Three-minute preview: Kansas men’s basketball vs. Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado at No. 4 Kansas

▪ WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Friday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence

▪ TV/RADIO: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel; KCSP (610 AM)

▪ ABOUT KANSAS (0-0): For the moment, Kansas coach Bill Self is going with senior forward Jamari Traylor in the starting lineup alongside Perry Ellis. The frontcourt situation remains fluid, though. Freshman forward Carlton Bragg will make his collegiate debut tonight, while Self will also utilize senior forward Hunter Mickelson and junior Landen Lucas, who has battled an ankle issue in recent weeks. “I think that Landen and Hunter and Jamari and Carlton all have shown signs of being really good in the last couple weeks,” Self said. “[We’re] just trying to kind of feel it out right now.” The Jayhawks are trying to improve on a 27-9 finish last season — a campaign in which they bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Kansas has won 24 straight at Allen Fieldhouse and 42 straight home openers in the building.

▪ ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO (0-0): The Bears lost four seniors, including two 1,000-point scorers, off last year’s team, which finished 15-15 and 10-8 in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Colorado is picked to finish seventh in the Big Sky this season. The Bears are coached by B.J. Hill, who is in his sixth year in the position. Junior guard Cameron Michael is the program’s leading returning scorer. He averaged 12.9 points per game last season.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 7:51 PM with the headline "Three-minute preview: Kansas men’s basketball vs. Northern Colorado."