It appears the day that every Jayhawk fan has been fearing has finally arrived—K-State basketball is thriving; KU is stumbling. The gap between the two programs has shrunk. The past few years have shown hints of this happening, with KSU head coach Jerome Tang boasting a 3-0 career record against KU in Manhattan. What’s interesting is that while the gap is still present until KSU can win in Lawrence, the start of this basketball season has seen a complete shift in what team is superior statistically and eye test-wise—causing a Freaky Friday for these two fanbases.
The Wildcats are a nation-best 5-0, with a big matchup tonight against fellow undefeated team Nebraska in the Hall of Fame Classic Championship. On the team, they have the #1 scorer in the nation currently—former All-American PJ Haggerty. Haggerty had 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists last night to catapult the Cats over Mississippi State 98-77. As a whole, the Cats rank in the top 20 in points per game nationally, with a top 5 ranking in three-point field goal percentage as well. Other top 10 rankings for KSU include 9th in assists per game and 10th in field goal percentage per game. Extremely impressive start for the cats compared to KU’s first few games.
KU is 3-2, with tough losses to both Duke and UNC. The Hawks aren’t completely lost without freshman phenom Darryn Peterson, but he clearly raises the ceiling of the team. On the point of Peterson, KU’s star player sitting out gives flashes of the Nae’Qwan Tomlin situation a few years back for Wildcat fans, another one-to-one change in narrative for both teams. KU is going to have to win rock fights this year, with games likely finishing in the low 70s, just like how KSU has had to win the past few years since the magical Marquis Nowell/Keyontae Johnson season.
The KSU offense has exploded even more than in the 22-23 season this year, with no signs of stopping. However, time will tell if the teams truly have switched places on the podium of college basketball, with a matchup on January 24th, 2026, in Manhattan on deck. Big games are coming soon for both teams. K-State heads to Bloomington, Indiana, on November 25th for a game against the Hoosiers. KU plays UConn at home on December 2nd. Those matchups will give fans a glimpse into the ability of these teams.
