🏀 Kansas-Duke in Allen Fieldhouse
🏀 Two other hoops schedule quickies
📝 Quick Links: KU baseball’s magic continues
🔒 No VIP update today
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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.
Homefield dropped four new KU hats
Homefield Apparel came through again. The official and exclusive KUHearings clothing sponsor dropped four new Kansas hats.
Corduroy Trucker: Cord front, mesh back. Looks broken-in from day one.
1991 Final Four Snapback: Throwback to Roy's first Final Four. KU beat Carolina in the semis. And a revenge game is now on the schedule for what happened next.
Denim and Suede Dad Hat: Pairs with anything you own.
Two-Tone Snapback: Beige cap with a pop on the bill. Clean.
Homefield doesn't miss. They get the throwback stuff right.
Thanks to Homefield for helping make KUHearings possible.
Kansas. Duke. Allen Fieldhouse. 🏀
Note: You can copy and paste this link to easily share the news.
I'm Hearing Kansas will host Duke. In Allen Fieldhouse. This season.
The schools will play a preseason exhibition game, marking the second time ever KU has hosted Duke in The Phog. The first matchup was in 1988.
(You can watch the 1988 game broadcast at the bottom of this Hearing. It’s pretty cool).
I know it’s just an exhibition, but this one got me fired up. I think it’s no big reveal to to say there’s a good chance this is Bill Self’s last year, and getting Duke to the Fieldhouse is a perfect way to start things off.
I’m expecting KU to keep its scheduled home exhibition game vs. Louisville this year, too. So we have two of the sport's biggest brands coming to Lawrence before the season even starts.
Self has been on a scheduling tear lately. The Jayhawks play at UConn and host Villanova this season (just announced).
Since 2023, KU played home or road games against UNC, Louisville, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Creighton.
Duke was really the only piece missing for Self’s tenure at KU.
Not anymore.
I’m Hearing Self tried to make this game happen for a while. Back in February 2024, when there were just a few hundred VIP subscribers, I sent this VIP-only update:
"I'm Hearing Kansas and Duke are planning on playing a home-and-home series. Allen Fieldhouse. Cameron Indoor Stadium. The best college basketball has to offer. It's happening.
I'm still not sure when the series will begin. My best guess is it'll start in the next year or two."
— VIP Hearings, Feb 2024 (It took longer than I thought)
I love that Self has been making sure the biggest names in college hoops run through Lawrence over the last few years.
And he's pulled off getting Duke into The Phog while he's still commanding the sidelines.
This is gonna be awesome.
Check out the TV broadcast from KU hosting Duke in 1988.
🗓️ More Hoops Schedule News
1) The Players Era bracket was announced this week.
Kansas opens against UNLV the week before Thanksgiving, then plays either West Virginia or Auburn.
The games will be the week before Thanksgiving in Las Vegas
The other half of the bracket is loaded: Florida, Houston, Notre Dame, Rutgers.
It’s a favorable draw for the Jayhawks. But it’s still a little odd to possibly play one or two games against Big 12 teams.
2) KU’s game against Ohio State at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 19th is set for an 11am CT tip.
👉 Spread the word and support KUHearings!
You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by sharing this link with your group texts or on social media.
⚾️ KU baseball’s magic has rolled right into the postseason. Watch the Jayhawks’ walk-off HR and advance to the Big 12 semifinals. And check out this great edit from KU baseball.
⚾️ KU plays Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Semifinals Friday (tonight) at 6:30pm CT on ESPN+. You can listen on 810 AM/92.3 FM/101.7 FM.
⚾️ KU won the Big 12 regular-season title outright last week, its first since 1949. See the Jayhawks clinch it. And watch the celebration from the field.
⚾️ Here's coach Dan Fitzgerald after the win, holding the Big 12 trophy.
⚾️ Now the question is whether KU hosts a regional. Baseball America's latest projection has the Jayhawks hosting as the No. 13 national seed (top 16 teams host).
⚾️ And check out this story from ESPN’s great baseball reporter Jeff Passan on KU’s rise as ‘baseball’s unlikeliest powerhouse’
🏀 🎙️The latest Could Be Wrong podcast went deep on KU hoops’ NIL spending and offseason outlook. I think it’s fair to say there was concern about KU’s investment in the team. You can watch on YouTube and listen on Spotify + Apple.
