No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks vs. Kansas State Wildcats: Sunflower Showdown Preview

The Jayhawks and Wildcats square off for the first time in 2025 on Saturday.

Jan 15, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Rylan Griffen (6) scores against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Kansas Jayhawks (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) will host their in-state and conference rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats (7-9, 1-4 Big 12) this Saturday in a must-win game. The game is set to tip off at 12 p.m. CT in Allen Fieldhouse. 

The Jayhawks are coming off a tough loss against No. 2 Iowa State that ended in a 74-57 defeat. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are in a bind themselves, as they currently sit two games under .500 with only one win in conference play. 

Hunter Dickinson (15.2 Pts, 10.4 Reb) and Zeke Mayo (14.4 Pts, 4.1 Reb) come into the Sunflower Showdown leading the charge for Kansas, hungry for a bounce-back win. 

KJ Adams, a key contributor to the Jayhawk lineup, is unlikely to play with a shoulder injury.  

For the Wildcats, David N’Guessan (12.6 Pts, 7.4 Reb) and Brendan Hausen (12.3 Pts, 2.3 Reb) are looking for another top 25 upset-win, as they head into Lawerence.   

Kansas State is coming into the match up fully healthy with no players on the injury report.  

With both teams coming off a loss, this rivalry game is a sneaky, must-win game as both teams look to steer in their seasons back in the right direction with the heart of conference play ahead of them.  

Betting Lines (via FanDuel)

Jan 15, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

• Spread: Kansas -15.5 

• Over/Under: 139.5 points 

• Moneyline: Kansas -1700, Kansas State +890 

As both teams look to bounce back from tough conference losses, I think we will see a very competitive first half with the Jayhawks pulling away from the Wildcats in the second half. Kansas State will cover the spread although Kansas will pull off a double-digit win with ease in front of their home crowd.   

Score Prediction: Kansas 76, Kansas State 63 

---

Kansas on Sports Illustrated

Column: It’s Time for Bill Self to Rethink Kansas’ Lineup After Iowa State Drubbing

No. 9 Kansas Basketball Suffers Ugly 17-Point Loss to No. 2 Iowa State

Shakeel Moore Is Transforming Kansas' Defense, One Hustle Play at a Time