Kansas
Preseason No. 1 Kansas Blows Another Lead In Baylor Loss
Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. scores past Baylor guard Jalen Celestine during the first half of an … [+]
At halftime Saturday, Kansas looked like the team many envisioned when it was selected first in the Associated Press preseason poll. The Jayhawks led Baylor by 19 points and were seemingly on their way to an easy road victory. But the Bears regrouped and pulled off a stunning 81-70 upset over KU even though they played without starting guard Jeremy Roach and lost star freshman VJ Edgecombe to an injury five minutes into the second half. The loss continued the Jayhawks’ maddening season that began with such high expectations.
“I really didn’t say much,” Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters on what he told his team after the loss. “I don’t think in situations like that there’s really a lot to be said, to be honest with you. Any type of pick ‘em up talk isn’t going to be heard, and there’s no reason to get on anybody, so I didn’t really say much.”
Who could blame Self, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer with 825 career victories? The Jayhawks were up by as many as 21 points, making it the biggest blown lead in program history, which dates to the 1898-99 season. A week earlier, KU guard Dajuan Harris Jr. went to the free throw line with Jayhawks leading Houston by six points with 18 seconds remaining in overtime. But Harris Jr. missed both free throws, Houston made two 3-pointers to send the game to double overtime and the Cougars won, 92-86, completing an improbable comeback.
Kansas (15-6 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12 Conference) is now in a three-way tie for fifth in the conference. The Jayhawks are in no danger of missing the NCAA tournament, but they are sure to fall a few spots from their No. 11 ranking when the AP poll is released Monday afternoon.
“I honestly believe the oranges that we ate at halftime that Baylor provided was probably the reason why we sucked in the second half,” Self said.
Kidding aside, Self is no doubt frustrated with KU’s confounding performances, which are reminiscent of a year ago.
The Jayhawks entered last season No. 1 in the AP poll and won 12 of their first 13 games. But they were inconsistent the rest of the season and finished 10-8 in the Big 12, tying for fifth. It was their worst conference finish since placing fifth in the 1999-2000 season.
KU lost by 20 points to Cincinnati in its Big 12 tournament opener and by 21 points to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Kevin McCullar Jr., the Jayhawks’ leading scorer, missed both of those games with an injury.
This season, the Jayhawks won their first seven games, including victories over North Carolina, Michigan State and Duke. They then lost consecutive road games at Creighton by 13 points and at Missouri by nine points in mid-December. Their other losses were by one point to West Virginia on Dec. 31 and by 17 points at Iowa State on Jan. 15, as well as the collapses against Houston and Baylor.
Despite KU’s travails this season, they have a star in 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson, who is averaging 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and is fourth in analyst Ken Pomeroy’s national Player of the Year standings. They also have two other returning starters in Harris Jr. (9.8 points and 5.9 assists per game) and forward KJ Adams Jr. (8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game) and a standout transfer in guard Zeke Mayo, who grew up in the same town as KU and is averaging 15 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his first season after spending three years at South Dakota State.
The Jayhawks have additional talented players such as freshman forward Flory Bidunga and transfer guards Rylan Griffen (Alabama), AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State) and David Coit (Northern Illinois), but they each play less than 20 minutes per game and have been inconsistent.
Still, the Jayhawks are No. 10 in KenPom’s ratings and the NCAA’s NET rankings, which the NCAA tournament’s selection committee uses in evaluating teams. Houston (No. 3 in both rankings), Iowa State (No. 7 in both rankings) and Texas Tech (No. 8 in the NET and 9 in KenPom) are the Big 12 teams ahead of KU. League foe Arizona is No. 11 in the NET and No. 12 in KenPom.
The Jayhawks return to action on Monday when they host Iowa State, which itself is coming off a surprising 19-point home loss against Kansas State. Asked if he was happy to have another game Monday, Self didn’t hesitate.
“No,” he said. “We’re going to postpone it until Tuesday. It’s a lot easier to play on a short break if you have momentum going into it and energy and all that stuff. We’re going to have to regroup obviously. By Monday, we’ll be happy we’re playing, but certainly that’s a tougher test for us today than it would be for Baylor if they were playing Monday.”
KU has other difficult games coming up, too, including finishing the regular season by hosting Texas Tech on March 1, playing at Houston on March 3 and hosting Arizona on March 8.
KenPom projects KU to win each of its remaining 10 games except at Houston, although four of those victories are expected to be decided by four points or fewer. The Jayhawks still have six weeks until the NCAA tournament field is announced and plenty of time to regroup from Saturday’s loss. They have one of the top college coaches of all-time in Self, as well. But the ways things are going now, advancing deep in the NCAAs seems like a tall task even for such a talented team.
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
Kansas
Kansas City man injured after single-vehicle crash Sunday
WYANDOTTE COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) – A Kansas City man was left with minor injuries after a single-vehicle crash Sunday.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol Crash Log, the crash occurred around 5:50 a.m. in Wyandotte County.
A 2019 GMC Terrain was traveling eastbound on westbound I-70 in the outside shoulder when it struck the end of the concrete bridge railing for 134th Street.
The driver, a 23-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
View the KHP report HERE.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.
Kansas
Kansas Citians hold vigil, protest for Renee Good to get ‘justice’ while demanding ICE reform
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Large protests were organized across the country calling for justice for Renee Good, including in Kansas City, where Good lived before her move to Minneapolis.
Because Renee Good once called Kansas City home, locals still consider her one of their neighbors. They want her death to be a turning point in how ICE works.
The gathering began with a vigil as roughly 1,000 protesters honored Renee Good and everyone else who has died in ICE custody or encounters. Reports show that since President Trump took office again, more than 30 people have lost their lives in that category, marking 2025 the deadliest year for the agency in over 20 years.
Speakers call for reform
“The killing of Renee Good reminded this country of a hard truth: this system doesn’t just harm immigrants,” one speaker during the vigil said. “It harms the soul of our communities.”
In attendance was Bradford Bray, an Iraq War veteran who served in the Air Force and Navy from 1995-2005. He said he is furious about how ICE operates.
“It’s the constitution. That’s what we’re fighting for,” Bray said. “It’s the land of laws. These people are not trained. They’ll hire anybody with a signing bonus. If these people are trained, I’m the Pope.”
Like most in attendance, he disputes arguments by the federal government that Renee Good was trying to run over the ICE agent.
“Even the guy that shot her was filming her and she said I’m not mad at you,” Bray said. “She was pleasant. She was just trying to get out of the way and do the right thing. She was turning her wheels to get out of the way when she was shot.”
March moves through Plaza
After the vigil, most of the crowd turned the protest into a march through the Plaza, spreading the message that killings by federal agents cannot become the norm.
“I’m a 71-year-old great-grandmother who’s afraid for the future of my great-grandchildren in a country that’s turning fascist,” Terisa Mott said. “Any of them could be grabbed off the streets or shot like they shot that woman.”
Counter-protesters present
Some Trump and ICE supporters, like Scott Watts, were among the crowd. He sent condolences to Renee Good’s family but said he believes illegal immigration should not be tolerated.
“I spent time at the southern border and I saw thousands of pretty dangerous people being let out of that border,” Watts said. “That are here now and that’s what Trump’s trying to do is protect us.”
Watts carried a sign highlighting American citizens who had been killed by illegal immigrants over the years, including Mollie Tibbetts of Brooklyn, Iowa, who was stabbed to death while jogging in 2018 by Christian Behena Rivera.
“I’m at a loss for words when it comes to stuff like this,” Watts said. “But I’ll stand out here day after day to try to educate people. I don’t want to fight or anything like that. I just want people to realize there’s dangerous people out there and they need to be aware of those people.”
The gathering stayed peaceful, and traffic kept moving smoothly.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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