Kansas – Syndication Server

Texans odds: Houston opens as slight road underdog against Kansas City

The Houston Texans hit the road as an underdog against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16.

Fresh off securing a second consecutive AFC South division title, the Houston Texans hit the road on a short week to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16.

With a win, Houston would inch closer to securing the No. 3 seed in the AFC postseason picture.

Houston (9-5) enters Saturday’s showdown a 3-point road underdog against Kansas City (13-1) according to odds from BetMGM. The over/under for points is currently set at 42.

The Texans are preparing for two different quarterbacks as they begin prep. Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns and is expected to be listed as “week-to-week.”

“I want to be able to move. I want to be able to get out of the way. [Houston’s] is a good pass rush, a good defense. They fly around,” Mahomes said Tuesday. “You don’t want to go out there and put yourself in harm’s way. Obviously, it’s football and you’re going to take hits, but you want to be able to protect yourself. So that’ll be where I’m at and I don’t want to limit the game plan.

“It’s about me finding that balance and seeing where I’m at … I won’t know until kind of close to the end of this week.”

Should the Texans win, they would hold head-to-head victories over Kansas City and Buffalo should the records be the same. On Wednesday, the Texans face off against Baltimore, which could win the AFC North with victories over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

If Houston were to win all three outings, it would at worst, be the No. 3 seed in the playoff, thus leading to a potential second game at NRG Stadium in the AFC Divsional Round.

Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium is scheduled for noon CT. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Wisconsin transfers A.J. Storr, Chucky Hepburn quiet as Kansas, Louisville face losing skids

The week of Dec. 2 was not kind to the Wisconsin Badgers. The team began the week ranked 11th but dropped two high-profile matchups, one to Big Ten rival Michigan and one to in-state rival No. 5 Marquette.

The team is 8-2 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play entering the heart of December.

While the Badgers struggled on the court, so did the program’s former transfers and their respective new programs. Chucky Hepburn and the Louisville Cardinals went 0-2 against No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 9 Duke last week. A.J. Storr and No. 1 Kansas fell to Creighton and Missouri.

Here is how the two former Badgers performed in each of those mentioned losses, plus their updated season averages:

Chucky Hepburn:

vs. Ole Miss (86-63 loss): 36 minutes, 19 points, four assists, two rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting, 7-of-9 from the free-throw line
vs. Duke (76-65 loss): 37 minutes, eight points, five assists, three rebounds on 2-of-11 shooting, 2-of-7 from 3
Season averages: 31.4 minutes, 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.2 steals on 48.8% shooting and 33% from 3

AJ Storr:

vs. Creighton (76-63 loss): 27 minutes, 12 points, three rebounds on 4-of-13 shooting
vs. Missouri (76-67 loss): 18 minutes, two points, three rebounds on 1-of-7 shooting, 0-of-3 from 3
Season averages: 21.3 minutes, 8.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 41% shooting and 36% from 3

Hepburn and Storr transferred after leading the 2023-24 Badgers in nearly every category. Hepburn did so after starting at point guard for three seasons.

The ebbs and flows of the basketball season affect individuals and teams. Hepburn started hot, including a statement performance in Louisville’s win over West Virginia at the Battle 4 Atlantis. He and the Cardinals have taken a step back of late. They’re still looking to establish position in a tough ACC.

Storr, meanwhile, plays a reserve role for a Kansas team that is set to fall from its previous No. 1 ranking. He’s had strong outings, including 11 key points in the Jayhawks’ Nov. 26 win over Duke. But his numbers are down across the board after operating as Wisconsin’s primary offensive option last season.

The Badgers did well in finding transfer John Tonje this offseason. The former Colorado State and Missouri wing is averaging 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 10 games. But he, like both Hepburn and Storr, has taken a slight step back during Wisconsin’s recent losing skid.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Tuesday night on the road at No. 19 Illinois. Hepburn and Louisville host UTEP before a big game at No. 4 Kentucky, and Storr and Kansas host NC State and Brown before the holiday break.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Kansas star quarterback will not be following Jeff Grimes to Wisconsin

Wisconsin is reportedly closing in on hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes as its new offensive coordinator. All signs point toward the hire becoming a reality, signs such as Kansas hiring Grimes’ replacement.

The next storyline to follow is what the program does at quarterback. Veteran Tyler Van Dyke’s return is up in the air as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in mid-September. It’s likely that Wisconsin will enter the third consecutive season with a new veteran transfer under center.

That veteran will not be Kansas star quarterback Jalon Daniels, who recently announced on X his intention to return to the Jayhawks for his final season of eligibility.

“Kansas has been my home, my family, and my foundation,” Daniels wrote. “The work continues, and the best is still ahead. I’m ready to lead the Kansas Jayhawks into the 2025 season and fully focused on becoming the best QB possible.”

The update is noteworthy given the mentioned context. Wisconsin likely needs a quarterback, and just hired Daniels’ offensive coordinator to the same position. Kansas, meanwhile, promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its vacant OC position.

Jalon Daniels will return to Kansas for the 2025 season, via @PeteThamel pic.twitter.com/ap7EAItE27

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2024

Thamel specifically reported that ‘Daniels has agreed to a new deal to stay with the Jayhawks for 2025.’ NIL can be added to the coaching continuity as reasons for his decision to remain with the Jayhawks.

Daniels has played in 37 career games for Kansas dating back to 2020. He’s completed 61.3% of his passes for totals of 6,751 yards, 45 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, in addition to 303 carries for 1,041 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.

The dual-threat quarterback had his best season in 2022 under former OC Andy Kotelnicki, who has since moved over to Penn State. He finished that year with a 66.1 completion percentage, 2,014 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions.

His one year under Grimes (2024) was a minor step back. The veteran completed just 57% of his passes for 2,454 yards, 14 touchdowns and a league-leading 12 interceptions.

Grimes will not get a further chance to help Daniels back to his top-end 2022 form, as Wisconsin will have to look elsewhere for its starting quarterback in 2025.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Kansas hires replacement for Wisconsin’s reported new offensive coordinator

More and more signs point toward Wisconsin officially hiring Kansas’ Jeff Grimes for its vacant offensive coordinator position.

First, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday that Wisconsin was ‘targeting’ Grimes, with talks ‘expected to intensify in the near future.’ Now, Kansas has officially promoted quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski to its offensive coordinator position, further signaling Grimes’ move to the Badgers.

Kansas officially announced Zebrowski’s promotion on Saturday afternoon. He has previously served as the team’s quarterbacks coach from 2021-24, and co-offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024. He’s previously coached quarterbacks at Southern Illinois (1999), D-III Millikin (2000-02), UW-Whitewater (2007-09), Northern Illinois (2010), Minnesota (2011-15), D-III Hamline (2016) and Buffalo (2017-20).

It was also announced on Friday that Kansas QB Jalon Daniels would remain with the program for his final collegiate season.

Coach Z leading the charge 📈

Coach Leipold has elevated Jim Zebrowski to Offensive Coordinator

🔗→ https://t.co/qZ4nbklnMe pic.twitter.com/0FjL1hOoD1

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) December 7, 2024

Wisconsin has apparently closed in on Grimes as its next offensive coordinator. The veteran assistant was Kansas’ offensive coordinator in 2024, after holding the same position at Baylor (2021-23) and BYU (2018-20). His hire indicates Wisconsin’s movement back to a pro-style, power-run-centric offense, a move that head coach Luke Fickell has hinted toward in recent press conferences.

We now await official word on Wisconsin’s hire of Grimes. After that, it’s all systems go as he works to rebuild a struggling offensive unit.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Report: Wisconsin closing in on offensive coordinator hire

Report: Wisconsin close to hiring Kansas offensive coordinator as its next OC

Wisconsin is closing in on hiring Kansas offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes as its next OC, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“A deal is not complete,” Thamel wrote on X. “But the sides are talking and those talks are expected to intensify in the near future.”

Wisconsin is looking to fill a position that became vacant when the program fired Phil Longo in November. Grimes is an experienced assistant with extensive roots coaching the offensive line and a power-run scheme.

The veteran assistant has coached offense at the college level since 1998. His notable stops include Arizona State (OL, 2001-03), BYU (OL, 2004-06), Colorado (OL, 2007-08), Auburn (OL, 2009-12), Virginia Tech (OL, 2013), LSU (OL, 2014-17), BYU (OC, 2018-20), Baylor (OC/TEs coach, 2021-23), Kansas (OC, 2024).

He does not have any prior connection to either Luke Fickell or the Wisconsin program — aside from coaching the BYU team that upset the Badgers in 2018.

Grimes’ Kansas offense finished the 2024 regular season ranked No. 53 in scoring offense (29.7 points per game), No. 13 in rush offense (211.4 yards per game) and No. 88 in pass offense (208.8 yards per game).

Sources; Wisconsin is targeting Kansas OC Jeff Grimes as the school’s new offensive coordinator. A deal is not complete, but the sides are talking and those talks are expected to intensity in the near future.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 6, 2024

His potential hire reflects Luke Fickell’s recent comments about the Badgers returning to a more pro-style offense. At the least, Fickell has expressed a desire to build an offensive identity around the program’s classic calling card — the offensive line and the run game. Grimes fits that mold directly.

He also has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator, though hasn’t risen far since starting as BYU’s OC in 2018. That lack of trajectory could be good news for the Badgers, as Grimes may be more likely to stay around if he finds success. It does also signal the difference between him and some of the other top coordinator candidates.

We now await confirmation on if the reported ‘talks’ reach a deal.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

The Champions Classic apparently featured a basketball the players don’t usually play with

This would explain a lot of the poor shooting we saw in the Champions Classic

Last night in the Champions Classic, we saw Michigan State shoot 12-percent from three, Duke shoot 17-percent, and Kansas shoot 29-percent. According to Matt Jones of Ky Sports Radio, this could have been due to the use of a Spalding basketball in the games that teams don’t usually play with.

Even more interesting, Jones said that Kansas, who shot 40-percent from three last night, practiced with the Spalding ball all week. It seems like that foresight and practice paid off.

So, for Michigan State fans who are doom and gloom after watching the team shoot so poorly from three, there may have been some other factors in that. That being said, MSU hasn’t really shot well in any of their games this year, so take it with a grain of salt.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Hunter Dickinson compliments Tom Izzo, Michigan State basketball after win over Spartans

Michigan State basketball went up against a familiar foe on Tuesday night when Hunter Dickinson and Kansas beat the Spartans in the Champions Classic.

According to reporting from Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, Dickinson was complimentary of Tom Izzo after the game, saying he knew Izzo, as a Hall of Famer, would have Michigan State ready for. He also said he thinks MSU will be a top-25 team by the end of the season, but that they aren’t there yet.

Michigan State basketball falls to Kansas in the Champions Classic

Michigan State goes ice cold and drops their Champions Classic match-up against Kansas

Michigan State basketball participated in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night with a match-up against Kansas. Unfortunately, the Spartans went ice cold from the floor and fell to the Jayhawks 77 to 69.

Honestly, it’s actually impressive that MSU only lost by 8. I know no one wants a moral victory after a frustrating loss, but Michigan State shot 3-for-24 from three on the night but still annoyed Kansas and hung around against the No. 1 ranked team in the country.

Frankie Fidler and Jaxon Kohler led the way in scoring for MSU, with 15 and 12 points respectively. For Kansas, Hunter Dickinson dropped 28 points.

This was a tough game for Jaden Akins as it looked like Kansas was determined to make his life miserable all night and force other players to beat them. He only had two points on the night, but, in his defense, the Jayhawks were very focused on him specifically.

Michigan State will have a chance to get back in the winning column on Saturday when they play Bowling Green.

Wisconsin transfer guard fouls out of Kansas’ win over Michigan State

Wisconsin transfer guard A.J. Storr was mostly a nonfactor in Kansas’ 77-69 win over Michigan State on Tuesday.

The former Badger fouled out in just 12 minutes of action. He finished with six points on 2-of-5 shooting and 1-of-3 from 3-point range. He added two rebounds and a turnover.

Kansas’ statement win was led again by center Hunter Dickinson. The former Michigan Wolverine finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and three steals on 13-of-21 shooting. His strong defensive play also helped the Jayhawks hold the Spartans to just 34.8% shooting.

A 12-minute foul-out for AJ Storr tonight.

— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) November 13, 2024

Storr and the Jayhawks are 3-0 on the young season and still ranked No. 1. The former Badger has season totals of 24 points, six rebounds and five assists over those three games.

Storr’s decision to transfer to Kansas was one of the more notable moments from a busy Wisconsin offseason. Storr and star guard Chucky Hepburn departed via the portal, leaving the Badgers to replace 26 points, 7.2 game and 4.8 assists-per-game of production. That doesn’t even count Tyler Wahl, who the Badgers lost to graduation.

Despite the turnover, Wisconsin boasts a 3-0 mark to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Missouri transfer guard John Tonje has played a big role in the early wins, averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds on 55% shooting.

Storr’s performance on the No. 1 Jayhawks will continue to be worth monitoring, especially if Tonje continues to excel in a primary role with the Badgers.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Champions Classic renewed through 2028-29 basketball season

The Champions Classic has been renewed through the 2028-29 season

The Champions Classic will continue. The annual event that features Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas in revolving match-ups has been renewed through the 2028-29 basketball season.

The news came the day of this year’s event, which included MSU vs. Kansas. Next year, the Spartans are scheduled to play Kentucky. This year, MSU was given some grief from fans of other teams for their inclusion in the event. This writer’s opinion is that this criticism is ridiculous.

John Fanta of CBB on Fox reported the news.