Kansas and Kentucky have made the Champions Classic one of the most reliable showdowns on the college basketball calendar, and the Jayhawks have had the upper hand more often than not. As Year 16 of the event arrives, KU and UK are set to meet for the sixth time in the showcase, with Kansas carrying a 3-2 edge in the series.
The rivalry in this setting started with a punch from Kentucky’s Anthony Davis-led group. In Kansas’ first Champions Classic game, the Jayhawks were tied with the Wildcats at halftime before Kentucky seized control in the second half and pulled away.
Davis blocked seven shots, all five Kentucky starters reached double figures, and Tyshawn Taylor paced Kansas with 22 points, 15 of them at the line. But the Jayhawks’ 14 turnovers and 33.9% shooting from the field made the difference in a game that also foreshadowed what Kentucky would become that season.
Three years later, the Wildcats delivered the kind of loss that sticks around for a long time. The game was competitive for the first 20 minutes, then Kentucky took over in a hurry and buried Kansas 72-40.
KU managed only 12 points in the second half, the lowest total to date under Bill Self, and the aftermath became part of Champions Classic lore. Former KU standout Devonte’ Graham later recalled on a podcast that the team showed up to practice the next morning and found no basketballs waiting for them.
“Y’all are just going to run until I get tired.”
That Kentucky team also turned into one of the sport’s heavyweights, finishing with 38 wins and reaching the Final Four before falling to Wisconsin.
Kansas finally broke through in the 2017 meeting. The Jayhawks had entered the event winless against Kentucky and Michigan State, but this was the night Self’s team got it done.
Kentucky led with less than five minutes left, yet Malik Newman buried a clutch three and Kansas closed it out at the line in a tight defensive game. Svi Mykhailiuk scored 17 points, while Udoka Azubuike added 13 points and eight rebounds without missing a shot.
Since then, Kansas has taken control of the series inside the event. The Jayhawks are 7-2 in the Champions Classic over the last decade, and one of the strangest wins came in 2020 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where the game was played without fans because of COVID-19 regulations.
Kentucky’s season would spiral into a nine-win year, but Kansas still had to fight back from 13 down to win. Jalen Wilson powered that comeback with 23 points and 10 rebounds, scoring 21 of his points after halftime.
The most recent Kansas-Kentucky Champions Classic meeting brought another comeback. The Jayhawks erased a 14-point second-half deficit and got 50 combined points from Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris to win their third straight matchup in the series and move above .500 in the event.
Now the teams are back again, and this one comes with a different feel because John Calipari is no longer on the Kentucky sideline. Even so, it remains one of the most anticipated games on the nonconference schedule.
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Bill Self Sees Something In Trey Kaufman-Renn Kansas Could Need Fast
Trey Kaufman-Renn wasted little time making an impression in his second game with Kansas, jumping into the starting lineup and leading the way with 17 points on efficient shooting while adding four rebounds and two assists. For a team still sorting out its early-season rotation, that kind of immediate production matters, especially from a newcomer who already looks comfortable within Bill Selfs scheme.
Self said Kaufman-Renn has shown a strong grasp of what Kansas is trying to do and brings a scoring skill set that can help in a few different ways. The next step is getting his conditioning where it needs to be, and figuring out the best way to use him remains part of the equation as the Jayhawks continue to adjust around him. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Now Knows When A Crucial West Virginia Test Awaits
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Kansas heads into the meeting coming off a close loss to UCF, while West Virginia also enters with fresh disappointment after falling to Texas Tech. For the Jayhawks, it is another chance to steady themselves and keep building in conference play, and the timing only sharpens the importance of a game that could carry plenty of weight by mid-November. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Suddenly Faces A Backcourt Problem Bill Self Didnt Need
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The Jayhawks now have to get through the nonconference portion without one of their most experienced perimeter pieces, and the ripple effect goes beyond one lineup spot. Council is hopeful to be back around the start of conference play, but until then Kansas will have to sort out who absorbs his minutes, who handles the ball, and how the backcourt holds together without him. [Read more 🡒]