KU basketball opens nonconference schedule with Indiana, Duke

The Kansas men’s basketball team won’t have to wait long for a challenge in the 2016-17 season.

The Jayhawks, who released their nonconference schedule Tuesday afternoon, will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11 against Indiana at the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. Four days later, KU will play nearly 5,000 miles away, taking on likely preseason No. 1 Duke in the Champions Classic at 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 on Nebraska’s roster when the Cornhuskers travel to Lawrence on Dec. 10.

Kansas City will be the host of three regular-season nonconference games. KU will play twice at the Sprint Center on Nov. 21-22 in the CBE Classic (potentially against Georgia, George Washington or UAB in those two contests) before returning on Dec. 17 for a game against Davidson. In addition, KU will play host to UMKC on Dec. 6, facing the Kangaroos for the first time since 2011.

KU’s two nonconference road games are at the end. The Jayhawks will play at UNLV on Dec. 22, then will have a rematch 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), UNC-Asheville (22-12, Big South) and Long Beach State (22-15 Big West) all finished above .500 last season.

“With this schedule, once again we will rank at the top of the toughest schedules in the nation,” Self said.

KU’s conference slate will be released in August.

Here is the nonconference schedule (all home games are at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence unless noted):

▪ Tuesday, Nov. 1: vs. Washburn (exhibition)

▪ Monday, Nov. 7: vs. Emporia State (exhibition)

▪ Friday, Nov. 11: vs. Indiana at Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii (Armed Forces Classic)

▪ Tuesday, Nov. 15: vs. Duke in New York City (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. UNC-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 (Jayhawk Shootout)

▪ Thursday, Dec. 22: at UNLV

▪ Saturday, Jan. 28: at Kentucky (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 5:21 PM with the headline "KU basketball opens nonconference schedule with Indiana, Duke."