After adding a number of highly regarded freshmen, including the top-ranked recruit of the class in 6-foot-8 forward Tyran Stokes, No. 17 Kansas is ready to open the nonconference portion of its schedule against Fordham on Monday in Lawrence, Kan.
Stokes showed plenty to like in a pair of high-profile exhibition games, including 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on Sunday against Duke, which will enter the season ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Another Jayhawks freshman, Taylen Kinney, added 14 points against the Blue Devils, but the effort ended in a 90-84 home loss.
Stokes had 15 points with nine rebounds in an 89-83 home exhibition loss to Louisville on Oct. 21. Tre White scored 25 points and Melvin Council Jr. added 20 points against the Cardinals.
“Nobody is leaving out of here the least bit discouraged,” Kansas coach Bill Self said about the pair of exhibition defeats. “I mean, that’s a team (Duke) that can win a national championship, and the other team (Louisville) is a team that could go to the Final Four if they shoot the ball and play the way they did.”
Self said he would like to see the Jayhawks face the Blue Devils again in the spring with his full roster. That would mean having Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn on the floor.
The addition of Kaufman-Renn has raised eyebrows after the forward, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility, was drafted in the second round by the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves but did not sign with the team. The Timberwolves still own his draft rights.
“If we don’t play with them, we’re gonna play against them,” Self said about the criticism for adding a sixth-year player who was drafted. “All I want to do, within the guidelines of what’s been set, (is) how do we get our best team together? That’s it.”
Kaufman-Renn did not participate in any of the Jayhawks’ exhibition games but is expected to be ready for the opener.
While Kansas went 24-11 last season (12-6 Big 12) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Fordham went 17-15 (8-10 Atlantic 10) under first-year head coach Mike Magpayo.
Rikus Schulte is the Rams’ highest-scoring returning player after the forward averaged 10.7 points with 9.1 rebounds last season.
Stephen F. Austin transfer Lateef Patrick Jr. scored 20 points as Fordham earned a 79-62 exhibition victory over Fairfield on Saturday. Schulte added 11 rebounds.
Patrick, who averaged 15.2 points in 34 games last season, is expected to be the focus of the offense after he earned first-team All-Southland Conference honors in 2025-26 and was the league’s Newcomer of the Year.
“They’ve been such great guys to coach so far and that gives me a lot of optimism all the way through the season,” Magpayo said. “Just stay coachable. Can we continue to grow all the way through November, December, March?”
In his previous stop as head coach at UC Riverside, Magpayo kept the Highlanders moving forward from 14 wins in his first season to 16 in his second year and 22 in his third. He departed after a 21-win season in 2024-25.