The first week of the 2025–26 men’s college basketball season is in the books, and no matter how you’re feeling about the squad right now, it’s time to keep it moving.
Throughout the Jayhawks' schedule, there’s a collection of key games that will undoubtedly shape how KU’s season ultimately pans out. In chronological order, let’s take a look at the ten most important matchups of the year.
Kansas @ North Carolina (November 7) (74-87 loss)
Of course, the biggest non-conference road test already took place last weekend in Chapel Hill, and it didn’t go the way most Jayhawk fans had hoped. After KU took a 37-29 lead going into the half, UNC head coach Hubert Davis took a page from Bill Self’s 2022 National Championship halftime speech and completely flipped the script.
In the second half, North Carolina outscored Kansas 58–37 and erased an eight-point halftime deficit to secure a 13-point victory. The Tar Heels seemingly could have beaten anyone in the country with the way they shot the ball in the final twenty minutes.
On the bright side for Kansas, Darryn Peterson (22 points) and Bryson Tiller (4-for-4 from three) played like quite possibly the top freshman duo in the nation on one of the biggest and brightest stages. Unfortunately for UNC, point guard Seth Trimble suffered a broken arm during practice just days after the matchup and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Nonetheless, both teams boast tremendous potential and share championship aspirations down the line.
Duke vs Kansas (November 18) (Madison Square Garden)
The Jayhawks’ matchup with the Blue Devils is undoubtedly one of the biggest college basketball games of the season. In this one, we’ll get the treat of watching two of the top three freshmen in the country (Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer) go head-to-head in the world’s most famous arena.
The State Farm Champions Classic will feature Kansas and Duke facing off for the fifth time in the event’s 15-year history. KU has had a phenomenal track record in the Champions Classic, flaunting a 9–5 record, and is the only team of the four schools to maintain a winning record against each of the others (3–1 vs. Duke). The Jayhawks will want that trend to continue in this one to avoid another early-season loss just two weeks into the season.
Last year, Kansas started hot by defeating Michigan State in the Champions Classic before beating Duke in Las Vegas two weeks later. But after a strong November, we all know how the rest of the season went. If it weren’t for that impressive start, who knows where the Jayhawks would have ended up by season’s end.
Although we’ve learned not to put too much stock into early-season games, they’re still just as important as those played in February, at least in the eyes of the NCAA tournament selection committee.
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UConn @ Kansas (December 2)
Kansas clearly won’t have much time to rest once it returns home from the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. This is easily one of the Jayhawks’ three biggest games at Phog Allen Fieldhouse this season.
UConn has never defeated Kansas, as the Jayhawks display a 4–0 all-time record against the Huskies. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2023, when KU knocked off the reigning national champions, who were ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll at the time.
UConn stars Alex Karaban and Solo Ball are the only two active Huskies who logged minutes in that 2023 matchup, while Elmarko Jackson is the lone active Jayhawk who appeared in the game for Kansas.
This will surely be one of the biggest résumé-boosting opportunities of the season for either side, one that could carry significant weight come March.
Kansas vs Missouri (December 7) (T-Mobile Center)
The Border War has been renewed for another battle, and this time, it won’t take place on either school’s campus. Instead, it will fittingly, be played in downtown Kansas City, where a massive crowd from both sides is expected to turn out.
The T-Mobile Center is about to get remarkably hostile in a way that should look great for the sport as a whole. Kansas will look to avenge the painful loss it suffered in Columbia last season with a win over the Tigers in this neutral-site showdown.
Bill Self will need to put together a strong game plan against Kansas City native Mark Mitchell to limit his overall effectiveness.
The matchup comes in the midst of a critical stretch for the Jayhawks, as it’s sandwiched directly between the UConn game and a road trip to Raleigh to take on NC State. A victory will be paramount when the battle at the border commences.
Kansas @ Kansas State (January 24)
Although anything can happen up to this point, this will be the Jayhawks’ biggest road game in January. Rivalry games are always highly unpredictable, especially when Kansas is playing away from home. That’s why this matchup in Manhattan feels slightly more compelling than the Jayhawks’ game against the Wildcats in Allen Fieldhouse on Senior Night.
Bramlage Coliseum will be rocking, and you can bet Jerome Tang will do everything he can to keep Bill Self’s squad from returning to Lawrence with a win. The showdown between preseason All-Americans Darryn Peterson and PJ Haggerty will be one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire college basketball season.
BYU @ Kansas (January 31)
We’ve arrived at KU’s biggest home test in January, and it’s enormous. This will unquestionably be the most significant game between the two schools since the Jayhawks defeated the Cougars in the second round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament, thanks to Rex Walters’ 28-point performance.
The lights will be brightest as the nation’s top two freshmen, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa, face off in what has historically been the loudest indoor arena in the world. Kansas hasn’t beaten BYU in either of the two contests since the Cougars joined the conference in 2023 and will be famished for a victory in this monumental matchup.
Kansas @ Texas Tech (February 2)
The Jayhawks close out what may be their toughest three-game stretch of the season in Lubbock, kicking off a vital month of February.
Kansas will need to contain 2024–25 Big 12 Player of the Year and 2025–26 preseason Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin if they hope to come out on top. Another Red Raider to watch is Christian Anderson, who is expected to be one of the breakout players in the country this year.
The two Texas Tech stars might be the nation’s best duo, and with one of college basketball’s most ferocious home-court advantages, this could be KU’s toughest game of the season.
Kansas @ Iowa State (February 14)
If anything is true in life, it’s that when the Kansas Jayhawks show up in Ames, Iowa, Hilton Coliseum is sure to be rocking. Known as one of the historically toughest buildings to play in, the Jayhawks hold a 28–23 all-time record there, including an impressive 14–6 mark under Bill Self. Kansas had a three-game winning streak at Hilton Coliseum (2019–2022) before dropping a game in the 2022–23 season, and hasn’t won there since.
Iowa State standout and veteran Tamin Lipsey will be motivated to challenge Darryn Peterson in an effort to limit his production. Bill Self and Co. must execute at the highest level if they hope to prevent the Cyclones from extending their home winning streak against the Jayhawks to four games.
Houston @ Kansas (February 23)
Kansas will welcome the reigning Big 12 champions to Lawrence during the homestretch of the season. Houston has won the Big 12 in both seasons since joining the conference in 2023 and is widely projected to three-peat as champions. Fortunately for KU, this is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season, as they don’t have to travel to Houston.
The Jayhawks have lost three straight games to the Cougars with the most notable being their colossal late-game collapse that ended in a double-overtime defeat last season.
After falling to Florida in the 2025 National Championship game, Kelvin Sampson now leads another incredibly talented squad. He brought back two of his top three leading scorers (Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan) while also adding three sensational top-20 recruits (Chris Cenac Jr., Isiah Harwell, and Kingston Flemings), as the Cougars aim to return to the national stage.
Can Kansas bounce back against the rising powerhouse in this year’s lone matchup?
Kansas @ Arizona (February 28)
The final game on the list is indisputably one of KU's four biggest road contests this season. Arizona is stacked and ranks among the most formidable teams not only in the conference but in the entire country. Veteran guard Jaden Bradley and freshman forward Koa Peat will look to lead the Wildcats past the Jayhawks.
Kansas hasn’t played in Tucson since the 2008–09 season, when they were fresh off a national title but lost 84–67 the day before Christmas Eve. This time around, the stakes are much higher, as the Jayhawks will nearly close out the regular season with a road trip to Arizona and Arizona State (March 3) before returning home for their final game against Kansas State (March 7). KU will aim to finish the season strong after enduring another grueling schedule.
Which of these matchups will turn out to be the most difficult, and which one will be the most memorable when it’s all said and done?
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