The Jayhawks will face familiar foes and host brand-new matchups during the 2024-25 season thanks to conference realignment, which has extended the Big 12 farther than it’s ever gone before.
Kansas’ grueling 18-game conference schedule commences even before the winter break this year. This season, with an expanded 16-team league, will see KU continue to play some home-and-away series, but will also feature 12 one-off contests in conference play.
With the conference schedule greatly evolving over the past two years, here are four in-conference games to pay attention to as Kansas seeks to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Southern California center Rayah Marshall (13) defends as Baylor guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (5) shoots during the second half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Portland, Ore.
KU vs. Baylor (Dec. 21)
In their first matchup last season, the Jayhawks stunned previously unbeaten No. 4 Baylor in Allen Fieldhouse, winning 87-66 for their first victory over the Bears since January 2014. Taiyanna Jackson took over in the contest with 27 points against Baylor’s center-less lineup, while freshman S’Mya Nichols scored 22 on a defensive guard core. With Jackson out and All-Pac-12 transfer center Aaronette Vonleh in for the Bears, it will be Baylor with the advantage down low this year. The Jayhawks will have to challenge all four of the Bears’ returning guards, specifically Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who led them in scoring (16) in the loss and averaged a near-double-double in her sophomore season for an All-Big 12 honorable mention.
Because of the league’s scheduling formula, the conference-opening home match against Baylor is the two teams’ only meeting of the year. The Bears are returning the majority of a guard-heavy lineup, but after losing two of their bigger forwards in Dre’Una Edwards and Aijha Blackwell, they will see some new faces in the frontcourt. After rolling out a three-guard, two-forward starting lineup for the majority of the year, Baylor also lost sophomore Lety Vasconcelos, the sole center on last year’s roster, in a transfer to Illinois, but brought in Vonleh from Colorado to strengthen things down low.
The Bears finished strong at second in the Big 12 Conference (26-8, 12-6 Big 12) before getting into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed and making it to the third round, where they lost 74-70 to a USC team that had just knocked the Jayhawks out of the season in the second round.
With a new starting lineup centered around now-sophomore guard Nichols, KU will look to pick up now its second win over the Bears in ten years to start conference play on a strong note.
Utah’s Gianna Kneepkens eyes the basket while attacking against Baylor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Waco, Texas.
KU at Utah (Jan. 22)
In a brand-new matchup that will require a 1,000-mile trip for the Jayhawks thanks to conference realignment, Kansas will have quite the opponent to welcome into Big 12 play with a midseason contest.
Kansas will travel to face Utah for the teams’ first matchup in school history. The Jayhawks will take on a team that ended the year ranked No. 22 and went into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed, where it lost to No. 4 Gonzaga in the second round. The Utes finished tied for fifth in the Pac-12 last year (21-11, 11-7) and will return three senior All-Pac-12 members in forwards Jenna Johnson and guards Inês Vieira and Kennady McQueen. They will also get 2022-23 all-conference guard Gianna Kneepkens back for her junior season after she suffered a season-ending injury eight games into last year.
Utah will also be adding two familiar faces to its rotation this year in Michigan transfer forward Cyra Evans, whom the Jayhawks faced in the first round of the tournament, and freshman guard Brooke Walker — a two-time 5A first-team all-state member from Andover High who led the Trojans to the 5A Final Four in 2023.
Kansas State center Ayoka Lee (50) shoots over Texas forward DeYona Gaston, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, March 11, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.
KU vs. Kansas State (Feb. 2)
Last year’s home-and-away series ended with victories for the home team in each matchup, with Kansas winning the series finale 58-55 in its penultimate home game of the season. This year, the matchups will be flipped, as the Jayhawks will be the first to host the Sunflower Showdown in early February and the in-state rivals will meet twice in the span of three weeks.
In last year’s win, Jackson outplayed Kansas State’s star Ayoka Lee down low, but now the Jayhawks will be without their top scorer from that victory, while the Wildcats will return the 2024 All-Big 12 first team and all-defensive team member for her fifth year of eligibility as a graduate student. With the post matchup tilting heavily in the Wildcats’ favor with Jackson’s departure, Kansas will have to test out a new frontcourt as well, while relying upon players like transfer guards Elle Evans and Sania Copeland to team up with Nichols in an attempt to top Kansas State’s backcourt trio of Serena Sundell and Jaelyn and Brylee Glenn.
Like the Jayhawks, Kansas State fell in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, losing 63-50 to No. 5 Colorado as Lee was held to only 10 points in 36 minutes of action against another now-Big 12 newcomer and the three-person backcourt combined for 22 points.
The home team has won this matchup every time since the 2020-21 season, so the Jayhawks will be looking to take control of the series first and hold onto momentum going into the Manhattan matchup on Feb. 22.
Iowa State center Audi Crooks during a second-round college basketball game in the women’s NCAA Tournament against Stanford in Stanford, Calif., Sunday, March 24, 2024.
KU at Iowa State (Feb. 15)
After two great battles between Jackson and Audi Crooks and one takeover by Kansas’ backcourt trio, the Jayhawks will have the chance to extend their all-time series lead against the Cyclones this year after grabbing a 60-58 win at home last season to take the lead in the 45-year-long matchup.
Similar to the Kansas State series, each home teams won a matchup last season, and the Jayhawks will see the Cyclones in Hilton Coliseum before hosting them at Allen Fieldhouse later into conference play. Kansas has won the past two home games against the Cyclones after snapping a 16-game losing streak in 2023 and will have to rely on a guard-heavy attack plan and hope to contain Crooks down low to extend a new streak this year.
Iowa State has boosted its supporting cast around Crooks over the offseason, bringing in two perimeter shooters in transfers Mackenzie Hare from Marquette and Sydney Harris from TCU. The Cyclones are also returning all-time assist leader Emily Brown for her fifth season of play, while Addy Brown, who led the team in rebounds per game and came up second in points per game as a freshman, will look to continue her success in her sophomore campaign.
After also being eliminated in the second round last year, the Cyclones are set to improve this season and should open the year as a top team and one of the favorites to win the Big 12. The Jayhawks will have a tall task in looking to top an augmented Iowa State this year but will have the advantage of doing so at home and in late February, once the team has settled into more of a rhythm.
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