Indiana basketball (8-2) and the Kansas Jayhawks (9-1) play the first of a two-year home-and-home series at Noon ET on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, three leading storylines, the latest on the point spread, the coaching matchup, series history and more.
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Two of college basketball's most famous programs match up on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
No. 8 Kansas, the defending national champions, hold a 9-1 record with recent blowout wins over Seton Hall and Missouri and a 14-point loss to Tennessee in the Bahamas. No. 14 Indiana lost 89-75 to Arizona last Saturday in Las Vegas, but stand at 8-2 and have been ranked in the top 15 all season.
This is the first of a two-game home-and-home series, which will continue on Dec. 16, 2023 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana coach Mike Woodson wants to challenge his team with a difficult schedule, and winning at Allen Fieldhouse is a tough as it gets.
"It's kind of what you live for when you play basketball in college," Woodson said. "You can't run from it. I just try to get our players to understand that, hey, you've got to seize the moment. This is a big-time game. It really is. It's going to be nationally televised, and you got a chance to go in and do something that not a lot of times have done in years there.
- *** LIVE BLOG: And once the game starts, follow all the action on our live blog from HoosiersNow.com publisher Tom Brew. To read that story, CLICK HERE.
How to watch Indiana Hoosiers vs. Kansas Jayhawks
- Who: No. 14Indiana Hoosiers (8-2) vs. No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks (9-1)
- What: Indiana's highest-ranked opponent
- When: Noon ET on Saturday, Dec. 17
- Where: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
- TV: ESPN 2
- Announcers: Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (analyst)
- Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
- Radio: IU Radio Network (Bloomington: 105.1 WHCC-FM, Indianapolis: 107.5 WFNI-FM)
- Radio Announcers: Don Fischer (play-by-play), Errek Suhr (color), John Herrick (pregame, halftime, postgame)
- Point spread: Kansas is a 5.5-point favorite over Indiana, according to the Fanduel.com website, and the over/under is set at 142.5 points. For a complete breakdown on both teams vs. the spread, CLICK HERE
- Associated Press poll: Indiana stayed to No. 14 in the AP poll after defeating Nebraska and losing to Arizona. Kansas dropped from No. 6 to No. 8 after winning at Missouri.
- KenPom rankings: Indiana is No. 16 overall in the KenPom rankings. The Hoosiers are No. 22 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 22 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Kansas is ranked No. 7 overall, No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 14 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
- Season projections: As of Wednesday, Indiana has the third-best odds to win the Big Ten regular season title at plus-550, behind Purdue at plus-110 and Illinois at plus-500. Indiana is plus-600 to reach the Final Four and plus-3000 to win the National Championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Last three games: Indiana lost 89-75 to Arizona in Las Vegas on Saturday, beat Nebraska 81-65 on Dec. 7 and lost 63-48 at Rutgers on Dec. 3. Kansas won 95-67 at Missouri on Saturday, beat Seton Hall 91-65 on Dec. 1 and beat Texas Southern 87-55 on Nov. 28.
- Last season's records: Indiana went 21-14 overall, 9-11 in Big Ten play, 14-4 at home, 3-8 on the road and 4-2 at neutral sites in 2021-22. The Hoosiers defeated Wyoming in the NCAA Tournament First Four and lost to Saint Mary's in the Round of 64. Arizona went 34-6 overall, 14-4 in Big 12 play, 16-1 at home, 6-4 on the road and 12-1 at neutral sites in 2021-22. The Jayhawks defeated North Carolina 72-69 to win the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
- Series history: Indiana leads the all-time series 8-6. In the first two matchups, Indiana beat Kansas to win the 1940 and 1953 National Championships under coach Branch McCracken. The Hoosiers won four straight games from 1971-74, two in Bloomington and two in Lawrence. Kansas then won five straight games, beginning in 1981 in New York City. The Jayhawks beat the Hoosiers in the 1991 Sweet 16 and again on Dec. 5, 1992 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Kansas' streak continued with a win over Indiana in the 1993 Elite Eight and a home win on Dec. 22, 1993. Indiana and Kansas traded wins in 1994 and 1995, but didn't matchup again until the season opener of the 2016 season in the Armed Forces Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. James Blackmon Jr. led the Hoosiers with 26 points in a 103-99 win in overtime against No. 3 Kansas.
Leading scorers
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Kansas Jayhawks
