Kansas’ alumni team has no time to dwell after Tuesday night’s rough start in the 2026 TBT.
Kansas State’s Purple Reign rolled to an 80-61 win over KU’s JXH Hoops squad at Bramlage Coliseum, putting the Jayhawks in a must-win spot in the best-of-three opening-round series. The teams meet again at 7 p.m.
Wednesday at Lee Arena on Washburn’s campus. If Kansas State wins, KU is out.
If Kansas wins, the series goes to a deciding game three Friday night back at Bramlage.
Sherron Collins didn’t sugarcoat what he saw.
“The way we played tonight is not the way we practice. It isn’t the way we play. So we’ll get a better effort (Wednesdsay),” the KU head coach said after the loss.
“It’s going to hurt tonight. But the good thing is we’ve got another game tomorrow,” he added.
Kansas State set the tone early, jumping out to a 10-1 lead in front of 3,192 fans and never really letting KU settle in. Michael Beasley was the engine behind it all, piling up 20 points and six assists, with plenty of those passes turning into easy dunks. He also added three blocks and two steals, and he helped K-State build a 39-25 halftime lead after scoring 13 in the first half and knocking down two 3s.
Beasley’s night had plenty of edge, too. He jawed with KU’s bench throughout the game, drew a technical foul after putting a shoulder into JHX’s Tra-Deon Hollins, and even planted a kiss on KU forward Carlton Bragg’s cheek as Purple Reign enjoyed the blowout. He and Hollins exchanged words as the teams headed to the locker rooms through the same tunnel at halftime, though Beasley later hugged Collins and Mario Chalmers in the handshake line.
“You always are upset when that (happens), and no need for it. But that’s what Beasley was doing.
It wasn’t anything malicious. That’s how he gets in your head.
He messes with you,” Collins said. “It was fine.
Our guys responded well, but yes when you do that, you expect to get a retaliation or something like that,” Collins noted.
Collins said the bigger issue was KU’s own performance.
“I think any athlete that’s a competitor, you compete to win, and every win and every loss matters. But to lose the right way is always giving your all or losing by one point.
The way we lost is unacceptable the way we play, and they know that, and they feel that, and the talks are already about tomorrow,” he said. “I like where our attitude is at and how we’re going to respond.”
The Jayhawks also left with injury concerns. Marcus Garrett banged knees with a KSU player in the first half and played only nine minutes, finishing with five points.
Collins said Garrett will be able to play Wednesday. Jamari Traylor, who had four points and three rebounds, was hurt late in the game and will be checked by medical staff, leaving his status uncertain for game two.
Collins said the program’s standard leaves no room for a slow response.
“At Kansas, it’s always to win every game, and if you don’t win the game, it’s the end of the world. So I think we’ve all been under that pressure and that umbrella.
So we’ll respond,” Collins said. “We’ll get some guys some treatment, but I’m for sure … a guy like Frank (Mason), Frank’s probably going to punch a wall or something later on.
That’s how much of a competitor he is, and you can feel it. I can feel how he feels, so we’ll get fight tomorrow,” Collins stated.
Kansas had some production, but not nearly enough to keep pace. Frank Mason scored 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting and added six rebounds and four assists, though he also had seven of KU’s 19 turnovers in 31 minutes.
Zeke Mayo finished with 12 points in 31 minutes and missed six of seven 3-point tries. Jacob Hanna added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Billy Preston led KU with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting and seven boards.
Beasley’s early block on a Mason layup helped fuel the opening surge, and his comfort level never seemed to fade. Xavier Sneed scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Austin Trice also had 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting for Purple Reign.
“Beasley’s going to be Beasley. He’s tough, man.
He’s a pro. I think everybody knows that.
We’e just gotta make him make stuff tougher for him. I think we let him get comfortable, and we gave him too much respect for sure,” Collins assessed.
In Other News...
Tyshawn Taylor Just Took A Meaningful Next Step Beyond Kansas
Tyshawn Taylor has stayed close to the game in a way that feels very much in step with the way Kansas fans remember him, and this summer has only widened that path. The former Jayhawk is wearing a few hats with the Kansas alumni team in The Basketball Tournament, helping run things from the front office side while also coaching and still suiting up himself, a reminder that his connection to the program has moved well beyond his playing days.
Taylor has also been talking through the next phase of his career with Bill Self, which says plenty about how seriously he is being viewed as a rising coach. Self has been supportive as Taylor takes on more responsibility, and the new opportunity gives him a chance to work daily with top young players while building the kind of relationships that can matter in college basketball for years to come. [Read more 🡒]
Melvin Council Just Put Kansas Back In A Roster Squeeze
Kansas has spent much of the offseason trying to sort out the edges of its roster, and Melvin Council has become part of that puzzle. The guard had reportedly sought an NCAA waiver for an extra year of eligibility so he could return to Lawrence, a move that would have given the Jayhawks another experienced piece as they continue to shape the backcourt and frontcourt around the remaining open spots.
Now the path gets murkier, with Council still weighing his next step and Kansas still interested in finding a way to make the reunion happen. The Jayhawks are also juggling other possibilities, including whether Javon Bardwell might reclassify and how to handle the big man spot if Serbian center Mihailo Musikic is not cleared, which leaves the roster picture unsettled in a way Kansas would rather avoid this late in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Massive Challenge Before It Even Reaches London
Lance Leipolds visit to Wembley Stadium was part of the early groundwork for a trip that will ask Kansas football to think well beyond the field. The Jayhawks are headed to London for the Union Jack Classic in Week 3 against Arizona State, and even before the matchup arrives, the staff is working through the kind of details that can shape an international week: passports, accommodations and all the other moving parts that come with taking a college team overseas.
Michael Painter has been doing much of the heavy lifting on the logistics side, helping coordinate a trip that is still months away but already requires careful planning. Kansas expects to leave for London on Tuesday before the game, and the international stage will be followed by a bye week, giving the Jayhawks a little breathing room after what should be one of the most unusual road trips in program history. [Read more 🡒]