KU hoops will face a fellow blue blood to start 2018-19 season

The Kansas men’s basketball team will begin its 2018-19 season with Michigan State, as the Champions Classic announced Wednesday that it would move the four-team event up one week to coincide with the beginning of the college hoops season.

Next season’s showcase will now be Tuesday, Nov. 6 after originally being scheduled for Nov. 13. It will take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

KU coach Bill Self had conflicting thoughts about the change.

“The Champions Classic obviously generates a lot of interest and with the season moving up, this will be a great way to officially tip it off,” Self said in a release. “It’ll be tougher for the four teams because we won’t know our own teams nearly as well as we would even a week later, but I think it’s great for our sport.”

KU’s Champions Classic contest has been the second game on the Jayhawks’ schedule for each of the last seven seasons.

Duke will also face Kentucky in the annual doubleheader.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 3:27 PM with the headline "KU hoops will face a fellow blue blood to start 2018-19 season."