Conference basketball is nearly under full swing, by the time you will get used to writing the year 2026, what has been called by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormak as the second hardest league behind the NBA will be firing as the ever-chaotic Big 12 play will start.
For the Kansas Jayhawks, there will be several hiccups in their conference schedule. Kansas will have to travel to Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Arizona.
“If you're good enough to win the Big 12, you're one of the best teams in the country. If you're good enough to finish in the top four or five in the Big 12 now, you're one of the best teams in the country,” quoted Kansas head coach Bill Self, who preceded the quote by mentioning his squad’s recent struggles away from home at Kansas State. A place the Jayhawks haven’t won at since the 2021-22 season, where a narrow 78-75 win came before an overtime 83-82 loss, a 75-70 overtime loss, and, most recently, an 81-73 loss last season.
“I mean, there's a good chance a team that could finish fourth in our league could win a national championship and certainly make a Final Four. So, it's a hard path, but it'll be good for everybody.”
Of course, Self will never water down the quality of his future opponents to provide a bit of an insurance policy, but it is hard to say he is wrong. The Big 12 was recently ranked as the nation’s best conference. The top pick of the 2026 NBA Draft is likely between either Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, both players from the conference.
When looking at the home slate for Kansas, some of the premier teams the Jayhawks will be hosting are the Cyclones, the BYU Cougars, Arizona, Houston, and, of course, Kansas State.
Let’s not forget these games are going to be muddled in and around several games Kansas will win, which could add a further bogey, considering the Jayhawks may make the odd mistake of looking too far ahead at an odd point.
Kansas is set to face off against the University of Central Florida Golden Knights. So far this season, UCF sits with an efficient 11-1 record; however, their near-middle-of-the-pack opponent strength of schedule rating (196) has shown that they have yet to be tested much more than their sole loss. An eight-point 105-93 loss to the red-hot Vanderbilt Commodores.
Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. CT with streaming available on Peacock.
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