Indiana, Duke, Kentucky part of Kansas’ 2016-17 non-conference schedule
The Kansas men’s basketball team won’t have to wait long to get a challenge during the 2016-17 season.
The Jayhawks, who released its nonconference schedule Tuesday afternoon, will open the regular season on Nov. 11 against Indiana at the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu. Three days later, KU will play nearly 5,000 miles away, taking on likely preseason No. 1 Duke in the Champions Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
“We'll get our share of frequent flyer miles right off the bat,” KU coach Bill Self said.
KU’s nonconference schedule also is filled with homecoming games. Former player Jerod Haase will return to Allen Fieldhouse as a coach when Stanford plays KU on Dec. 3. Guard Andrew White III, who spent two seasons at KU from 2012-14, will be a senior at Nebraska when the Cornhuskers travel to Lawrence on Dec. 10.
Kansas City will be the host of three regular-season games. KU will play from a selection of Georgia, George Washington and UAB on Nov. 21-22 in the CBE Classic before returning to the Sprint Center for a Dec. 17 game against Davidson. In addition, KU will play host to UMKC on Dec. 6, facing the Roos for the first time since 2011.
KU’s two road games in nonconference come at the end. The Jayhawks will play at UNLV on Dec. 22, then will have a rematch game against Kentucky as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28. KU won last year’s game, 90-84 in overtime, at Allen Fieldhouse.
As it has often done often in the past, KU has loaded its home nonconference games with teams likely to finish at the top of smaller conferences, which gives the Jayhawks an RPI boost. Siena (21-13, MAAC), North Carolina-Asheville (22-12, Big South) and Long Beach State (22-15 Big West) all finished above .500 last season while playing in non-BCS leagues.
“With this schedule, once again we will rank at the top of the toughest schedules in the nation,” Self said.
KU’s conference schedule will be released in August.
Here is the nonconference schedule:
• Tuesday, Nov. 1: vs. Washburn (exhibition)
• Monday, Nov. 7: vs. Emporia State (exhibition)
• Friday, Nov. 11: vs. Indiana at Honolulu (Armed Forces Classic)
• Tuesday, Nov. 15: vs. Duke at New York (Champions Classic)
• Friday, Nov. 18: vs. Siena
• Monday, Nov. 21: vs. UAB/Georgia/George Washington at the Sprint Center (CBE Classic)
• Tuesday, Nov. 22: vs. UAB/Georgia/George Washington at the Sprint Center (CBE Classic)
• Friday, Nov. 25: vs. N.C.-Asheville
• Tuesday, Nov. 29: vs. Long Beach State
• Saturday, Dec. 3: vs. Stanford
• Tuesday, Dec. 6: vs. UMKC
• Saturday, Dec. 10: vs. Nebraska
• Saturday, Dec. 17: vs. Davidson at the Sprint Center
• Thursday, Dec. 22: at UNLV
• Saturday, Jan. 28: at Kentucky (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)
This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Indiana, Duke, Kentucky part of Kansas’ 2016-17 non-conference schedule."