November 4, 2026
Davis led the team with 20 points in 29 minutes, but was big on the glass as well, with eight rebounds. It felt like there was a no-fly zone around Davis as well, as the sophomore denied five shots and had two steals, playing a clean game with just one personal foul.
Nichols had a strong game as well, checking in as the second-leading scorer with 17 points, and was great at setting up her teammates, leading the team with three assists and two steals. It was a strong performance from the Jayhawks' star duo, and they will need to continue to impress if the Jayhawks want to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas needs to stay focused with an easier non-conference schedule ahead
It could be easy for the Jayhawks to get complacent when looking at the non-conference schedule ahead of them. Kansas only faces three power conference teams, all hailing from the Big Ten: Nebraska, No. 17 Minnesota, and Northwestern.
With a light non-conference schedule, it can be easy for the Jayhawks to get away with sloppy play against "cupcake" teams, making the transition to conference play a lot harder. The Big 12 has a lot of great teams this season, and Kansas right now will begin conference play against No. 22 Oklahoma State and No. 24 West Virginia.
If the Jayhawks want a shot at winning a Big 12 title and making it back to the NCAA Tournament, they will have to rely on the talents of Davis and Nichols to do exactly what they did against Omaha in the big games.
Nichols returned to Lawrence for her fourth season, while Davis returned for her second, but the two built great chemistry last season, already looking like the two best players for the Jayhawks and could even be the two best players in the Big 12. The conference is wide open, and Kansas has the veteran talent to make a run; they just need to stay focused during this time of non-conference play.
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