Big Ten Powerhouses, Conference Champions Highlight KU's 2012-13 Non-Conference Schedule
July 5, 2012
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Games against two Big Ten Conference powerhouses and several other conference favorites highlight the challenging Kansas men’s basketball 2012-13 non-conference schedule.
“I think it is going to be a really good RPI (Rating Percentage Index) schedule,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “I don’t think there are as many traditional names on it as we have had the last couple of years. Ohio State and Michigan State will be two of the best teams in the country. Then you throw in the Temples and the Colorados, the Washington States, Oregon States, Richmonds, Belmonts, American; there are some good teams in there that will have really good RPIs that should probably help our RPI.”
“It’s probably a schedule that was done knowing that we also have eight freshmen,” Self added. “This is probably the youngest team we have had. (The schedule is) by no means easy, but we certainly didn’t load up like we did last year with traditional names.”
Kansas will play defending Big Ten regular-season co-champ Michigan State Nov. 13 in the Georgia Dome in the second annual Champions Classic doubleheader. Duke faces Kentucky in the other game of the event. In the 2013 Champions Classic, KU will play Duke while Kentucky faces Michigan State in Chicago.
On Dec. 22 the Jayhawks will travel to Ohio State for the teams’ third meeting in the last 12 months. The Buckeyes tied Michigan State and Michigan for the 2012 Big Ten regular-season title. KU knocked off then- No. 2 OSU in Allen Fieldhouse last Dec. 10, and then beat the Buckeyes again in the 2012 NCAA Final Four in New Orleans.
The typically tough Kansas non-conference schedule includes seven opponents who advanced to the 2012 postseason, four of which are defending league regular-season champions. In addition to Michigan State and Ohio State, included among them are:
- Temple (Jan. 6 in Lawrence) won the tough Atlantic 10 Conference regular season in 2012 en route to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls move to the even-tougher Big East in 2013. This will mark the third time in the Bill Self era that the Jayhawks and Owls will meet. KU owns a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series with wins in the last two contests.
- St. Louis (Possibly Nov. 20, Sprint Center) reached the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament after finishing second in the Atlantic 10, just one game behind Temple. KU could play the Billikins on the second night of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
- Belmont (Dec. 15 in Lawrence) reached the 2012 NCAA Tournament – its fifth appearance in the last seven years – and was a long-time power in the Atlantic Sun Conference, winning the league’s regular-season title last March. The Bruins have moved to the Ohio Valley Conference and will challenge for the OVC championship immediately.
- Colorado (Dec. 8 in Lawrence), Kansas’ former conference rival, was within one game of the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2012 after winning the Pac-12 tournament title under former Jayhawk Tad Boyle.
- American University (Dec. 29 in Lawrence), one of the favorites for the Patriot League title, reached the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament in 2012.
The 2012-13 non-conference schedule will help keep Kansas’ RPI among the nation’s best, where it has resided for several years. Strength of schedule is a factor in the RPI, one of the tools the NCAA Basketball Committee uses to select and seed teams in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas’ RPI has checked in at No. 5 or better in four of the last five seasons under head coach Bill Self; it was No. 1 in 2010 and 2011, and fifth in 2012.
This will be the Jayhawks’ second appearance in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo. KU fell to Syracuse in overtime in the 2009 championship game of the event. The Jayhawks’ first two games in the 2012 CBE Hall of Fame Classic are in Allen Fieldhouse – Nov. 9 vs. Southeast Missouri State and Nov. 16 vs. UT-Chattanooga. KU has yet to face Southeast Missouri State and is 1-0 against UT-Chattanooga with a 102-73 win in the 1994 NCAA Tournament.
The CBE then moves to the Sprint Center, where Kansas will take on Washington State of the Pac-12 N
ov. 19 and then either Saint Louis or former Big 12 foe and new SEC member Texas A&M Nov. 20. Those games are not the only regular-season games KU will play at the Sprint Center this season. The Jayhawks face Oregon State, coached by President Barack Obama’s brother-in-law, Craig Robinson, Nov. 30 in the M&I Kansas City Shootout. The Sprint Center will also host the 2013 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship, as well as second/third-round games of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, meaning if all goes well KU could play eight games in the venue this season.
According to KU officials, NCAA rules allow a team no more than three regular-season games in one venue and still play in the same venue for the NCAA Tournament. With the two CBE Hall of Fame Classic contests and the Oregon State game, this criteria will allow Kansas to play in the Sprint Center for the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Note, the Big 12 Championship is considered a postseason event.
Another intriguing note to the Jayhawks’ schedule: Richmond makes its first appearance in Allen Fieldhouse (Dec. 18) since stunning KU in Allen Fieldhouse in 2004. The Jayhawks gained revenge in 2011, knocking off the Spiders in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Kansas will open the season with home exhibition games against Emporia State (Oct. 30) and Washburn (Nov. 5).
For the second-straight season KU will have home-and-home meetings against all nine Big 12 Conference foes. The Big 12 will release that schedule later this month.
2012-13 Kansas Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Date (Day), Opponent, Site (notes)
October 30 (Tuesday) – Emporia State, Lawrence, Kan. (Exhibition)
November 5 (Monday) – Washburn, Lawrence, Kan. (Exhibition)
November 9 (Friday) – Southeast Missouri State, Lawrence, Kan. (CBE)
November 13 (Tuesday) – Michigan State, Atlanta, Ga. (Champions Classic)
November 16 (Friday) – UT Chattanooga, Lawrence, Kan. (CBE)
November 19 (Monday) – Washington State, Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center – CBE)
November 20 (Tuesday) – Saint Louis/Texas A&M, Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center – CBE)
November 26 (Monday) – San Jose State, Lawrence, Kan.
November 30 (Friday) – Oregon State, Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
December 8 (Saturday) – Colorado, Lawrence, Kan.
December 15 (Saturday) – Belmont, Lawrence, Kan.
December 18 (Tuesday) – Richmond, Lawrence, Kan.
December 22 (Saturday) – at Ohio State, Columbus, Ohio
December 29 (Saturday) – American University, Lawrence, Kan.
January 6 (Sunday) – Temple, Lawrence, Kan.
