Saturday’s Dillons Sunflower Showdown just turned a bit more interesting for Kansas State, and perhaps a little disrespectful.
On the latest episode of Hawk Talk, Kansas head coach Bill Self revealed that the Jayhawks plan to start five of the six seniors on their active roster against the Wildcats, many of them typically coming off the bench. On the surface, it sounds like a tribute. In a rivalry like this one, it could just as easily be taken as a flex.
Kansas State to face senior-heavy Kansas lineup in 2026 Sunflower Showdown
The first half of this season’s Sunflower Showdown didn’t favor the Wildcats. It was a game controlled by Kansas from the jump, ending in a 24-point blowout capped by Melvin Council Jr. mocking the Wabash Cannonball at half court in celebration.
Tre White dunk at end of game and Melvin Council doing wabash at half court 😂 #kubball pic.twitter.com/PTf5lW7Qfb
— Jayhawk Edits (@EditsJayhawk) January 25, 2026
What looked like a milestone game tied to former head coach Jerome Tang’s departure is now a different challenge under interim head coach Matthew Driscoll. The Wildcats aren’t likely to find the same success against a veteran Kansas squad in this matchup.
To make matters worse, the Wildcats haven’t won in Lawrence since 2006. That dominance on the football field? Yeah, it doesn’t carry over to basketball when the game is played inside The Phog.
Rivalries have their moments – tense ones, too. In 2022, a late-game block by former Jayhawks forward Silvio De Sousa triggered a melee on the court. If Self’s move turns into a statement rather than a tribute, things could get heated.
The Wildcats have what it takes to shake up the Big 12 standings
K-State guard P.J. Haggerty didn’t play in Tuesday’s win over West Virginia, yet the Wildcats still spread the floor and somehow came away with the win. For a team built around him all season, that almost reads like a fluke – but it’s not.
ICYMI: A massive brawl broke out in the Kansas State - Kansas game last night with players from both teams throwing punches. pic.twitter.com/3QS8bx1x1M
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 22, 2020
One player doesn’t make up an entire team, and Kansas State knows that well. Its biggest conference win this season against Baylor came in a game where both Haggerty and starting guard Nate Johnson each topped 30 points.
Against the Jayhawks, that kind of performance isn’t optional. It's essential, and Cincinnati proved a similar approach works, riding a career-high 28 points from Moustapha Thiam in an 84-68 victory in Lawrence earlier this season.
The Jayhawks are dealing with their own turbulence after Tuesday’s loss to Arizona State. Self was ejected, and the team currently sits on a two-game losing streak tied with Iowa State at 11-6 in the Big 12 standings.
And a loss to Kansas State wouldn’t just be an upset. It could reshape momentum heading into the postseason.
For the Wildcats, a win would be little more than a morale boost, but a statement nonetheless. Even under an interim head coach, the Wildcats are competing with the league’s best while looking ahead to a new era.
Can Kansas State overcome a senior-heavy Kansas lineup?
If the Wildcats stay composed, Kansas’s decision to start mostly bench players may not matter. A lineup of seniors coming off the bench signals thoughts of an automatic win – and the Wildcats have shown they can rise to the challenge.
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