Date || November 18 || Time 9:00 || Venue Madison Square Garden || Video ESPN
Kansas
Next Up – Kansas In The Champions Classic
It’s almost time for the Championship Classic, the annual event featuring Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State, and this year the Blue Devils will see the Jayhawks in Madison Square Garden.
There is an immediate question about this game because star freshman Darryn Peterson may not be able to go for the Jayhawks due to a hamstring issue. He played at UNC but sat out the games against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and Princeton.
Peterson is a much-admired talent who has been compared to Kobe Bryant, at least talent wise. We can’t know how good he is yet compared to Kobe because what set Bryant apart most was his relentless work ethic, but Peterson has a shot at being great.
As we’ve learned over the years, Bill Self typically is a great coach who gets his teams to work together as well as any coach in the business. So what’s he got this year?
Aside from Peterson, KU poses an interesting challenge for Duke because big man Flory Bidunga (6-10/235) is highly athletic and will be a significant challenge for Cameron Boozer inside. Bidunga leads Kansas in several categories – he’s putting up 17 ppg, getting 7.8 rpg and 2.5 blocks.
You may remember the name Tre White from his brief Louisville sojourn during Kenny Payne’s disastrous tenure. He left there for Illinois and now he’s starting for the Jayhawks. He’s a solid athlete and Bill Self will know how to use him as a defender.
Bryson Tiller, a 6-11/240 lb. redshirt freshman, started against Princeton. He’s getting 9 ppg and 5 boards. He could be a problem on defense at a minimum.
Melvin Council, a 6-4 senior transfer from St. Bonnie’s, has taken over the point guard duties after Dajuan Harris graduated. Like Harris, he’s not a great three point shooter. In fact, he’s shooting .000 from behind the line so far.
In fairness to Council, he’s only taken 9 threes so far and you may remember that a few years ago, Wendell Moore had a terrible slump. What was the lesson we learned there?
Eventually you return to your norm, and for Council, while he’s never been a great three point shooter, he’s not this bad. Don’t be surprised if he gets back on track on Tuesday and also don’t be surprised if his cold streak reverses abruptly and emphatically. He’s due.
The fifth starter, at least while Peterson is out, is Kohl Rosario. You may remember last year he blew up in a big way quite late and a brief recruiting battle ensued with Duke, Baylor, BYU, Miami, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Villanova, among others, which Kansas ultimately won. He’s really gifted. Either Rosario or Tiller will go back to the bench when Peterson is back, whenever that is.
Elmarko Jackson (6-3 sophomore) missed all of last season with an injury. He was a major recruit in high school who is getting back on top of things now.
The rest of the primary rotation is 6-5 senior Jaden Dawson and Jamari McDowell, a 6-5 sophomore.
You may also remember the name Paul Mbiya – he originally signed with NC State and Will Wade. He’s not very polished but he could still be helpful on defense and as a rebounder.
If Peterson is still out on Tuesday, Kansas’ offense could have real problems. Peterson is a dynamic, creative scorer but the other players, so far anyway, lack that knack.
Take Bidunga, for instance. He’s immensely talented but hasn’t fully mastered the subtleties of the game. It’s not surprising – he grew up in the Congo and has only played top flight competition for a couple of years. His upside is huge, but at the moment, he’s still kind of hit and miss.
Rosario is another guy who could go off. He is highly talented but is a freshman and most freshmen take some time to settle in.
Self is a brilliant coach, but with his current roster, he has issues with spacing due to poor three point shooting (presuming Peterson is out) and at times, notably at UNC in the second half, his offense has been stagnant. That’s partly on Council, who has been erratic as point guard, but it’s a real problem for Kansas while Peterson is out.
Another change for Kansas: the Jayhawks typically have a tall roster. They do have three big guys with Mbiya (7-0/245), Tiller (6-11/240) and Bidunga (6-10/235), but none are fully proven in college yet. Bidunga, as noted, is putting up great stats but most of that comes against Green Bay, AMCC and Princeton. When Kansas played UNC and their massive front line, Bidunga shot 4-9 and had just 8 points. It’s interesting to speculate how he’ll do against Brown, who is a superb defender. Bidunga is a better athlete, but you spend seconds in the air and vastly more time on the ground, where Brown will probably have an advantage.
Worth noting: in the three games other than UNC, Bidunga got three fouls in each. Against AMCC, he got those three in 19 minutes.
So Kansas may have some issues. Does that mean Duke is a shoo-in?
For one thing, Self is a gifted coach who has proven that he can adapt. He has some real talent, as he usually does, and just because Kansas has struggled offensively in the half court doesn’t mean they have to continue the same tactics.
And of course Duke is, as usual, quite young.
The Blue Devils rely heavily on four freshmen and three sophomores, a junior and a senior. Jon Scheyer has turned out to be a solid strategist and motivator. Cameron Boozer is one of the most skilled players we’ve seen in a long time. You might say, wait DBR…how about Cooper Flagg? And Kon Knueppel?
And that’s a fair point. But Boozer’s fundamentals may be better. He’s unusually sound in a way that reminds people of Tim Duncan. He’s probably not as physically talented as Flagg, but he’s unbelievably smart. He seems to have mastered almost all elements of offense and his defense is pretty good too (though Flagg’s is far better). However, based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re not sure any player in college has a better outlet pass than Boozer. He just has a remarkable grip on the game for a freshman. We haven’t mentioned his brother Cayden, but he’s really coming along nicely.
Duke’s three big men – Patrick Ngongba and Maliq Brown – are all gifted passers. Add the three point shooting provided by Isaiah Evans, Dame Sarr, Darren Harris, Caleb Foster, Nik Khamenia and Boozer too – and that makes it tough to stop everything Duke tries.
However, we can think of two things Kansas could do that would challenge what Duke has done so far.
First, just press like John Wooden or Rick Pitino, try to turn Duke over. The less time you spend in the half-court, the less issues you have with a struggling offense.
And second, the press aside, just shift the focus to the defensive side. IF Kansas’s offensive struggles are real as some Kansas fans seem to think, then make Duke’s just as real.
This has worked before; winning ugly is a thing.
Before John Thompson had elite talent, Georgetown stayed in games by defending like hell to do it. At Virginia, Tony Bennett forced opponents to a crawl and as a result, was in most every game at the end. Shaka Smart has at times relied extensively on his defense for offense.
It doesn’t really seem like the type of basketball we’ve seen from Self over the years, but he’s shown he can adapt.
That’s all predicated on the notion that KU’s offense has struggled and that the Jayhawks may not have Peterson. But this is a big-time game and Kansas is a proud program. This is our sincere expectation: whatever issues his team is having, Self will have his guys ready to play and the magic of the Garden will help. The Jayhawks will play like the proud program they are, and it will be a difficult game for either team to win.
Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions |
Drop us a line
Drop us a line
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In 2025 at Kansas Speedway, Kyle Larson set a significant record.
In 2026 at the 1.5-mile intermediate track, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet might simply settle for a win in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400.
In winning last year’s spring race at Kansas, Larson led 221 laps, most in NASCAR history for a driver in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile speedway.
That victory, however, was Larson’s last in the NASCAR Cup Series, though he did claim the 2025 series title by finishing third in the Championship 4 Race at Phoenix in November.
Statistics augur well for Larson as he tries to end his 32-race drought on Sunday. He has led 761 laps at Kansas Speedway since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, more than double the total of any other driver. Denny Hamlin is second with 337.
His 1,842 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in the Gen 7 era (since 2022 inclusive) more than double the total of the next driver on the list (Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron at 912).
Larson has led laps in 21 of the last 22 races on 1.5-mile speedways, including the last 10 in a row. If he leads 25 laps on Sunday at Kansas, he will surpass Kevin Harvick’s track-record of 949.
The two-time series champion is the only repeat winner in the last 11 races at Kansas, having won three times during that span, including the last two spring races.
His history considered, Larson has every reason to be confident at a track he thoroughly enjoys.
“Kansas is a lot of fun,” Larson said. “It’s really fast. You’re always trying to carry a lot of speed and momentum off the corners and run big arcs into the entry. There are two different ends of the racetrack, but I feel like you approach the corners in a similar way.
“In the race, you settle into a comfortable pace and balance and try to run as close to the wall as possible without hitting it. It’s a fun place. It can be challenging, but it’s good because you have options to move around.”
Chevrolet teams have been dealing with a new body style this season. Chase Elliott’s win at Martinsville is the car maker’s only trip to Victory Lane so far.
“I think we’re gaining on it,” Larson said. “I think the body stuff maybe is what we’re fighting right now. Entries (into the turns) seem to be pretty loose at most tracks, and then the window of balance is pretty narrow…
“I think we’re not bad on speed. I feel like we’re close to a win, but at the same time, I feel like we have a lot of work to do to get our cars better to where a win would be much easier.”
If a victory for Larson is realistic possibility, Kyle Busch might be satisfied with a top-10 run. On a miserable afternoon last Sunday at Bristol, Busch started 29th and finished 25th, two laps down, after tangling twice with the Toyota of Riley Herbst.
Busch’s winless streak reached 101 races at Thunder Valley, and Richard Childress Racing, the organization that fields Busch’s Chevrolets, has failed to score a top-10 finish in eight straight races for the first time since 1981. RCR is the only multicar team without a top-10 finish this year.
Ty Gibbs got his first Cup Series victory at Bristol last Sunday, but the odds are heavily against another first-time winner at Kansas. In 40 Cup races at the track, there has never been a first-time winner.
Toyota drivers have won six of the first eight Cup races this season, and they’re likely to be strong again at Kansas. Tyler Reddick could become the fourth driver in series history and the first since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of the first nine races in a season.
Both Reddick and 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, who is making his 300th career start, are former winners at the 1.5-mile track. The 23XI organization has three victories at Kansas, most at any single venue.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin boasts four Kansas victories, more than any other driver. He has finished in the top-five in seven of the last nine races there.
If a Toyota driver wins on Sunday, it will be the first time a single manufacturer has won seven of the first nine races in a season since Chevrolet accomplished the feat in 2007.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – Three Kansas City-area school districts violated federal law according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department said to came to the conclusion after investigating claims for eight months.
The districts involved are:
- Olathe Public Schools
- Shawnee Mission Public Schools
- Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Topeka Public Schools was also found in violation of federal law.
The department said the investigation focuses on alleged Title IX violations and violations involving the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA.
FERPA INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
The department said it opened the investigation in August after the Defense of Freedom Institute filed a complaint alleging the violations.
The investigation determined all four school districts have policies that likely prevent schools from notifying parents whether their children are using different pronouns, going by different names, or having different names printed on their diplomas.
The department of education said the policies violate parents’ rights under FERPA to access school records pertaining to their children.
TITLE IX INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it determined the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District and Topeka Public Schools violated Title IX .
The investigation found the two districts have policies that allow male students to use female restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms, according to the department.
The findings went on to say the two districts have “single-sex athletics based on gender identity.”
In addition, the Office for Civil Rights reported that KCK schools denied investigators access to information during the inquiry.
The department also said its investigation determined that Olathe and Shawnee Mission School Districts violated Title IX with policies that allow students to use restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms based on gender identity.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DEMANDS
To remedy the violations the districts must take action, according to the Department’s Offices of Civil Rights and Student Privacy Policy.
According to information from the department, those actions must include, but are not limited to:
- The Districts will no longer allow students to participate in athletics based on “gender identity,” rather basing participation on the student’s sex;
- The Districts will ensure that the use of bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and overnight accommodations is based on sex, not “gender identity;” and,
- The Districts will inform school personnel that “gender support plans” and other related documents having to do with a student’s so-called ‘gender transition’ will be made readily available and accessible to parents and guardians.
If any district involved cails to reach an agreement, the districts could lose federal funding, according to the Department of Education.
OLATHE RESPONDS
The Olathe School District responded to the notice Friday afternoon.
In a letter, the district said it has responded to all three issues involved in the investigation. It also points out that it has met with investigators over the claims for months.
The district says the claims, and investigators findings are not accurate.
“The three issues were not new to Olathe as the District was already in compliance with the law at the time of your 2025 letter. Olathe has confirmed that its staff were, and continue to be, in compliance with the law as they work with our students and families,” the district said in a letter.
Read the full letter to the Department of Education below:
KCTV5 asked Kansas City Kansas Public Schools and the Shawnee Mission School District for responses to the findings.
Their responses will be added to this article when they are received.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With less than two months until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in cities across the country, KC2026 announced the lineup of artists expected to perform at the Kansas City FIFA Fan Festival.
From the Chainsmokers to Flo Rida to Kansas City legend Tech N9ne, fans can expect to see dozens of performances from top acts over the course of the 18-day event.
Here are some headline dates scheduled during the “world’s biggest football party,” according to KC2026:
- The Chainsmokers — June 13
- Flo Rida — June 19
- Cimafunk — June 20
- Gabby Barret — July 3
- The All-American Rejects — July 11
- Tech N9ne — June 12 and July 11
Several other performers will take to the stage outside of the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The list of artists can be found in the poster image provided below:
According to KC2026, all acts and dates are subject to change, and tickets to the event are already available on the KC2026 Fan Fest website.
General admission is free and open to the public; however, the organization is offering other packages to upgrade the experience. Here’s everything you need to know:
- General Admission — Free
- On a first-come, first-served basis
- Premium Garden Pass — $55
- Includes all the benefits of general admission, access to expedited entry lanes, exclusive standing-room viewing in the Premium Viewing Area, premium restrooms, a dedicated bar area and access to premium food options.
- Legacy Lounge Pass — $225
- The Legacy Lounge Pass includes all the benefits of the Premium Garden Pass with access to an air-conditioned lounge, a two-tiered viewing structure, all-inclusive food options, a premium beverage package, climate-controlled restrooms, unique photo opportunities with iconic Kansas City sports memorabilia and access into the Premium Viewing Area.
The FIFA Fan Festival will serve a maximum of 25,000 people daily and include KC match days, USMNT match days and the Fourth of July.
Fans can expect the stage at the event to be twice the size of Chappell Roan’s massive October 2025 concert, when she performed two sold-out shows on the lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial to approximately 30,000 fans each night.
Over the course of the tournament, the festival will have themed days to get fans in the World Cup spirit. For a list of those themed events, click here.
For more information about the tournament, tune into Kansas City’s World Cup headquarters, FOX4 News, for the latest announcements before and during the historic summer event.
-
Louisiana2 seconds ago
‘Growth pays for growth’: Entergy’s Fair Share Plus model to save Louisiana customers $2.8 billion
-
Maine6 minutes ago18 jaw-dropping views from Katahdin to help you plan for warmer weather
-
Maryland12 minutes agoMaryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for April 18, 2026
-
Michigan18 minutes agoQ&A: Jocelyn Benson on her tenure as Michigan’s secretary of state
-
Massachusetts24 minutes agoPolice shoot and kill man armed with knife in Lexington, DA says
-
Minnesota30 minutes agoBoldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
-
Mississippi36 minutes agoGeorge County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says
-
Missouri42 minutes ago
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 18, 2026