Kansas Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Jayhawks

Schedule

Home Exhibition: Oct 24th Fort Hays State

Home Exhibition: Oct 31st Pittsburg State

State Farm Champions Classic (Madison Square Garden): Nov 5th vs. Duke

Home: Nov 8th vs. UNC Greensboro

Home: Nov 15th vs. Monmouth

Maui Invitational: Nov 19th vs. East Tennessee State

Maui Invitational: Nov 25th vs. Chaminade

Maui Invitational: Nov 26th vs. UCLA/BYU

Maui Invitational: Nov 27th vs. TBA

Home: Dec 7th vs. Colorado

Home: Dec 10th vs. Milwaukee

Home: Dec 14th vs. Kansas City

Away: Dec 21st @ Villanova

Away: Dec 29th @ Stanford

Home: Jan 4th vs. WVU

Away: Jan 8th @ Iowa State

Home: Jan 11th vs. Baylor

Away: Jan 14th @ Oklahoma

Away: Jan 18th @ Texas

Home: Jan 21st vs. Kansas State (Dillons Sunflower Showdown)

Home: Jan 25th vs. Tennessee (Big 12/SEC Challenge)

Away: Jan 27th @ Oklahoma State

Home: Feb 1st vs. Texas Tech

Home: Feb 3rd vs. Texas

Away: Feb 8th @ TCU

Away: Feb 12th @ WVU

Home: Feb 15th vs. Oklahoma

Home: Feb 17th vs. Iowa State

Away: Feb 22nd @ Baylor

Home: Feb 24th vs. Oklahoma State

Away: Feb 29th @ Kansas State (Dillons Sunflower Showdown)

Home: Mar 4th vs. TCU

Away: Mar 7th @ Texas Tech

Big 12 Conference Tournament: Mar 11-14

State Farm Champions Classic vs. Duke

This matchup will be a huge game that college basketball fans will for sure be watching. Lots of potential lottery picks are played in the Champions Classic every year. Duke always has a great team year after year. This matchup can go down as one of the best games in college basketball history in my opinion in terms of defense. Everyone knows if you go to Duke or Kansas that you can score, but whether you can get stops during key moments in the game will be what defines the flow of the game.

There is a chance that Kansas could start the season 0-1, but I think they will win the frontcourt battle with Silvio De Sousa and Udoka Azubuike. These two can dominate down low and help move the ball around the perimeter. I think the forwards are going to be what separates this game and Kansas should win that battle. Dotson can really have a HUGE game in regard to points and assists.

Maui Invitational

Kansas’s first game in the Maui Invitational is against Chaminade. That should be a win for the Jayhawks. The Maui Invitational always has great talent and puts on a great display. The chances for Kansas to win the Maui are in their favor. The other opponents in the tournament are BYU, Dayton, Georgia, Michigan State, UCLA, and Virginia Tech. If the Jayhawks do end up winning their first game, they will either play UCLA/BYU.

Villanova

Kansas won last year’s matchup against Villanova 74-71. This year the game, which takes place on December 21st at 12PM EST on FOX, will be played at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia. This will be a great test for the Jayhawks as the games after the Maui Invitational all seem very winnable for Kansas. This will be a battle of two of the best coaches in college basketball in Jay Wright vs. Bill Self. Again, I think the frontcourt will be the battle to watch for this game.

Stanford

Kansas travels to California to take on the Cardinal. The game will be broadcasted on ABC on December 29th at 3PM EST. This will also be a winnable game because the students will be on winter break and I feel like lots of local community supporters will be at the game. I think Kansas will have no problem taking care of business.

Tennessee

Kansas hosts Tennessee in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tennessee is coming off a very strong season so expect it to be a good matchup in Lawrence. With losing Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield to the NBA, the Jayhawks have an advantage in the post.

Big 12 Conference Play

Kansas starts out with a home game against WVU. Then they travel on the road to Ames, Iowa to take on the Cyclones of Iowa State. The Jayhawks come back to Lawrence to host Baylor and then go on a two-game road trip against Oklahoma and Texas. After going to Norman, OK and Austin, TX, Kansas participates in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against the Wildcats of Kansas State in Lawrence.

The next game for Kansas is the Big 12/SEC Challenge where Kansas hosts Tennessee. Next will be a game in Stillwater against Oklahoma State then a two-game homestand against Texas Tech and Texas. This two-game homestand takes the Jayhawks to a two-game road trip to Fort Worth, TX to take on TCU and then to Morgantown, WV to battle the Mountaineers.

Kansas comes back home to host Oklahoma and Iowa State and after they battle the Cyclones at home, they travel to Waco, TX to battle the Bears of Baylor. The Jayhawks come back home to battle the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. After OKST, Kansas battles Kansas State again in Manhattan, KS, then it’s a home game against TCU and then a road trip to Lubbock, TX to take on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech.

The Big 12 Conference Tournament is the next trip for the Jayhawks. The tournament takes place in the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Depending on how Kansas does in conference play, they may have a good shot at getting the #1 seed. Having a good home-court advantage will definitely help the Jayhawks. Going back-to-back years undefeated at home is tough, but if the fans can show their support, do not be surprised if Kansas achieves this accomplishment again.