These 7 Kansas basketball Big 12 Conference games stand out ahead of 2024-25 season

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball’s non-conference slate for the 2024-25 season has its share of high-profile matchups.

The Jayhawks have North Carolina coming to Lawrence in early November. Not many days later, they’ll face Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Atlanta. Later that month, they’ll tip off in Las Vegas against Duke.

But all of that comes before what will be a challenging Big 12 Conference slate, which will further test Kansas’ national championship aspirations. It’s not as if the high-profile matchups dissipate once the Jayhawks reach that point. They’ll continue to learn just where they fit into the national championship picture, as they battle for another league crown.

These 7 Kansas basketball non-conference games stand out as Jayhawks’ 2024-25 season nears

Here are seven Kansas basketball Big 12 games to watch out for:

Iowa State — Jan. 15 (away)

Kansas will have played four Big 12 games already by this point. It’s not as if its opener is going to be on the road against an Iowa State squad that could also win the Big 12. But the Jayhawks haven’t won on the road against the Cyclones since 2022, and this game could prove a lot when it comes to where KU is at this point in the season.

Kansas State — Jan. 18 (home)

This matchup follows the Iowa State game, and will be the first of two against this Kansas rival. The Jayhawks have split their contests against the Wildcats across the past two seasons. Each time KU has won, it’s come at home.

Houston — Jan. 25 (home)

Houston’s another national championship contender that Kansas will have to face twice. The first time the two programs match up will come in Lawrence. Last year, the Jayhawks won at home with ease in this series.

Baylor — Feb. 1 (away)

Kansas is on a bit of a losing streak on the road against Baylor. While the Jayhawks have been able to enjoy success in Lawrence in this series, it hasn’t been carrying over to Waco, Texas. This will also be the only opportunity KU has to beat Baylor during the regular season.

Kansas State — Feb. 8 (away)

Kansas will travel to Manhattan with the goal of winning its first game there since the national championship season in 2022. That game necessitated a significant comeback in the second half. Since that matchup, the Jayhawks have lost back-to-back road games against the Wildcats in overtime.

Houston — March 3 (away)

When Kansas played Houston last season on the road, it did not go well for the Jayhawks. That game was never in doubt. It’s time to see if KU can recover from such a performance, in a matchup that could play a key role in which program wins the conference.

Arizona — March 8 (home)

This is the first time Kansas and Arizona will play since Arizona joined the Big 12. It’s also the only time the two teams will face off during the regular season. As it’s the last game the Jayhawks will play before the Big 12 tournament, this could do a lot for both the conference standings and the team’s momentum.

Jordan Guskey covers the University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball Big 12 Conference schedule in 2024-25 season excites