The Big 12 schedule is out, and Kansas now has the full map for its 32-game regular season. For Bill Self and a Jayhawks team built around top-ranked freshman Tyran Stokes, the road back to the top of the league will run through a brutal conference slate. A few games stand out immediately, and these three look like the ones that could shape Kansas’ Big 12 season the most.
The most obvious heavyweight on the calendar comes in Tucson. Arizona enters the year as the consensus favorite to win the Big 12, and the Wildcats look reloaded after losing former standouts Brayden Burries and Koa Peat to the first round of this year’s NBA Draft.
Tommy Lloyd has rebuilt the roster around a strong Euro pairing in Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov, while Prolific Prep product Caleb Holt gives them another potential one-and-done star. For Kansas, this is the kind of road game that usually tells you a lot about where a team stands.
It’s only third on the list because a loss there would not be a surprise, but if KU finds a way to win, the resume boost would be massive.
The other road test that jumps off the page is Houston. Kelvin Sampson’s team is expected to be its usual tough, defense-first self, with 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Joseph Tugler back to protect the rim.
The Cougars also added Texas transfer Chendall Weaver and former LSU guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who is stepping in to replace departed Kingston Flemings as the offense’s primary shot creator. Houston has taken four of the last five meetings with Kansas, so this is a major chance for the Jayhawks to flip that trend and finally get a win at Fertitta Center.
Then there’s Iowa State, a matchup that could carry real weight in the final Big 12 standings. The Cyclones were supposed to take a step back after losing Joshua Jefferson to the pros and Milan Momcilovic to Kentucky, but they got a big lift from the recent Indiana court injunction that brought back veteran point guard Tamin Lipsey.
They’ll also have Killyan Toure back from surgery for this one. Kansas and Iowa State meet twice, with the first game set for Feb. 13 at Hilton Coliseum.
The return meeting lands on Senior Day as the second-to-last game of the regular season, and Self will be aiming to keep his perfect record on Big Mondays at home. If the Jayhawks are still in the hunt near the end, that late matchup could end up deciding plenty.
In Other News...
Kansas Defensive Front Has Become An Early Surprise For One Reason
Kansas went into the season bracing for a dent on its defensive front when Tulane transfer TreVon McAlpine was ruled out, but the early returns have been encouraging anyway. Through the first three games, the Jayhawks have gotten noticeably better play up front, with the defense looking more disruptive and more steady than it did a year ago.
A big part of that change has come from the staff additions of Joe Dineen and Jim Panagos, whose impact is already showing in the way Kansas is attacking the line of scrimmage. The front has produced meaningful pressure and created more problems for opposing offenses, and even with McAlpine sidelined, the group has found enough answers to turn a preseason concern into one of the teams early bright spots. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Are Starting To See A New Go-To Target Emerge
Kansas has spent the early part of the 2025 season sorting out a receiver room that looks very different from a year ago, and the transfer additions are already shaping the offense. With injuries thinning out other options, Nik McMillan and Nahzae Cox have stepped into heavier roles, giving Isaiah Marshall a pair of dependable targets as the Jayhawks work through the first month under returning offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
The passing game still has room to grow, especially with Kansas sitting near the middle of the pack nationally through three games, but the volume has ticked up from previous seasons and the new-look receiving corps is starting to settle in. McMillan has been the steady presence, while Cox has provided the more explosive threat, and that combination is beginning to give Kansas fans a clearer sense of where the ball is headed when the Jayhawks drop back. [Read more 🡒]
Jalon Daniels Suddenly Has A Huge NFL Chance With The Bucs
Jalon Daniels is suddenly getting the kind of opening most undrafted quarterbacks can only hope for when they sign their first NFL contract. After impressing in the preseason, the former Kansas star is now in line to run Tampa Bays offense against Green Bay as the Buccaneers navigate a shakeup at quarterback and look for someone ready to keep the ship steady.
The opportunity comes with real stakes, because the job is open at a time when the margin for error is thin and the spotlight will be bright. Tampa Bay will be watching Daniels closely when the game kicks off Oct. 4 on FOX, and what happens next could say plenty about whether his strong summer can carry over into a much bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]