Arizona’s first season in the Big 12 Conference was an eye opener, both in terms of the significant bump in competition from the Pac-12 and the hostile atmospheres it entered. No more trips to half-empty gyms in Corvallis or Pullman, or ones in California with nearly as many UA fans as ones for the home team.
Kansas
What to watch for when unbeaten Arizona men’s basketball visits Kansas
Trips to Lubbock, Manhattan, Ames and Lawrence all ended badly. The opponent had a lot to do with that, but so did the crowds. All four games were sellouts, the atmospheres electric.
The second time around has been much better for Arizona (23-0, 10-0) on the road in the Big 12. It’s won at Utah, TCU, UCF, BYU and ASU, in addition to a nonconference win at UConn in November, the six consecutive road wins the longest in-season streak since 2016-17.
But now comes a trip to the last road venue that the UA lost in, Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse. The Wildcats fell 83-76 in Lawrence to end the 2024-25 regular season, keeping Jayhawks coach Bill Self perfect on Senior Day.
Self, who is in his 23rd season at Kansas, has also never lost at home on Big Monday. He’s 38-0 , with the Jayhawks’ last Big 12 home loss on a Monday coming in 2001.
But Kansas (18-5, 8-2) has also never beaten a No. 1 team at Allen Fieldhouse, going 0-5 in such opportunities. The last was in 2003, when top-ranked Arizona came to town and won 91-74.
“It’s going to be an awesome atmosphere,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. “And I just have a feeling those Jayhawk fans are going to be out for blood. So you know what? We’re here for it.”
Arizona is a 2.5-point favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, and if that holds it would be just the sixth time Kansas has been a home underdog since 1996.
Here’s what to watch for when the UA and KU meet on Monday night:
Depending on which expert you listen to, or which sportsbook you check out, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is probably going to be one of two freshmen from the Big 12. Arizona has already faced BYU wing AJ Dybantsa, now it gets a crack at Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
The 6-foot-6 Peterson is averaging 20.5 points per game, 21.1 in Big 12 play, and makes 41.7 percent of his 3-point shots. He has scored in double figures every time out, going for 18 in 20 minutes against BYU and nailing the tying and winning 3s in the final 1:20 of a win at Texas Tech last week.
But Peterson has also missed quite a bit of time due to injury. He’s sat out 10 games, nine during nonconference play, did not play at Kansas State on Jan. 24 and a week later didn’t play the second half against BYU because of cramping.
The last two games, at Texas Tech and vs. Utah, saw him play 30-plus minutes but also post two of his lowest offensive ratings of the season.
Like BYU, Kansas isn’t just its potential No. 1 pick. Three other Jayhawks average more than 14 points in Big 12 games, with guard Melvin Council dropping 36 at NC State in December scoring 22 in an OT win over TCU last month that saw his team rally from down 15 with less than five minutes to go.
Kansas also has the top shot blocker in the conference in 6-foot-10 sophomore Flory Bidunga. Bidunga has swatted 65 shots this season, averaging 3.8 in Big 12 play with seven against Utah on Saturday, and is shooting 78.5 percent in conference action.
Depth could be an issue for Kansas, though. Only two bench players average double figures in minutes and guard Elmarko Jackson missed the last game. Self has said Jackson will play against Arizona but may not be 100 percent.
Bidunga and starting center Bryson Tiller, a 6-11 freshman, have been good at avoiding foul trouble but if they do get whistled there’s not much behind them to eat minutes.
Arizona has outrebounded every opponent this season, finishing plus-20 against Oklahoma State last time out, and is limiting Big 12 foes to boards on 25.6 percent of their misses. That’s tops in the conference, while Kansas is the worst offensive rebounding team in the league.
Kansas got 42 of its 71 points against Utah in the paint but also gave up 32 (of 57). The Jayhawks are +6.4 in paint points for the season, +8 in Big 12 games. Arizona, which won the paint battle 54-14 against Oklahoma State, is +19.2 in conference play.
Arizona may need to attempt a few more 3-pointers in this one, though, as Kansas is third-best in the Big 12 in 2-point defense. Bidunga’s shot blocking has a lot to do with that.
Which Wildcat(s) step up most?
Brayden Burries was Arizona’s leading scorer for the seventh time, fourth in Big 12 play, but for the 12th time this season the Wildcats had at least five players in double figures. Every member of the 8-man rotation has either led or tied for the lead in scoring in a game, with five different guys doing that in conference games.
“I just feel like our versatility, and we know how deep we are,” Jaden Bradley said when asked about the key to Arizona’s unbeaten start. “It can be anybody’s night, the bigs, the guards, and I feel like everybody’s happy for one another. And I feel like that’s special. You don’t see that too often.”
Kansas could have a front row seat for another Bradley masterclass, which he’s mostly saved for ranked foes. The senior guard is averaging 19.7 points in Arizona’s six games against ranked teams, shooting 56.9 percent, and 18.8 points in Big 12 road contests.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas fire department is asking people to be more careful about what they throw away.
The Mulvane Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon. The driver of a trash truck had smelled something burning and pulled over to call 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the back of the truck. In the trash bay, a firefighter discovered a discarded laptop computer with a lithium battery that was heating up.
The department said it was able to remove the battery from the truck and flood the truck with water to cool off the trash. This is the second incident involving a lithium battery crews have responded to this month, according to Mulvane Fire.
Lithium is highly reactive, and when batteries are damaged, they can heat up uncontrollably. The reaction cascades, with the battery getting hotter and hotter until all of the lithium is consumed. In some cases, when exposed to oxygen, lithium can ignite instantly.
The fire department is urging residents to never throw computers or anything with batteries in the trash. Sedgwick County offers this free recycling guide with information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household goods and chemicals.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A power outage is affecting parts of the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, leaving some areas and services temporarily limited.
The Zoo announced the outage on Wednesday morning, June 17, saying the webstore and other services may be unavailable while crews work to restore power.
Evergy’s outage map shows the disruption – located near the zoo – is affecting 17 customers. The outage was first reported just before 8:50 a.m. Power is expected to be restored around 10:30 a.m.
The Zoo is asking for the public’s patience as Evergy works to resolve the issue.
The cause of the outage has not yet been identified.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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