Kansas Jayhawks Gear Up for Big 12 Gauntlet After Strong Nonconference Start
The Kansas Jayhawks have wrapped up the first leg of their season, closing out nonconference play with a solid 10-3 record and a No. 17 national ranking. Now comes the real test: the Big 12 grind. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned under Bill Self’s 23 years at the helm, it’s that conference play is where the Jayhawks sharpen their edge - or get exposed.
“First season is over, second season starts,” Self said this week, looking ahead to Saturday’s Big 12 opener at UCF. “We need to get off to a good start unlike last year.”
That’s not just coach speak. A year ago, Kansas dropped its conference opener at home to West Virginia - a 62-61 stunner that snapped a 33-game win streak in Big 12 openers, a streak that had held since the 1991-92 season. That loss set the tone for a bumpy league run, with the Jayhawks finishing 11-9 in conference play, good for sixth place.
This year, the league’s coaches have Kansas pegged to finish right around the same spot. But if there’s one thing Self’s teams have shown over the years, it’s that they tend to evolve as the season progresses.
The key is surviving the early stretch - and that starts Saturday at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando. Tipoff against 11-1 UCF is set for 1 p.m.
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Big 12: As Deep and Dangerous as Ever
The Big 12 has trimmed its schedule from 20 to 18 games this season, but don’t mistake fewer games for an easier path. If anything, this year’s conference slate might be the most brutal yet.
“It’s going to be a monster,” Self said. “Any win is going to be a good win, regardless of where it is. Certainly, road will be harder than home, but they’re all going to be hard games.”
He’s not exaggerating. Six Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 17 of the final AP poll before league play begins.
Arizona (13-0) sits atop the poll at No. 1, with Iowa State (13-0) right behind at No. 3.
Houston and BYU, both 12-1, are ranked No. 8 and No. 10, respectively. Texas Tech (10-3) checks in at No. 15, with Kansas rounding out the group at No.
And that’s just the ranked teams. Baylor (10-2), Oklahoma State (12-1), UCF (11-1), and Arizona State (9-4) are all receiving votes.
Even the unranked teams - Colorado, TCU, West Virginia, Kansas State, Utah, and Cincinnati - all boast winning records. There are no layups in this league.
“During the years that we won the league, I always thought, ‘If you’re good enough to win the Big 12, you’re one of the best teams in the country,’” Self said. “Now I think, ‘If you’re good enough to finish in the top four or five in the Big 12, you’re one of the best teams in the country.’”
He’s not wrong. With the talent and depth scattered across the conference, it’s entirely possible a team that finishes fourth in the Big 12 could still make a deep NCAA Tournament run - maybe even all the way to a national title.
Kansas’ Path: No Favors from the Schedule
The Jayhawks’ conference slate doesn’t exactly ease them in. Under the Big 12’s new format, each team plays three opponents twice and the other 12 once. For Kansas, that means double-dips with Kansas State, Arizona, and Iowa State - three of the toughest draws possible.
Facing Kansas State twice is a given - the in-state rivalry demands it. But playing both the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the country twice? That’s a brutal break.
“They’ve beaten us the last three times over there,” Self said of K-State and its home court at Bramlage Coliseum. “The other two we play twice … the No. 1 team, Arizona, and No.
3 Iowa State. We’re playing them twice, where other people don’t have to play those same teams twice.
So even though it’s hard, our schedule probably is as hard as anyone’s.”
That’s not just coach hyperbole. As of Monday, KenPom rated Kansas’ overall schedule as the 13th toughest in the nation - and it’s only going to climb once Big 12 play begins.
Loaded at the Top, Dangerous in the Middle
What makes this year’s Big 12 especially daunting is that it’s not just top-heavy - it’s middle-heavy too. There’s real depth here, and Self knows it.
“UCF, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, K-State … and there’s obviously more,” he said. “TCU has beaten Florida,” he added, referencing the Horned Frogs’ 84-80 win over the defending national champions.
Even teams that aren’t ranked or receiving votes have shown they can punch above their weight. That makes every night a challenge - and road games even more so.
From a coaching standpoint, it’s a high-wire act. There are no off nights.
No breathers. Every game is a grind, and every win is earned.
What Success Looks Like for This Kansas Team
Asked how confident he is in his team heading into the conference gauntlet, Self didn’t offer a bold prediction - but he didn’t sound rattled either.
“You have to define success,” he said. “I think we’ll get better.
I think we’ll have a good year. It’s a hard schedule.
Our (strength of schedule) will be one, two or three, when all is said and done.”
That’s the mindset for this year’s Kansas team. With a brutal slate ahead and a league that’s deeper than ever, the margin for error is slim. But if the Jayhawks can grow through the grind, they’ll be battle-tested come March - and that’s when Self’s teams tend to do their best work.
Up next: UCF on the road this Saturday. Then it’s back to Allen Fieldhouse for a Jan. 6 showdown with TCU, followed by another road trip to West Virginia on Jan.
- The Big 12 marathon is here - and Kansas is lacing up for the long haul.