Kansas didn’t need long to put Middle Tennessee away Friday night, and by halftime the Jayhawks had already turned Allen Fieldhouse into a showcase for what this group can do on both ends.
KU rolled to an 89-45 win over the Conference USA visitor, finishing a two-game sweep of mid-major opponents this week and keeping its attention pointed toward Tuesday’s Champions Classic matchup with Kentucky. The Jayhawks are 2-0 heading into that 8:30 p.m. meeting at United Center in Chicago, while Kentucky also moved to 2-0 with an 89-80 win over James Madison on Friday at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn set the tone early and never really let go. He scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, added four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot, and had 13 points by the time KU was up 25-10 with six minutes left in the first half. He finished the half with 13 as Kansas took a 36-14 lead into the break.
Tre White chipped in nine points, including two 3-pointers, and one of them came just before the halftime horn to stretch the margin to 22. Christian Reeves added 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while Tyran Stokes and Keanu Dawes scored eight points apiece in a rare Friday night game that tipped at 8 p.m.
Kansas also got a late burst from Luke Barnett, who checked in with six minutes left and buried three straight 3s that got the crowd going. As a team, the Jayhawks hit 7 of 19 from deep, compared with 7 of 27 for MTSU. Barnett missed his fourth 3-point try.
Bill Self’s starting five featured Tyran Stokes, Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Taylen Kinney. One of the night’s early surprises came on the opening tip, when the 6-foot-8 Stokes jumped center against Kaufman-Renn, who stands 6-9, and won it.
KU’s defense did a lot of the heavy lifting from the start. Middle Tennessee managed just 14 points in the first half, and Kansas’ lead kept widening as the game went on.
Sophomore Kohl Rosario did not dress for the game. He stood beyond the south-end baseline during warmups and later sat on the bench.
Rosario has been out since Oct. 23, when he took an elbow in practice, suffered a cut on his face and a concussion, and needed 14 stitches to close the cut. He also missed the Duke exhibition on Oct. 25 and KU’s 95-65 win over Fordham on Monday night.
There was also movement involving former Jayhawks at the professional level. Ochai Agbaji has joined the Austin Spurs, the G League affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, after being waived by the New York Knicks.
Austin opened a roster spot for him by waiving Elijah Pemberton, and Agbaji had also spoken with Oklahoma City, though the Thunder did not sign him. It’s the second G League stint for Agbaji, who played nine games for the Salt Lake City Stars during his rookie NBA season.
Former KU guard Remy Martin also signed a G League contract, joining the Windy City Bulls ahead of the 2026-27 season opener. Martin, who was part of Kansas’ 2022 NCAA title team, is not on a two-way deal. In 2024, he won the Icelandic Basketball Cup with Keflavík and also played for Strong Group Athletics, a Philippines-based team that competed in the Jones Cup in Taiwan in 2026.
In Other News...
Kansas May Have A Trey Kaufman-Renn Problem Bill Self Can't Ignore
The eligibility fight around Trey Kaufman-Renn has become one of those offseason wrinkles Kansas cant just brush past. The NCAA is appealing a preliminary injunction from Indiana Special Judge Justin Mills that would give the Purdue transfer an extra year of eligibility, and that uncertainty matters because Bill Self has already included Kaufman-Renn on the Jayhawks roster while the conference continues to sort through its rules on professional athletes.
There is also the NBA angle hanging over the situation. Kaufman-Renn was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he was not signed to a professional contract, which leaves his status in a gray area Kansas has to monitor closely. For a program trying to line up its roster plans, this is exactly the kind of case that cant be ignored, even if the final answer is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Faces A Troubling QB Question As UCF Gets A Lift
UCF is heading into its matchup with Kansas with a quarterback decision of its own, planning to start Alonza Barnett III even as he works back from a hamstring injury and Keyone Jenkins remains questionable with an aggravated ankle. The Knights will also be without offensive lineman Owen Spell and defensive tackle RJ Jackson Jr. for the rest of the regular season, adding more turnover to a roster already trying to manage injuries at key spots.
Kansas, meanwhile, is sorting through its own uncertainty under center, with Isaiah Marshall, Cole Ballard and Chase Jenkins all listed as questionable before the trip. Lance Leipold has been stressing the need for cleaner execution and better pass protection, and the Jayhawks may need both if they want to keep pace with a UCF group that is suddenly getting a lift at quarterback while still dealing with its own injury questions. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Barnett Just Gave Kansas Fans A New Rotation Debate
Kansas rolled past Middle Tennessee State 89-45, and the blowout gave the Jayhawks a chance to look deeper into the bench. Freshman Luke Barnett made the most of it, scoring nine points in just 7 1/2 minutes and doing it in a hurry with three straight 3-pointers. With Kansas shooting 62.5% from the field and controlling the game from start to finish, there was plenty of room for a young player to make a case.
Barnetts burst is the kind of thing that can linger with a coaching staff even after a lopsided win. Kansas already had the game well in hand while holding Middle Tennessee to 25% shooting, but the freshmans quick scoring outburst added a little extra intrigue to a rotation that figures to keep evolving. For a team with bigger goals ahead, those brief windows can matter more than they seem. [Read more 🡒]