College basketball is almost here, and in the Big 12, the early schedule gauntlet is already looking brutal.
Arizona, Kansas and Texas Tech all have non-conference slates that can shape how the first month of the season feels before league play even begins. And in this conference, there’s no such thing as easing in.
Arizona might have the most punishing calendar of the bunch. The Wildcats are coming off a 36-win season, a Big 12 regular-season and tournament title, and the program’s first Final Four trip in 25 years, with NBA Draft selections Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley helping drive that run. They also reached a long-term deal with Tommy Lloyd, keeping the program’s momentum intact.
Motiejus Krivas is back as the senior anchor, and the 7-foot-2 center is coming off a season in which he averaged 8.2 boards per game. Arizona also got some work in during the summer, going 2-1 on its Lithuanian Summer Tour and picking up two wins over the Ukraine Senior National Team.
The schedule gets real fast. Arizona hosts San Francisco in an exhibition on Tuesday, Oct. 13, then opens the regular season at home against San Diego State on Friday, Oct.
- From there, the Wildcats face UCLA in Las Vegas on Nov.
2, Auburn on the road Nov. 13, and UConn at home Nov. 18.
Then comes a trip to Lahaina, Hawaii, for the 2026 Maui Invitational. Arizona opens against Colorado State on Nov. 23, with Providence and VCU on the other side of the bracket.
The north side includes Ole Miss, Clemson, Washington and Big 12 rival BYU. The non-conference slate wraps with St.
John’s at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 5 and Arkansas in the Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix on Dec. 19.
Kansas has its own heavyweight stretch, and Bill Self has reason to feel better about the roster than he did not long ago. Separate judges this month ruled that guards Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. could play after being previously considered ineligible under the NCAA 5-for-5 eligibility policy adopted earlier this year. The NCAA is still trying to overturn those decisions, but Self and Kansas have publicly indicated both players are eligible and expected to return as Jayhawks for the 2026-27 regular season.
That matters because Kansas suddenly has more experience around its highly touted newcomers Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. Previously, Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbyia were the only returners from last year’s team. Forward Keanu Dawes arrived from Utah, and 7-foot-2 center Christian Reeves came over from Charleston.
The non-conference slate starts with a home exhibition against Division II Pittsburg State on Oct. 16, followed by Louisville in Allen Fieldhouse on Oct. 21 and Duke at home on Oct. 25. Fordham visits on Nov. 2 before the schedule really tightens.
Kansas meets Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Chicago on Nov. 10, then heads to Las Vegas for another run in the Players Era Festival and a first-round game against UNLV. Villanova comes to Lawrence on Nov. 27, and December brings Missouri on Dec.
6, UConn on Dec. 12 and Ohio State on Dec. 19.
The Jayhawks open Big 12 play against West Virginia on Jan. 2.
Texas Tech is right there in the mix too, with Grant McCasland building around a defense-first identity and a roster that mixes returning pieces with portal additions. Hofstra’s Cruz Davis, UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Wyoming’s Damarion Dennis were brought in to help replenish the backcourt and give star forward JT Toppin the support he needs after a major setback late in February before the NCAA Tournament.
Fifth-year guard Donovan Atwell and UCF transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell are on the official roster, but both are still working through fifth-year eligibility cases. Their status remains unsettled as the season nears.
Even with that uncertainty, Texas Tech looks equipped to contend. The Red Raiders open with an exhibition at Kentucky on Oct. 23, then host Jackson State on Nov. 2 and Illinois on Nov.
- A trip to Las Vegas follows for a matchup with Louisville on Nov. 24, with Oregon or St.
John’s waiting in the next round. Tennessee, Maryland, San Diego State and Big 12 foe Iowa State are among the possible opponents later that week.
The final stretch is no easier. Texas Tech meets USC in Fort Worth on Dec. 13 before traveling to Madison Square Garden to play Duke on Dec. 21.
In Other News...
Bill Self Just Opened The Door To More Kansas Roster Changes
Bill Self sounded optimistic when he talked about Kansas roster for the 2026-27 season, and for good reason. The Jayhawks appear to have a blend of returning pieces, transfer help and elite freshman talent, with Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney headlining the incoming class. Self also singled out the prospects of Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario as part of the mix, while transfers Keanu Dawes and Christian Reeves give Kansas some added size and depth up front.
Tre White is also expected back with the program, which adds another layer to a roster already taking shape in the background. For a Kansas team that is always balancing the present with what comes next, the intrigue now is how many more adjustments Self wants to make before the picture is truly set, and whether the final version ends up looking as settled as it first seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Is Counting On New Help As Injury Problems Keep Growing
Kansas football has turned to two late additions to help steady a roster that has been stretched thin by injuries. Defensive tackle Clifton Thompson and running back Chase Belcher were cleared for eligibility after an injunction in Indiana, giving the Jayhawks some much-needed reinforcement on both sides of the ball as they try to patch together depth heading into the next stretch of the season.
Thompson arrives with experience as a former second-team all-conference defensive tackle at the FCS level, while Belcher comes in as a transfer from Kennesaw State. Coaches and players around the program are optimistic the pair can settle in quickly, and Kansas will be counting on that transition to move smoothly as the injuries keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Tre White Just Changed How Kansas Fans See This Team
Tre Whites arrival has given Kansas a much-needed boost at a time when the roster has looked different than it did only a few months ago. After a wave of offseason departures, the Jayhawks have been reshaped by a new group of players, and the overall reaction around the program has already shown up in the preseason rankings. White fits the kind of addition that can steady a team undergoing that sort of turnover, bringing scoring, defense and a seasoned presence to a group that will need all three.
For Kansas fans, the bigger question now is not whether the talent is there, but how quickly it all comes together. White is expected to be one of the players helping bridge the gap between the programs recent exits and its next version, especially with a young roster leaning on newcomers for immediate production. The early signs suggest the Jayhawks are being viewed differently now, but the real test will come once this new mix starts playing for keeps. [Read more 🡒]