Kansas State’s season opener did little to calm any doubts in Manhattan, and that has to sound pretty good to Kansas fans.
While the Jayhawks handled Fordham to start their year, the Wildcats stumbled badly at home, falling 68-66 to South Dakota State in Bramlage Coliseum. It was the first game of the Casey Alexander era, and instead of a fresh start, Kansas State walked away with a loss that landed squarely in the embarrassing category.
“Kansas State loses a buy game to South Dakota State.
The epitome of brutality.”
That was the reaction from Jon Rothstein on November 4, 2026, and it fit the mood. Kansas State was supposed to show something in its opener. Instead, the Wildcats came up short on their own floor, and the result only reinforced the idea that the Jayhawks have little to fear right now from their biggest rival on the hardwood.
For Kansas, that matters because the Sunflower Showdown remains heavily tilted in its favor. The Wildcats may have had their moments in Manhattan over the years, but Kansas keeps collecting the results that count most - in Lawrence, in the Big 12 Tournament, and in the NCAA Tournament.
This season’s schedule gives the Jayhawks two more shots at the rivalry, as usual. Kansas goes to Manhattan first on January 23 for a Saturday game, then hosts Kansas State in Lawrence on February 27.
Kansas State could still get better as the season unfolds, but this opening-night showing didn’t suggest a quick turnaround. If the Wildcats look like this all year, Kansas will have every reason to expect a sweep. And if the Jayhawks were to lose to a team that lost to South Dakota State, that’s the kind of result they may never hear the end of.
In Other News...
Kansas Lands In A November Showcase That Just Got More Intense
Kansas is set to have another major November stage in 2026, and the broader event landscape around it is changing in a way that should matter to the Jayhawks. The mens college basketball multi-team event schedule is getting a significant overhaul, with the Players Era moving to a simplified setup that splits into separate 16-team and 8-team bracket-style tournaments, giving that event a cleaner and more competitive feel than before.
The rest of the calendar is shifting too, including the Battle 4 Atlantis, which is dropping the traditional bracket format in favor of two separate four-team pools. Against that backdrop, the top bracket-style events stand out even more, with the Players Era 16 and 8 and the Maui Invitational among the headliners. For Kansas, it means a November slate that should be loaded with high-level games and a little more clarity about where the best early-season proving grounds now sit. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Just Put Kansas Fans On Notice About Trey Kaufman-Renn
Bill Selfs roster reshuffle has already started to take shape, with Kansas welcoming back veteran pieces Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White while also adding Trey Kaufman-Renn through the transfer portal under the five-for-five rule and a temporary injunction. The move gives the Jayhawks another experienced frontcourt option, and Kaufman-Renn arrives with a long rsum from four seasons at Purdue, which makes him one of the more intriguing additions in the mix.
He has already flashed what he can bring, logging 23 minutes in a recent game and finishing with nine points and five rebounds. Self said Kaufman-Renn is expected to be a starter once he is healthy and fully comfortable in Kansas system, which puts the focus on how quickly he can settle in and what kind of role he ultimately carves out as the Jayhawks keep sorting through their new-look rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Bigger WR Question After TCU Loss
Kansas passing game came out of the TCU loss with a different look, and one of the clearest changes was the reduced role of Nik McMillan. Coming in as the teams leading receiver, McMillan had been a central part of the offense, but the ball was spread around more against the Horned Frogs as backup quarterback Cole Ballard worked through the game and other targets stepped up.
Cam Pickett and Nahzee Cox both made their presence felt, which helped explain the shift in distribution, but it also left Kansas with a broader question about how the receiver rotation will settle going forward. The return of injured starter Isaiah Marshall could give the Jayhawks more answers in the passing game, and his availability would add another layer to an offense still sorting out where the targets are going to land. [Read more 🡒]