KU Jayhawks’ 1st-round opponent revealed for Players Era Eight tourney in Vegas
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas will meet UNLV on Nov. 17 in Las Vegas.
- If Kansas beats UNLV, it would face either West Virginia or Auburn on Nov. 18.
- The bracket guarantees three games and includes Florida, Notre Dame, Houston, and Rutgers.
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team will meet UNLV of the Mountain West Conference in a first-round game at this year’s Players Era Eight tournament in Las Vegas.
The KU-UNLV game will be played Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, located inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. If KU defeats the Rebels, the Jayhawks would play either Big 12 foe West Virginia or Auburn of the SEC on Nov. 18. The other side of the eight-team bracket, which guarantees each school three games, will open with Florida versus Notre Dame and the Big 12’s Houston taking on Rutgers.
Yes, it is possible KU would play a game or two against fellow Big 12 Conference schools in the event, which benefits the NIL coffers of the competing players.
Florida and West Virginia are the only two newcomers to the Players Era tourney. The other six programs competed in the event either last year or in 2024.
KU a year ago defeated Notre Dame, Syracuse and Tennessee in Vegas.
UNLV is led by second-year coach Josh Pastner. The Rebels went 18-17 (11-9 in league) a year ago. UNLV defeated UC Irvine and lost to Tulsa in the postseason NIT.
UNLV lost high scoring guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn to Texas Tech in the transfer portal. He averaged 20.7 points per game a year ago.
Joining the UNLV team from the portal: former Florida State guard Cam Miles (5.4 ppg); former Vanderbilt wing Tyler Harris (5.5 ppg); former Lindenwood guard Dontrez Williams (15.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg); former New Orleans forward MJ Thomas (10.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg); former Tulsa guard Terrance Ford, who missed the 2025-26 season because of injury; and former UCF center Jeremy Foumena (3.5 ppg).
Tyrin Jones and Issac Williamson have both committed to return to the program in 2026-27 after playing as freshmen in 2025-26. Jones was selected to the Mountain West’s all-defensive team and earned honorable mention all-league honors. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 rebounds while leading the league in blocks (2.2 per contest). Williams averaged 8.6 points per game.
The Rebels this week added former Iowa State signee Jackson Kiss to their roster. Kiss, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward originally from Auckland, New Zealand, has played at Utah Prep Academy since coming to the U.S.
KU will not play in a Thanksgiving week tourney this season. The Jayhawks will face Villanova in the first year of a home-and-home on Friday Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks’ nonconference slate will include a game against Missouri at T-Mobile Center, a game at UConn and a contest against Ohio State on Dec. 19 at the CBS Sports Classic in New York. The Jayhawks will also play Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 10 in Chicago.
