Is Az our toughest game this year?

[NJHusky]

I haven’t seen them play but they already beat UCLA and Florida.

I know Illinois is ranked too and we have St. John’s, but the scouting report makes Az seem like a pretty complete team

 

[mauconnfan]

AZ has tough matchups for us, especially when our guys get foul happy. Refs will play a huge part for this game I believe. Illinois is very big, play big different tough matchup. Kansas will have Peterson when we play them unlike Duke who gets lucky again.

These games are all tough and different matchups.

 

[Marat]

You forgot about Providence .

 

[caw]

AZ has tough matchups for us, especially when our guys get foul happy. Refs will play a huge part for this game I believe. Illinois is very big, play big different tough matchup. Kansas will have Peterson when we play them unlike Duke who gets lucky again.

These games are all tough and different matchups.

Agreed.

The Karaban matchup is one to watch because he is on their best player but the guards/wings of Zona get downhill a lot (not great shooters overall and not prolific as a group). That said, UCLA/Bilodeau did a great job on Peat and he's like a slightly worse version of Karaban (IMO). Of course that means Peat has seen someone similar to Karaban recently.

Zona's guards were much bigger than UCLA's and it showed.

Their starting center isn't amazing but he's tall and fairly strong and solid, their backup isn't shabby either.

They also crash the glass extremely well and have very good height across the board.

Their top 7-8 is tough, but that is a given considering they are ranked 4th.

 

[BGesus4]

Illinois and Arizona will prob be the two best teams we play but St. John’s will prob be the toughest given how well they’ll know us and them having the closest thing to an answer for Reed (although I think Reed will still get his)

 

[Kitaman]

Creighton is historically our toughest game every season regardless of ranking, roster or lack of pedigree, just saying.

 

[NJHusky]

Creighton is historically our toughest game every season regardless of ranking, roster or lack of pedigree, just saying.

Let’s see what happens in the PK era (post kalk)

 

[bendm]

Yes but at least it’s at home

 

[superjohn]

No

 

[bendm]

No

Then What is? Zona is better than Illinois and Florida and both at MSG ie home games. KU is tiers below them even though it’s away.

 

[Waquoit]

The toughest game? The next one.

I am not a crank

 

[superjohn]

Then What is? Zona is better than Illinois and Florida and both at MSG ie home games. KU is tiers below them even though it’s away.

I think we'll have several tougher games than Arizona at Gampel. They beat a really overrated Florida in a tight one and they beat UCLA in a tight one, big whoop. We'll have a few losses this season, I don't see tomorrow being one of them.

 

[bendm]

I think we'll have several tougher games than Arizona at Gampel. They beat a really overrated Florida in a tight one and they beat UCLA in a tight one, big whoop. We'll have a few losses this season, I don't see tomorrow being one of them.

Sure we’ll have losses but that doesn’t mean it’s a tougher game it could mean we just don’t play well or catch a team that’s on fire. If we end up losing at Creighton like we always do that doesn’t mean they were a tougher opponent than Arizona.

 

[Peacefrog]

@ Seton Hall

 

[superjohn]

Sure we’ll have losses but that doesn’t mean it’s a tougher game it could mean we just don’t play well or catch a team that’s on fire. If we end up losing at Creighton like we always do that doesn’t mean they were a tougher opponent than Arizona

I don't think the Arizona game tomorrow will be our toughest game.

 

[caw]

Then What is? Zona is better than Illinois and Florida and both at MSG ie home games. KU is tiers below them even though it’s away.

SJU at MSG is going to be tough, but OOC it has to be Zona. Illinois looks good though, they can be a scary team this year.

 

[bendm]

I don't think the Arizona game tomorrow will be our toughest game.

Thanks repetition always clears things up

 

[superjohn]

Sure we’ll have losses but that doesn’t mean it’s a tougher game it could mean we just don’t play well or catch a team that’s on fire. If we end up losing at Creighton like we always do that doesn’t mean they were a tougher opponent than Arizona.

You don't even know the question.

 

[HW611]

Arizona is one of the few teams that seem bigger, stronger, faster than us on the schedule.

It'll be a great test.

 

[bendm]

You don't even know the question.

I do it’s in the title to the thread….youre defining what the toughest game will be based on the result, win or lose. But We can win our toughest game if we play well. Lose to DePaul if we play like crap. We lost to Hall in ‘24 but no one would say its was one of our toughest game going into it

 

[superjohn]

I do it’s in the title to the thread….youre defining what the toughest game will be based on the result, win or lose. We lost to Hall in ‘24 but no one would say going in it was one of our toughest games.

No, you clearly still don't know the question.

 

[bendm]

No, you clearly still don't know the question.

@NJHusky who doesn’t know the question

Are you asking us to guess what the toughest game will be going into, ie based on who’s the best team and where we play them, or are you asking what will be our toughest game after the fact, which would be kinda pointless imo

 

[superjohn]

@NJHusky who doesn’t know the question

Are you asking us to guess what the toughest game will be going into it or after the fact, which would be kinda pointless imo

I'm not saying a game will be the toughest after the fact. That's what you're saying I'm saying.

 

[bendm]

I'm not saying a game will be the toughest after the fact. That's what you're saying I'm saying.

You said we’ll have a couple of losses and don’t see Zone being one. So you seem to be defining tough based on whether we win or lose and I disagree. We can win a tough game and lose to DePaul. but Rather than correct my inference if necessary you said I don’t know the question, which is just your beloved gaslighting.

 

[DogMania]

It's always hard to predict this early on. The top 25 at the end is often different than how it looks now, especially in the portal era where trying to figure out exactly how good or not so good many revamped roster really are.

For some reason I think the Illini will prove to be a better team than the Wildcats. Illinois has 6 players averaging in double digits at this early stage and make it 7 over 8.5. And their top 4 are averaging 17.5, 18.5, 18.5 and 21. Again it's early, and only 1 of their 4 wins was against a top 25 team, but those are impressive stats. To put things into perspective, our schedule is similar or maybe even easier so far and our player stats aren't nearly as good. And Zona's stats aren't as good as ours.

So Illinois might turn out to be on of the toughest.

As for a tough away court, Allen Field house is among the toughest for non-conference teams, even when the Jayhawks aren't stacked.