Tag: kansas jayhawks

Duke finalizing agreement to take on Kansas in Las Vegas for neutral site game, per Jon Rothstein

Duke and Kansas are finalizing an agreement for a non-conference matchup in November.

Duke’s already challenging non-conference schedule for 2024 is about to get even more difficult.

Jon Scheyer and his soon-to-be-revamped Blue Devils team will take on another college basketball blue blood in Kansas this November.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, one of college basketball’s biggest insiders, confirmed that the two legendary programs are in the process of finalizing a November matchup in Las Vegas.

No official announcement is imminent, and a date and time have yet to be decided upon, but things are in motion behind the scenes.

The last time these two titans faced off was in the Champions Classic in 2022, Jon Scheyer’s first season as Duke’s head coach following the departure of Coach K. Kansas went on to win that game 69-64 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks finished the game on a 15-5 run over the final 4:37. In total, Duke is 8-6 all-time against the Jayhawks.

Bill Self will bring a revamped roster as he looks to improve upon a less-than-stellar season by Kansas standards. The Jayhawks made the Sweet 16, but they were often injured and didn’t have the depth necessary to compete.

The Jayhawks have been aggressive and active in the transfer portal, landing new names like AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo, and Michael Ajayi for their roster. They also are returning Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris.

If the two schools reach a final agreement, Duke will play Arizona, Kentucky, and Kansas as part of its non-conference schedule in 2024.

Kansas adds third marquee transfer in former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr

The Kansas Jayhawks added Wisconsin transfer guard AJ Storr to an already elite transfer portal class for Bill Self.

An early exit in the NCAA Tournament, along with a handful of NBA departures, had the Kansas Jayhawks a bit in flux at the conclusion of the 2023-24 college basketball season.

However, the rebuild has swiftly gotten underway. After already securing portal commitments from Florida guard Riley Kugel and South Dakota State’s Zeke Mayo, Bill Self’s team landed a huge fish in Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, thought by many to be the top player in the portal, who committed to the Jayhawks on Thursday afternoon.

Storr began his college career at St. John’s in 2022-23, averaging 8.8 points while shooting 40.4% from three, but after a coaching change Storr entered the portal and landed at Wisconsin for his sophomore year – where he exploded as a scorer by averaging 16.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 48.3% on twos and 32% from the three point line.

The 6’6 wing is now on his third college program after playing at four different high schools, but the talent is undeniable and he should help the Jayhawks replace both Kevin McCullar Jr and Johnny Furphy, who are headed to the NBA.

Projected first-round pick Johnny Furphy announces decision to test 2024 NBA draft

Furphy was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist on 46.6% shooting from the field.

Kansas freshman Johnny Furphy announced on social media that he will declare for the 2024 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining college eligibility.

Furphy, who was born in Australia, was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist on 46.6% shooting from the field. He scored in double figures 14 times, including a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds on Jan. 22.

The 6-foot-9 guard played a larger role for the Jayhawks over the second half of the season, starting in 18 out of the last 19 games. He averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals on 34.9% shooting from 3-point range over that span.

Furphy is considered a potential first-round pick, given his ability to score, run the floor, finish at the rim and cut on offense. He figures to be among the prospects invited to participate in the draft combine May 12-19 in Chicago, Illinois.

He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

After testing the pre-draft process, Furphy will participate in Australia’s training camp ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. He was among the 22 players named to their 22-man preliminary roster, joining Josh Giddey, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills among others.

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Commanders to host Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker on top 30 visit

The Commanders will host a raw but talented pass rusher next week.

The Washington Commanders are using several of their 30 pre-draft visits on specific positions, such as offensive tackle and defensive end. Outside of Penn State’s Chop Robinson, none of the edge rushers the Commanders are bringing to Ashburn ahead of the 2024 NFL draft are considered potential first-round picks.

Washington general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn are bringing in players with high-quality athletic traits on visits. The latest is Kansas edge rusher Austin Booker.

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Booker will visit Washington next week.

After beginning his college career at Minnesota, Booker transferred to Kansas. In his one season with the Jayhawks, the 6-foot-4 1/2, 240-pound Booker played in 12 games with one start and finished with 56 tackles, including 12 for loss and eight sacks. He was named first-team All-Big 12 Conference and was the Big 12 top newcomer.

There was some buzz around Booker entering the NFL combine, where he ran a disappointing 4.79 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The good thing for Booker is teams love his film. He plays much faster than his speedwatch time. However, his lack of overall snaps may concern some. He is extremely raw and could be a boom-or-bust pick.

The Commanders signed Dante Fowler Jr., Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell this offseason, and re-signed veteran Efe Obada. Washington returns second-year players K.J. Henry and Andre Jones Jr.

Booker is expected to go sometime in the second or, most likely. the third round. The Commanders currently have three third-round picks.

Duke opens as favorites to win 2025 men’s basketball national title, per Fanduel odds

The Blue Devils have the best chance to cut down the nets in 12 months, according to Fanduel’s newly released odds for 2025.

According to Fanduel Sportsbook, no one has a better chance to cut down the nets in 12 months than the Blue Devils.

The Duke men’s basketball team opened as the site’s favorite to win the 2024-25 national title. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team opened at +1100 to win it all, bolstered by five-star recruits like Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach.

“The incoming freshmen should mesh well with Blue Devil holdovers Sean Stewart (57.1 FG%) and Caleb Foster (7.7 PPG),” Fanduel’s Gabriel Santiago wrote in an article about the opening odds. “In all, FanDuel Sportsbook is expecting Duke to make a serious run next season.”

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The Kansas Jayhawks have the second-lowest odds at +1200, followed by now two-time defending champion Connecticut at +1300. The Alabama Crimson Tide, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Houston Cougars are all +1500, the only other teams lower than +2000.

Team Odds
Duke Blue Devils +1100
Kansas Jayhawks +1200
UConn Huskies +1300
Alabama Crimson Tide +1500
North Carolina Tar Heels +1500
Houston Cougars +1500
Arizona Wildcats +2000
Gonzaga Bulldogs +2500
Baylor Bears +3000
Kentucky Wildcats +3000

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Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire

2025 NCAA basketball championship odds: Who is favored? Will UConn 3-peat?

Looking at the 2025 NCAA basketball championship odds as the 2023-24 season just wrapped up.

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It’s never too soon to think about next season.

While the UConn Huskies were finishing off the Purdue Boilermakers Monday in Glendale, Ariz, other programs — and players — have already set their focus on what it will take to get to the 2025 National Championship Game in San Antonio’s Alamodome next April 7.

Numerous players have entered the transfer portal, from FAU G Johnell Davis to Arizona C Oumar Ballo. Davis reportedly will test the waters and enter the NBA Draft.

Florida G Walter Clayton Jr., LSU G Jalen Cook and even USC G Bronny James are among a group who have declared or reportedly will declare for the upcoming draft.

Coaches are on the move, too. Sources have John Calipari leaving Kentucky for SEC rival Arkansas. He would replace Eric Musselman, who is headed to USC … which lost Andy Enfield to SMU.

So, who will win the championship next season?

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

2025 NCAA basketball championship odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, April 8, at 11:56 p.m. ET.

THE FAVORITES

  • Duke Blue Devils +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100)
  • Kansas Jayhawks +1200
  • Alabama Crimson Tide +1500
  • Houston Cougars +1500
  • North Carolina Tar Heels +1500
  • UConn Huskies +1800

THE CONTENDERS

  • Arizona Wildcats +2000
  • Kentucky Wildcats +2000
  • Baylor Bears +3000
  • Gonzaga Bulldogs +3000
  • Purdue Boilermakers +3000
  • Tennessee Volunteers +3600
  • Texas Longhorns +3600

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YOU NEVER KNOW

  • Arkansas Razorbacks +4000
  • Auburn Tigers +4000
  • BYU Cougars +4000
  • Illinois Fighting Illini +4000
  • Iowa State Cyclones +4000
  • Creighton Bluejays +4500
  • Marquette Golden Eagles +4500

NOTEWORTHY ???

  • Michigan Wolverines +5000
  • Miami Hurricanes +5000
  • Florida Gators +5500
  • Michigan State Spartans +5500
  • Ohio State Buckeyes +5500
  • St. John’s Red Storm +5500
  • UCLA Bruins +5500
  • Villanova Wildcats +5500
  • Wisconsin Badgers +5500

+6000

San Diego State Aztecs | USC Trojans

+8000

Indiana Hoosiers | Kansas State Wildcats

Louisville Cardinals | Virginia Cavaliers

Washington Huskies

+10000

Iowa Hawkeyes |  Oklahoma Sooners

Oregon Ducks |  Syracuse Orange

+15000

Colorado Buffaloes | NC State Wolfpack

Northwestern Wildcats | Notre Dame Fighting Irish

+25000

Arizona State Sun Devils

+30000

FAU Owls | Stanford Cardinal

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

LONGEST SHOTS (+50000 each)

McNeese Cowboys |  Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Oregon State Beavers | UC Irvine Anteaters

Vermont Catamounts | Yale Bulldogs

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow @JohnnyParlay11 on Twitter/X.  Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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Kelly Maxwell hitting her stride at the right time

Kelly Maxwell has been huge for Oklahoma this year and lately she’s been taking her game to a new level.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 35-1 on the season after a 5-2 opening series win against the Texas Longhorns. It was a dominant defensive effort led by [autotag]Kelly Maxwell[/autotag]’s 10 strikeouts.

Maxwell has been hot in her last two outings. She had nine strikeouts last week against the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] and allowed only one run. In this game she allowed only two runs to one of the best offenses in the country while striking out 10 Longhorns.

Through six innings she’s allowed just one walk and one hit before getting into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh.

Maxwell spoke about what has been working for her lately. “I think still just working through what I’ve been working so hard with Coach Rocha, finding my routine and staying with it,” Maxwell said. “Just being in control on my tempo, on my behalf. So, just feeding balls to the defense and letting them be behind me.”

When you’ve got the top defense in the country behind you, that’s all you need to do. Let them do the work for you, just keep the ball in play for them. That’s what the pitching staff has been so good at for Oklahoma the last few seasons.

Maxwell is already a great pitcher so when you put the top defense behind her, it makes her job even easier. But there is no doubt they need her to keep it up to close out the year if they want a chance at winning four straight.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Kinzie Hansen ‘feeling great’ after a nagging injury ahead of the Texas Longhorns series

The Sooners have been without one of their captains for quite a while now but she’s expected to be back against Texas this weekend.

The Oklahoma Sooners are gearing up for a big-time showdown against the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns had been ranked No. 2 for most of the season and actually briefly took over the No. 1 spot from the Sooners. But Texas is coming off of a weekend where they lost two of three to Oklahoma State and were shutout twice by Longhorns ace Lexi Kilfoyl.

As they head down to Austin, Texas to face the Longhorns in a three-game weekend series, the Sooners are hoping to get back one of their key players for this series.

Co-captain [autotag]Kinzie Hansen[/autotag] has been battling a knee injury recently. She only started one game last weekend vs. the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag].

Hansen spoke to reporters about how she’s feeling ahead of the big rivalry game. “I’m feeling great,” Hansen said. “I’ll be ready for this weekend that’s for sure.”

A knee injury for a catcher can be painful with all of the squatting they have to do. She talked about if she had any problems in her last game. “No, not really,” Hansen said. “I’ve been working back to feel 100%, specifically for this weekend so I was really excited when coach had me suit up this past weekend.”

The Sooners are going to need all of the firepower they can get for this weekend. The Longhorns might be their toughest test to date.

There is no question that getting Hansen back is going to be big for the Sooners the rest of the way.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Huskers shutout Kansas to earn 1,600th program win

The Huskers earned a milestone victory on Tuesday.

The Nebraska softball team returned home Tuesday to host Kansas. The Huskers shut out the Jayhawks while scoring four runs to snatch the program’s 1,600th win.

Nebraska finished the night with nine hits for four RBIs to earn its four runs. Kansas delivered six hits but could not capitalize, with only one runner making it to third in the game.

Samantha Bland delivered two RBIs on the night for Nebraska, going three-for-three in the batter’s box. Bland’s RBIs occurred in the first and third innings, helping Nebraska build a 2-0 lead.

Brooke and Billie Andrews each had an RBI for the Huskers. Billie hit a solo home run in the sixth, while Brooke finished with three hits and an RBI single in the fourth.

Emerson Cope earned the win in the pitching circle, facing 17 batters across 4.1 innings and surrendering just five hits. Kaylin Kinney claimed the save, taking over for Cope in the final 2.2 innings. Kinney faced nine batters, threw two strikeouts, and allowed just one hit.

Nebraska improves to 22-13 on the season and will remain home for its next three games. Starting on Friday, the Huskers host Penn State in a three-game series. The first pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be viewed on B1G+.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions

Former Florida guard commits to Kansas on Easter

The Kansas Jayhawks added a talented guard from the SEC on Sunday.

The Kansas Jayhawks had a disappointing year by their standards after they were bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Gonzaga. One of the big issues was losing top scorer Kevin McCullar prior to the tournament getting underway. As head coach Bill Self looks to build for next year’s team, he already scored a major win in the transfer portal.

On Easter Sunday, former Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel announced that he would be heading to Lawrence for next season. Kugel posted his decision on X, formerly Twitter. In the post you can see a couple of photos of him wearing Kansas gear as a child. Apparently, it was always meant to be for Kugel.

The former Florida guard was listed as the No. 9 point guard in the transfer portal and No. 39 player overall by 247Sports. Coming out of high school in the 2022 cycle, Kugel was a four-star prospect and No. 56 nationally. This gives Self a good start to build around his 2024-25 roster.

Kugel is one of four newcomers to the 2024 class. He is joined by five-star center Flory Bidunga, four-star point guard Labaron Philon, and four-star shooting guard Rakease Passmore. All of who signed out of high school recently.

With the Gators, Kugel averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 65 career games with Florida.

Kansas Jayhawks who won’t return

The following players won’t join the roster next season as each are out of college eligibility.

  • Kevin McCullar Jr, Texas Tech Transfer
  • Parker Braun, Santa Clara Transfer
  • Nicolas Timberlake, Towson Transfer

Kansas Jayhawks who could return

No players have announced yet if they will return but here is the list of players who could return. With the three signees and one transfer, that would leave the team with one open scholarship spot on the team due to NCAA penalties.

  • Hunter Dickinson, Center
  • Dajuan Harris Jr, Guard
  • Johnny Furphy, Guard
  • Jamari McDowell, Guard
  • Elmarko Jackson, Guard
  • KJ Adams Jr., Forward
  • Zach Clemence, Forward