The West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2) are on the road for their Big 12 Conference opener against the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks (9-2) for the 29th meeting between the two programs.

West Virginia vs. Kansas Series History

Kansas leads 21-7

Last meeting: WVU 91, No. 3 Kansas 85 (Jan. 20, 2024 in Morgantown)

When: Tuesday, December 31

Location: Lawrence, KS, Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Tip-off: 2:00 p.m. EST

Stream: ESPN+

Announcers: Mark Neely and Kevin Lehman

Radio: Tony Caridi (PBP), Brad Howe (analyst) Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College (Radio affiliates)

Sirius XM: 390

WVU Game Notes

– WVU is 6-6 all-time in Big 12 openers. This will be the 10th time in 13 years that WVU has opened league play on the road.

– WVU guard Joseph Yesufu played the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons at Kansas.

– Darian DeVries, who led Drake to six consecutive 20-win seasons and has a career .737 winning percentage as a head coach, was named the 23rd head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University on March 24, 2024.

– DeVries has a record of 159-57 (.737) in seven seasons as a head coach, including a 64-17 (.790) mark in the last two-plus seasons.

– West Virginia is currently ranked No. 33 in the latest NCAA NET rankings.

– Javon Small was named co-Big 12 Player of the Week and Tucker DeVries was tabbed as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 2. Both were named to the Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team.

– Small was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Dec. 3.

– Small has scored 20 or more points in fi ve of WVU’s last eight games.

– Small leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

– With a win over No. 3 Gonzaga, WVU defeated a Top 5 AP team for the second consecutive season. Last season, the Mountaineers downed No. 3 Kansas in Morgantown, 91-85.

– Darian DeVries is 4-5 against ranked teams during his head coaching career. He is 2-0 at WVU with wins over No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arizona.

– WVU is 101-114 in Big 12 regular season games since joining the league in 2012-13.

– West Virginia played three consecutive overtime games for the first time in school history.

– West Virginia is the only team in the country that has two players on the same team who averaged more than 20 points per game from last season — Tucker DeVries (21.6 ppg) and Jayden Stone (20.8 ppg).

– West Virginia returned just 2.8 percent of its scoring from last season’s team (Ofri Naveh).

– The Mountaineers are led by a pair of transfers in Tucker DeVries (Drake) and Javon Small (Oklahoma State). Last season, DeVries was named an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention selection, while Small earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.

– In addition, Eduardo Andre (Fresno State), Joseph Yesufu (Washington State), Sencire Harris (Illinois), Amani Hansberry (Illinois) and Jayden Stone (Detroit Mercy) were added from the transfer portal.

– WVU has a wealth of experience on its roster who have college basketball experience. Entering this season, they have combined to play 806 games, made 442 starts, scored 7,606 points, grabbed 3,304 rebounds and dished out 1,248 assists.

– Tucker DeVries was named to the 20-member Julius Erving Preseason Watch List, giving annually to the nation’s top small forward.

– Tucker DeVries was named to the preseason Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List. Tucker DeVries was named to the John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List.

– Tucker DeVries has scored the most points (1,867) of any senior (four-year players only) entering this season. He ranks eighth overall for career scoring by returning players (including fifth-year) and third in the Big 12 Conference.

Entering this season, Tucker DeVries has scored the fi fth-most points in college basketball since 2021-22. He’s one of 12 players who have scored 1,800 or more points since 2021-22.

– Tucker DeVries has recorded 99 games in double fi gures.

– Tucker DeVries is 14 points shy of reaching 2,000 for his career.

– Toby Okani scored his 1,000th career point against Georgetown on Dec. 6.

– Javon Small scored his 1,00th career point against Mercyhurst on Dec. 22.

– Darian DeVries is 73-2 when scoring 80 or more points in a game and 139-17 when scoring 70 or more.

– Darian DeVries is 114-21 when holding opponents to 69 points or less and 54-6 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.

– West Virginia was predicted 13th in the Preseason Big 12 Poll by the league’s head coaches.

– West Virginia has made at least one 3-point fi eld goal in 875 consecutive games.

– The Mountaineers have won 151 of their last 169 games when holding opponents to 69 points or less.

– WVU has won 162 of its last 183 and 218 of its last 246 games when holding opponents to less than 69 points.

– West Virginia is 6-3 all-time in games played on December 31.

Kansas Republicans plan to try to ban gender-affirming care for minors again. 

That means cutting off access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments for children with gender dysphoria, and banning gender-affirming surgery for minors, which is incredibly rare. 

The GOP has tried and failed to pass this ban. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly consistently vetoes the proposals, and conservatives can’t rally enough support to override the veto. The 2024 election changed the political makeup of the Legislature, though, and conservatives are going to try again. 

“We only missed that by one or two votes in the House, right?” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, said to reporters. “(The Senate) overrode it then and I think this caucus is probably stronger in that opinion than the prior one. So that would definitely be back.”

What has the Legislature already done? 

A bill banning gender-affirming care for minors failed in 2023 and 2024. The bill could have cost doctors licenses for providing the care. It would also give families a path to sue for actual damages to a child and punitive damages. 

The 2024 proposal failed when four Republicans crossed party lines and joined Democrats to kill the bill. But the political makeup of the Legislature has tilted further right. 

The 2025 proposal will look similar to last year’s plan, said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican. He said last year’s bill scared some lawmakers because they worried it would ban mental health care and counseling for transgender minors. That’s not the goal. 

Hawkins said he wants to stop puberty blockers and surgeries. He said this bill should move quickly. 

“I don’t think we’re going to wait till the end (of the session),” he said. “We’re going to get a lot of this stuff done early.”

The GOP has a larger majority and more margin for error. Two of the four Republicans who joined Democrats in 2024 didn’t run for reelection, and one of the newly elected lawmakers said they don’t support gender-affirming care. 

Former Rep. Marvin Robinson, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, switched party lines to support the ban. He lost his primary election. 

Who supports the proposal? 

The proposal is almost entirely supported by Republicans and splits largely along party lines. 

Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Eudora Republican, said the bill would protect children because it prevents them from making life-altering decisions they may regret. Studies have found 1% of transgender individuals regret the choice. 

Republicans also say Kansans could get the care at 18 when they are an adult, though doctors warn against waiting for gender-affirming care. 

“We want these children to get the caring mental therapy that they need,” Gossage said during the 2024 debate. “We often pass bills in this Legislature to protect Kansans. We’re on the right side of history on this.”

Who opposes the proposal? 

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat, said supportive environments and proper medical treatment are the best ways to help transgender Kansans. 

“I have heard from hundreds of Kansans and people who had a life raft because of gender-affirming care,” Sykes said during the 2024 debate. “We are trying to rip that away from them.” 

Democrats say delaying care increases the suicide risk for transgender teens. Kelly has a track record of vetoing anti-transgender legislation, and any bill banning this care is almost certainly to be vetoed by the Democratic governor.

Related

Several days after completing their Week 17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs finally know when they’ll face off with the Denver Broncos in Week 18.

The NFL maintains a flexible schedule for the final week of the season, with two games set for a doubleheader on Saturday, kicking off at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT. On Sunday night, the league announced that the Chiefs would take the stage on Sunday afternoon to close out the regular season.

The Chiefs and Broncos will play at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, January 5.

The day of the game should be largely immaterial to the Chiefs, as Kansas City has already locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, securing the first-round bye that will allow the Chiefs to skip the first round of playoff action. Though head coach Andy Reid hasn’t made an official declaration publicly, the Chiefs will have no reason to suit up most of their stars and starters for a game with no playoff implications. The Broncos, however, have plenty to play for.

Following their overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, the Broncos would still clinch the No. 7 seed with a win over the Chiefs in Week 18. If the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, the Bengals or Miami Dolphins could take the final spot in the conference.

The AFC North will dominate Saturday’s slate, with the Cleveland Browns facing the Baltimore Ravens at 3:30 p.m. CT and the Bengals and Steelers taking the prime time slot at 7 p.m. CT.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Explains Impact of Clinching No. 1 Seed, First-Round Bye for ‘Banged-Up’ Chiefs