Kansas

College basketball predictions: Ride with favorites Kansas, Houston

Published

2 years ago

February 3, 2024

College basketball predictions: Ride with favorites Kansas, Houston

This is the best Saturday of college basketball this season by a country mile. Three top-10 matchups litter the card and a handful of mid-major battles stand out, as well.

Here are two that have my attention:

No. 4 Houston at No. 8 Kansas

If Kansas being installed as a home underdog made you do a double-take, you’re not alone.

Over the last 34 years, Kansas has closed as an underdog on its home court just twice — in February 1989 as a short ’dog to top-ranked Oklahoma, and in February 2021 as a 4.5-point underdog to second-ranked Baylor.

They split those two games, losing in overtime to OU’s dynamic duo of Mookie Blaylock and Stacey King while upsetting Baylor by 13 at Phog Allen.

So why are the Jayhawks an underdog in this spot? Injuries and defense.

The Jayhawks have become a three-man team in the past month, relying heavily on Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr. and freshman Johnny Furphy. But now McCullar has a bone bruise on his knee.

The Jayhawks’ wing is averaging nearly 20/6/5 this season on 47 percent shooting from the field. Indications from coach Bill Self are that McCullar will play Saturday, but he won’t be 100 percent returning from that painful injury.

Kansas has fallen off defensively since the start of the new year. According to Bart Torvik’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric, KU is ranked 65th nationally since Jan. 1. In the first two months of the season, KU resided in the top 20. That’s good news for a Houston offense that is susceptible to scoring lulls.

Center Hunter Dickinson is one of the key contributors for Kansas. AP

When Kansas is trying to crack Houston’s defense, all I can say is “good luck.” The Cougars have the highest-rated defense in the country by a big margin. They lead the nation in effective field goal percentage defense, turn opponents over on 22 percent of their possessions (third) and rank third in three-point shooting defense (28.3 percent).

If you want to find a decent comp, you need to look at 2019 Texas Tech, which nearly won the national championship, or the 38-1 Kentucky Wildcats from 2015. That’s the rarefied air of this Houston defense.

Evan Miya’s rating of the top 25 most impactful defenders in the nation features four Cougars, including the top two in the nation (Jamal Shead, Ja’Vier Francis).

And finally, if you’re going to hand KU a loss on its home floor, you’re going to need to quiet the crowd, and Houston has a special weapon in that department.

The Cougars lead the nation in kill shots, which are runs of 10-0 or better. So far they’ve produced 27 of them this season while only conceding four. That’s the best margin of any team in the country and helps Kelvin Sampson’s teams destroy opponents’ will to win.

Recommendation: Houston -2.

Binghamton at Vermont

The Catamounts have long been the class of the America East, and as the conference bully, they’ve constantly picked on Binghamton. In their last 10 wins over this rival, Vermont has won by an average of 24 points per game.

Betting on College Basketball?

This season, after a sleepy start, the Cats have come alive with six straight wins, including three in a row on the road. Coach John Becker has credited his team’s depth for its turnaround.

This season, the conference pivoted to a Thursday/Saturday conference schedule, so depth has mattered more than usual. Nine Catamounts play 14-plus minutes per game for Becker and eight players have led UVM in scoring in the past nine games.

I would play this up to UVM -16.5.

Recommendation: Vermont -14.

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Kansas

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Rural Kansas fire department reports record number of calls in 2025

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.

On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.

It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.

The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.

From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.

Courtesy: Butler County Fire District #3

Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.

“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.

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Kansas

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

Published

23 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Clay County Commissioner says he’s ‘done’ negotiating with Kansas City Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.

According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.

Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.

Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.

He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.

“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.

The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.

KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.

While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.

A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.

Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.

KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.

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Kansas

Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Arizona-Kansas State free livestream: How to watch Big 12 basketball game, TV, time

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The No. 1 Arizona Wildcats play against the Kansas State Wildcats in a Big 12 basketball game tonight. The matchup is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT on FS1. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

The Arizona squad has played at a high level this season, as it enters this matchup with a 14-0 record. The team is coming off a 97-78 win against the Utah Utes.

In order to win tonight’s game, Arizona will need to rely on its forward Koa Peat. He leads the team in scoring this season, as he averages more than 14 points per game.

The Kansas State squad enters this matchup with a 9-5 record, but the team is coming off an 83-73 loss against BYU.

In order to bounce back tonight, Kansas State will need a great performance from its guard P.J. Haggerty. He averages 23 points per game, which leads the team.

Fans can watch this Big 12 basketball game for free online by using the free trial offered by DirecTV. Alternatively, fans can purchase a monthly subscription offered by Fubo TV/Sling.

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