Kansas
Kansas Basketball Climbs in Latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology Rankings
Kansas basketball hasn’t looked world beating lately but it has certainly looked better since the disastrous, 91-57 loss at BYU back on February 19. Its record is just 3-2 since that loss but with close defeats coming against Houston and Texas Tech, both of which are in the top 10, the look has been improved.
Is it improved enough to move the seed Kansas will get in the NCAA Tournament come Selection Sunday though?
According to the most recent update by Joe Lunardi of ESPN to his Bracketology projection, it has.
Joe Lunardi’s Latest Bracketology and Where Kansas Checks In
Lunardi released his latest Bracketology after Monday night’s games wrapped up and it brought good news for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas, who Lunardi has had pointing up for much of the past week, checked in as the six-seed in the Midwest Region.
That’s up from the No. 7 seed Kansas has been for more than a week, and then the No. 8 seed Lunardi had before that.
The latest projection calls for Kansas to play the winner of Indiana vs. Oklahoma in a First Four contest to determine the 11-seed in the Midwest. No. 3 St. John’s would likely then be awaiting the winner in the Second Round, per Lunardi’s projection.
Kansas Must Take Care of Business in Big 12 Tournament
The news is great for Kansas in that things are trending in the right direction to end up on the six-line as opposed to the seven. We’ve already discussed the difference in the seeds historically and how valuable it is to the Jayhawks’ chances of making deep run to get into the six-seed, but the most important thing is that Kansas doesn’t flop in the Big 12 Tournament.
There is next to no wiggle room right now for Kansas. An early loss – certainly to the Utah/UCF winner would bump it back down to the seven. Heck, potentially losing to Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals and it could very well be the same fate.
Like I said over the weekend, if Kansas can get to the semi-finals of the Big 12 Tournament I’ll feel very good its chances to get a six, but if it falls short of that in any capacity then it’ll require help from multiple others.
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Kansas
Where to watch Iowa State vs. Kansas today: College basketball free stream
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The Kansas Jayhawks hosts No. 2 Iowa State Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. The Cyclones are 16-0 this season, but the Jayhawks won’t be an easy out at home, led by star freshman Darryn Peterson.
Iowa State vs. Kansas will air on ESPN, and streams live on DIRECTV (free trial).
What: Men’s college basketball regular season
Who: No. 2 Iowa Cyclones vs. Kansas Jayhawks
When: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026
Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live stream: DIRECTV (free trial), fuboTV (free trial)
Here’s a recent college basketball story via the Associated Press:
WACO, Texas (AP) — Emanuel Sharp scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures for No. 7 Houston, which overcame two extended shooting slumps before halftime in a 77-55 win at Baylor on Saturday. The Cougars set a school record with their 16th consecutive road win.
Joseph Tugler had 12 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double in a row for defending Big 12 champion and national runner-up Houston (15-1, 3-0 Big 12). Isiah Harwell also had 12 points, while true freshmen Chris Cenac had 11 and Kingston Flemings 10.
The Cougars haven’t lost a true road game since at No. 8 Kansas on Feb. 3, 2024. That road winning streak is the longest active run in the country, with all of them Big 12 games for a league record.
Cameron Carr had 18 points for Baylor (10-5, 0-3), and Tounde Yessoufou had 10.
Houston missed 10 shots in a row over a 5 1/2-minute span early, then had another 0-for-10 span in the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half. But the Cougars took control of the game with a 23-3 run in the six minutes between those droughts.
Sharp and Harwell both had two 3-pointers in that big spurt. The Cougars trailed 14-6 before Sharp ignited that run, and a 3 by Harwell put them ahead to stay. The lead was 29-17 after Tugler’s dunk off a Baylor turnover with 6:34 left. That was their last field goal of the half, when they still led 33-26 before a 13-3 run to start the second half.
The Cougars shot 39.2% overall (29 of 74) from the field, with only five turnovers and 23 offensive rebounds. They scored 31 points off 16 turnovers by Baylor, which got 33 fewer shots.
Up next
Houston: Home Tuesday against West Virginia.
Baylor: At Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
Can I bet on the game?
Yes, you can bet on the game from your phone in New York State, and we’ve compiled some of the best introductory offers to help navigate your first bets from BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365 and more.
Kansas
Kansas Bird Flu Tops Nation
Kansas is suffering from the worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country, with nearly 414,000 birds affected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
HPAI, an umbrella term for avian influenza that includes highly contagious strains such as H5 and H7, is considered a low public health risk, although it can pass to humans through birds and dairy products from infected cattle, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with sporadic human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers,” according to CDC.
As of Friday, there are four affected commercial flocks and six affected backyard flocks reported in Kansas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Avian influenza kills almost 100% of the birds it infects.
The bulk of the infected birds, about 380,000, in Kansas were reported to be in a commercial operation in Pottawatomie County, USDA reports said.
In a map highlighting outbreaks across the nation, Kansas is the only state showing the most severe reports during the past 30 days. It is followed by Indiana, with about 87,000 birds affected, including two commercial flocks and five backyard flocks.
Kansas has not had a reported instance of avian bird flu in a human, according to CDC records. Since 2024, there have been 74 reported bird flu cases in humans and two deaths.
This year’s outbreak is similar to those during the last few years, said a spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
“December and January have been the months when we have seen the highest number of positive cases since this outbreak began in 2022,” said Heather Lansdowne. “The winter of 2023-2024 was more active than this year, both in total cases and in number of birds affected. We are hoping this year follows the trajectory of those years and we begin to see a decline in cases moving forward.”
This year’s outbreak has spread primarily from migrating wild waterfowl, she said. The agency has encouraged poultry farmers and others to protect their birds from contact with migratory birds and their habitats.
“We have been promoting these actions to poultry owners from the start of the outbreak, both in public information and directly through veterinarians, extension agents, 4-H and FFA programs, to poultry owners we have through our systems, etc.,” Lansdowne said.
When the state discovers birds positive for avian flu, they work directly with the business owner to develop a response plan that includes a quarantine and long-term recovery plan, she said.
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Story via Kansas Reflector
Kansas
Sheriff: Carfentanil seized during Kansas drug bust
MONTGOMERY COUNTY —A series of recent drug arrests lead to taking methamphetamine and fentanyl off the streets in southeast Kansas.
On January 7, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a maroon Mercury Grand Marquis at the intersection of 10th Street and Walnut Street in Independence, Kansas, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.
Deputies contacted the driver, identified as Breeanna Conrad of Independence, Kansas, and informed her of the reason for the stop. Deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle. During the search, deputies located more than six (6) grams of methamphetamine, a small amount of cocaine, marijuana, multiple pills, and drug paraphernalia.
Conrad was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections, where she was booked on the following charges:• Distribution of methamphetamine• Possession of cocaine• Possession of marijuana• No proof of vehicle insurance• Improper emerging from an alley, private roadway, or building.
Later on January 3, 2026, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Saturn passenger vehicle at the exit ramp from U.S. 400 to U.S. 75 Highway, north of Sycamore, Kansas. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals. Deputies contacted the driver, identified as Heather Leach of Independence, Kansas, and informed her of the reason for the stop.
Deputies developed probable cause to search the vehicle.D uring the search, deputies located more than nine (9) grams of methamphetamine, more than six (6) grams of suspected carfentanil, pills, and drug paraphernalia. Leach, along with Tyler Norton and Noah Daniel, both of Independence, Kansas, were taken into custody.
All three were transported to the Montgomery County Department of Corrections and booked on the following charges:Heather Leach• Distribution of fentanyl• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of drug paraphernalia• Failure to stop or yield at a stop sign• No proof of vehicle insuranceTyler Norton• Distribution of fentanyl• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of drug paraphernaliaNoah Daniel• Possession of methamphetamine• Possession of a depressant• Possession of drug paraphernalia
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