The No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks are set to host a game against top-ranked Arizona on Monday night, and it’s a game that carries more weight than many people realize.
According to the record books, the Jayhawks have the chance to win their first game against an AP No. 1 inside Allen Fieldhouse since 2003. Last time that happened, then-No. 6 Kansas also topped Arizona 91-74.
Scouting the Wildcats: one of the nation’s premier programs
Utah enters Monday’s game on a 23-game win streak, ranked both atop the AP Poll and the Big 12 Standings. The Wildcats are one of two remaining unbeaten teams this season at the Division I level, the only other team being Miami (Ohio).
Two of the Wildcats’ starters from last season are returning for their second game against the Jayhawks inside Allen Fieldhouse. Jayden Bradley, a senior in his second season with the Wildcats, averages 13.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
Bradley is also one of seven players averaging 20 or more minutes a game, and one of six players to appear in all 23 games shooting 50% or better from the field.
23-0 = HISTORY
— PHNX Wildcats (@PHNX_Wildcats) February 7, 2026
Arizona passes '96-97 Kansas for best start to a season by ANY Big 12 team. pic.twitter.com/wB42MAA9ye
The team’s leading scorer, Brayden Burries, sits at 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and just under two steals.
Arizona plays a different scheme than most teams in the Big 12. The Wildcats have eight players on the active roster who play 15 or more minutes per game. Of them, all eight have appeared in every game this season.
As a team, they average 89.5 points, 51% from the field, 36% from three-point range and 73% from the free-throw line.
Does Kansas have what it takes to topple the Wildcats?
Saturday’s win against Utah was telling, and not in the best way. Against the Utes, the Jayhawks shot just 17% from three-point range. The bench totaled just five points, Darryn Peterson missed his season average by eight points, and the final score certainly reflected that.
But ‘too close for comfort’ games happen in this league, and that’s not to say the Jayhawks played poorly, just different. The Jayhawks still shot 50% from the floor, a major turnaround from the 33% recorded in the first 20 minutes of play.
Flory Bidunga also rejected seven shots and grabbed 10 rebounds. Yes, you heard that right – seven blocks from one player in a single game.
Both Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. looked much the same, minus the three-point shooting. The pair combined for 27 points, Council leading the team in assists with six.
Even with Peterson going cold for stretches, there was never a lack of control for the Jayhawks. Playing at home against the Utes, there’s wiggle room for that sort of thing. Arizona, however, is a different story. That could very well be the determining factor.
Let’s not forget, however, Kansas lost the handle earlier this season against then-No. 3 UConn, but if the three-point shooting looks like it did against BYU and Darryn Peterson plays a full game, grab your popcorn. History has a funny way of repeating itself.
Score Prediction: Kansas 82, Arizona 80
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