Kansas
If Kansas basketball’s season ended today, it would be defined by missed opportunities
If there was a sequence in the loss to No. 3 Houston that encapsulated the Kansas basketball season, it came with about four minutes left in the second half.
The Jayhawks, on the road, had recently cut the Cougars’ lead to 57-54 on a bucket from Hunter Dickinson and gotten the ball back after a defensive stop. But on that ensuing possession, Dickinson turned the ball over and Houston went on a fast break and saw Mylik Wilson slam home a dunk to make it 59-54.
Then, when KU got the ball back, Dickinson was called for an offensive foul on that very next possession, and whatever momentum the team had seemed to dissipate.
The game didn’t end there. Kansas found itself within a possession in the last minute of the game, but chances squandered there and over the course of the game helped the Cougars win 65-59 in a Big 12 Conference battle.
The Jayhawks (19-11, 10-9 in Big 12) have now lost back-to-back games against highly-ranked teams they had their chances to beat. And if the season ended with this latest defeat, one that did see KU show some life in a matchup some might have been anticipating a blowout, KU’s season would be defined by its missed opportunities.
“The season’s almost over, we’ve got one more game in Allen Fieldhouse,” Kansas coach Bill Self said on the Varsity Network postgame show, asked how they can use this effort moving forward.
“Hopefully, our fans will show up to see some seniors that have meant an awful lot to this place over time — and I’m sure they will. But it was a different feel in the locker room after the game. I thought we had a pretty tight huddle. I thought the guys were — competed harder. Even the guys that didn’t play, they all thought it felt different, too.”
Self, later, added: “No moral victories, but this was going to be a — you were going to have to play a fantastic game to win down here and we almost pulled it off. Just didn’t quite get it done.”
If there are two things to point to that torpedoed Kansas’ chances at a win, they were turnovers and offensive rebounds. The Jayhawks turned the ball over 20 times and allowed 18 points off of those turnovers, while the Cougars turned it over just six times and allowed only eight points off of those turnovers.
The Jayhawks also allowed 17 offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points by the Cougars, while Houston allowed just five offensive rebounds and six second-chance points by Kansas.
Dickinson’s 17-point and 12-rebound double-double couldn’t overcome those issues, with Dickinson himself responsible for seven turnovers in a game he would eventually foul out of. KJ Adams scoring 15 points and David Coit adding 14 of his own, the latter off of the bench, couldn’t either. Zeke Mayo and Rylan Griffen each had quiet nights offensively, which hurts considering they’re supposed to be 3-point threats and guys who help space things out for Dickinson.
It wasn’t as if one player on Houston’s team was responsible for grabbing numerous steals or collecting so many rebounds. The Cougars won with a team effort that helped them overcome a poor shooting night from the field. Even though L.J. Cryer got into foul trouble, which kept him from producing much in the second half, Houston overcame that, too.
Kansas’ attention now turns toward its regular season finale inside Allen Fieldhouse, a senior day matchup for the Jayhawks on Saturday against No. 23 Arizona. That leaves one more chance for Kansas to add to its resume before postseason play begins. It’ll just be a matter of whether or not the Jayhawks take advantage of it or let another opportunity slip away.
“They’re good,” Self said about Arizona. “They’re so athletic and everything. And Houston’s athleticism definitely bothered us tonight. Our guards couldn’t get past them, and that made a big difference. But our execution wasn’t awful. We just turned it over too much. But against pressure you’ve got to be able to drive it, and I’m sure Arizona will pressure us. So, our guards need to be able to drive the ball.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.
KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.
The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.
As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.
He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.
When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.
“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”
When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.
“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”
Early Contenders
Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.
Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.
He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.
Follow
The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.
Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.
“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 4-2-9
Evening: 2-7-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing
Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing
27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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