The Big 12 preseason poll landed on Thursday, and Kansas checked in exactly where it finished last spring: third.
Voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches, the poll put Arizona at No. 1 and Houston at No. 2, with the Jayhawks right behind them. That lines up perfectly with last season’s final Big 12 standings, when Arizona captured the regular season title at 16-2, Houston followed at 14-4, and Kansas came in third at 12-6.
The rest of the preseason order listed Iowa State fourth, Texas Tech fifth, BYU sixth, TCU seventh, Cincinnati and West Virginia tied for eighth, Baylor 10th, Oklahoma State 11th, Arizona State 12th, UCF 13th, Colorado and Kansas State tied for 14th, and Utah last at 16th.
Kansas’ spot at No. 3 feels like a clean read on where the league stands heading into the season. Arizona has earned the top spot again after last year’s run and the roster Tommy Lloyd has assembled, and Houston has become a constant force since entering the Big 12 in 2023. Kelvin Sampson’s team won the league in its first season, repeated in 2024-25, and then finished second last year.
That’s why both Arizona and Houston can be viewed as legitimate national championship threats.
Kansas is trying to join them. The Jayhawks bring in a new-look roster that, on paper, looks like the strongest group Bill Self has had since the 2022 national championship team.
There’s experience. There’s talent.
There’s depth. If it all clicks, KU can put itself in the title conversation, too.
A big reason for that optimism is freshman Tyran Stokes, who was recently named a Preseason First Team All-American and is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Kansas may have the most talented player on the floor in almost every game it plays. If the pieces around him settle in and Self finds the right rotation, the Jayhawks should be tough to handle once Big 12 play begins in January.
Fans won’t have to wait long for a first look. Kansas opens exhibition play Friday night against Pitt State, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
CT at Allen Fieldhouse. The game will air live on ESPN+.
In Other News...
Kansas Is Changing Late Night In The Phog In A Big Way
Late Night in the Phog is getting a notable makeover this fall, and for longtime Kansas fans, the biggest change is on the floor. Instead of the usual intrasquad scrimmage, the Jayhawks will play an actual exhibition game against Division II Pittsburg State, giving the season-opening showcase a more traditional game-night feel while still keeping plenty of the familiar flourishes that have made the event a staple in Lawrence.
The format shift also comes with one conspicuous subtraction, as the musical component will no longer be part of the evening. Even so, Kansas is keeping the skits and halftime activities that have long helped make Late Night more than just a basketball preview, and the womens program will again have its own spotlight with a separate Late Night event on Oct. 29 against Washburn. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Boschees Allen Fieldhouse Return Gives Late Night A Different Feel
Jeff Boschee is headed back to Allen Fieldhouse for the 42nd annual Late Night in the Phog, and his return adds an extra layer to one of Kansas basketballs most familiar traditions. Now the head coach at Pittsburg State, Boschee will bring his team in for an exhibition against the Jayhawks, turning a celebration of the new season into something a little more personal for a former KU starter who helped Kansas reach the 2002 Final Four.
Boschee still owns the Kansas school record for career 3-pointers, so this is a homecoming with plenty of basketball history attached to it. He has reflected on his playing days at KU and has been urging his current team to compete hard in the matchup, which gives Pittsburg State a chance to test itself in a building where Boschee once made his mark and where the spotlight will be waiting again. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces Two Urgent Problems Entering The Sunflower Showdown
Kansas heads into the Sunflower Showdown trying to clean up the kind of slow offensive starts that have too often put it in a hole before it can settle in. The Jayhawks have shown the ability to move the ball once the rhythm arrives, but the first few series have been a recurring problem, and against Kansas State there is little margin for another sluggish opening.
Avery Johnson makes the assignment even trickier for Kansas, because the Wildcats quarterback can stress a defense in more than one way and force constant adjustment. The Jayhawks have enough recent evidence to know what kind of trouble that can create, and their response on both sides of the ball will go a long way toward deciding whether they can keep the rivalry game on their terms. [Read more 🡒]