No. 24 Kansas vs. No. 5 Duke: Game notes and more

What: 24 KANSAS VS. #5 DUKE

Where: New York, N.Y. • Madison Square Garden

When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • 8 p.m. (CT) — State Farm Champions Classic

Television: ESPN

Play-by-Play: Dan Shulman

Analyst: Jay Bilas

Reporter: Kris Budden

Producer: Joe Taylor

Director: Mike Roig

Jayhawk Radio Network:

Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network

Webcast: KUAthletics.com/Radio

Play-by-Play: Brian Hanni

Analyst: Greg Gurley

Producer/Engineer: Steve Kincaid

TIPOFF

No. 24 Kansas (3-1) will face No. 5 Duke (4-0) at the State Farm Champion Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The contest will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, and Kris Budden on the call.

Kansas is coming off a 76-57 win against Princeton on Nov. 15. The Jayhawks are 3-1 or better for the 22nd time in Bill Self’s 23 seasons at KU. Duke posted its second-straight 100-point win with a 100-62 victory against Indiana State on Nov. 10.

On the floor, Duke leads, 8-7, but Kansas has won the last two and five of the last six meetings dating back to 2013. The most recent battle was a 75-72 Kansas win on Nov. 26, 2024, in the Vegas Showdown in Las Vegas last season.

Kansas has won five straight and eight of its last nine Champions Classic games.

KU is 9-5 in the event, which is more wins than any of the four teams. Duke is 8-6 in the Champions Classic, while Kentucky is 6-8 and Michigan State is 5-9.

Kansas leads the Big 12 and is 12th nationally in blocked shots per game at 7.0. Sophomore Flory Bidunga’s 2.5 blocked shots per game lead the conference and are 30th nationally, and his 76.3 field goal percentage is second in the Big 12 and ninth nationally.

ABOUT KANSAS

No. 24 Kansas (3-1) is coming off a 76-57 win against Princeton on Nov. 15. The victory marked the 22nd time KU is 3-1 or better in the 23 seasons under Bill Self. Through four games, Kansas is averaging 80.3 points per game and has a plus-20.0 scoring margin. The Jayhawks pull down 39.5 rebounds per contest with a plus-9.0 rebound margin. KU averages 16.0 assists and 6.5 steals per contest. KU leads the Big 12 and is 12th nationally with 7.0 blocked shots per game. The Jayhawks
make 8.8 threes per game.

Freshman guard Darryn Peterson leads Kansas with a 21.5 points per game average. He has missed the last two contests. Peterson has six threes made and he is tied for the team lead with four steals. Sophomore center Flory Bidunga is comin off his first double-double of the season that included a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds against Princeton (11/15). Bidunga scores 17.0 points per game and leads KU with 7.8 rebounds per outing. His 2.5 blocked shots per contest are first in the Big 12 and 3oth nationally and his 76.3 field goal percentage is second in the league and ninth nationally.

Senior guard Tre White just missed a double-double with 12 points and eight rebounds against Princeton (11/15). He is scoring 12.0 points per contest and pulls down 4.3 rebounds per game. Redshirt freshman forward Bryson Tiller (9.0 ppg) is second on the team with a 5.0 rebound average. Tiller is tied for the team lead with seven threes made, along with freshman Kohl Rasario (8.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg).

Senior Melvin Council Jr. (7.0 ppg) leads KU with 23 assists, and his 5.8 assists per game are sixth in the Big 12 and 48th nationally. Other KU regulars include graduate guard Gee Ngala (5.3 ppg, 4-6 3FGs), senior guard Jayden Dawson (5.3 ppg, four threes), redshirt-sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson
(two starts, 3.0 ppg), and redshirt-sophomore guard Jamari McDowell (1.5 ppg).

ABOUT DUKE

Located in Durham, North Carolina, No. 4 Duke is 4-0 after its 100-62 win against Indiana State on Nov. 14. The Blue Devils are coached by Jon Scheyer who is 93-22 in his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater. Duke averages 96.0 points per game with a plus-37.3 scoring margin. The Blue Devils
pull down 46.0 rebounds per contest with a plus-11.8 rebound margin. Duke makes 11.3 threes per game and also averages 20.8 assists, 9.0 steals and 6.0 blocked shots per game.

Freshman forward Cameron Boozer averages a double-doubl with team high in scoring average at 22.5 points per game and rebound average at 10.3 rebounds per contest. Boozer also leads the team with 17 assists and seven blocked shots. Isaiah Evans is next in scoring at 13.0 points per game and he has made a team high nine threes. Sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II (11.3 ppg) is second on the team with a 7.0 rebound average. Rounding out the Duke starters is freshman guard/ forward Dame Sarr (9.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 7 3FGs) and junior guard Caleb Foster (9.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6 3FGs, 12 assists).

Other Duke regulars include sophomore guard/forward Darren Harris (7.8 ppg, 8 3FGs), freshman guard Cayden Boozer (7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 16 assists), freshman guard/forward Nikolas Khamenia (7.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), and senior forward Maliq Brown (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg).

THE KANSAS – DUKE SERIES

Although it only started in 1985, Kansas and Duke have shared a high-stakes series.

On the floor, Duke leads, 8-7, but Kansas has won the last two and five of the last six meetings dating back to 2013.

This includes the 2018 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight KU win that was later vacated. The most recent battle was a 75-72 Kansas win on Nov. 26, 2024, in the Vegas Showdown in Las Vegas last season.

This will be the ninth-straight meeting between Kansas and Duke where both teams are ranked at tip. Kansas is 3-1 against Duke in the Champions Classic.

Thirteen of the 15 match-ups have been on neutral floors, while seven of the games have been NCAA Tournament battles, including three Final Fours and one NCAA title game.

The first meeting was the 1985 Preseason NIT championship game in Madison Square Garden, which Duke won 92-86.

The same two teams met in Dallas in the Final Four semifinal later that season, a game which was the first-ever game between two 30-win teams.

Duke won that contest, 71-67. In 1988, Duke traveled to Lawrence for a February non-conference game and came away with a 74-70 overtime win.

Later that season the teams met again, this time in the Final Four semifinal, with Kansas defeating Duke, 66-59, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri.

The national title was on the line in the 1991 meeting, a Duke 72-65 win in Indianapolis.

The Blue Devils ended the Jayhawks’ season in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, while KU returned the favor in the 2003 Sweet 16 in Anaheim, California, en route to its Final Four run. Duke won the 2011 Maui Invitational title, defeating KU, 68-61, in the championship game.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD…

Make Kansas 4-1 or better for the 14th consecutive season and the 21st time in Bill Self’s 23rd season at KU

Make Kansas 10-5 in the Champions Classic, including six straight wins and improving to 4-1 versus Duke in the event

Give Kansas its third straight win against Duke, making the series tied a 8-8 in on the floor outcomes

Make Kansas 1-0 in neutral site games this season

Make Bill Self 613-157 while at Kansas, 820-262 all-time, and 6-4 versus Duke, 6-2 while at Kansas

Make Kansas 2,418-910 all-time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…

Make Kansas 3-2 for the first time since the 2011-12 Jayhawks were also 3-2

Make Kansas 9-6 in the Champions Classic, ending a five-game winning streak in the event

Make Kansas 3-2 against Duke in the Champions Classic and make the all-time series 9-7 in favor of Duke

Make Bill Self 612-158 while at KU, 819-263 all-time and 5-5 all-time versus Duke, 5-3 while at Kansas

Make KU 2,417-911 all-time.

PRINCETON LEFTOVERS

Kansas won its 23rd straight non-conference home win and made Bill Self 162-6 against non-conference foes at home.

Kansas outscored Princeton 15-0 in fastbreak points, marking the first time Kansas has held a team to zero fastbreak points since Howard on 11-4-24 (23-0).

Kansas set a season high for free throws (21) and free throws attempted (28). The Jayhawks tied season highs in free throw percentages (75%), offensive rebounds (9), and steals (7).

Sophomore Flory Bidunga scored a new career high with 25 points on 10-11 shooting from the field, marking the second time in his career where he has eclipsed 20-plus points. Bidunga’s 10 made field goals also marked a new career high in made field goals. Bidunga grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded his first double-double of the season and third of his career.

Bidunga was the first Kansas player to have 10 makes in 11 or less attempts since Udoka Azubuike went 10-for-11 on 2-16-18 against Texas, and is only the third player in the Bill Self era to accomplish this (Azubuike and Julian Wright).

Bidunga’s 10 rebounds were a season high and only the fifth time in his career where he has recorded 10 or more rebounds in a game. Bidunga is the first player to have a stat line of 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 3+ blocks since Hunter Dickinson against Eastern Illinois on 11-28-23.

Senior Tre White scored a season-high 18 points on 4-7 shooting from the field to give him his third consecutive game of 10 or more points, and 51st time in his career. White grabbed a season high eight rebounds and set a new career high in free throws made with 10. White tied his career high in free throws attempted with 13.

Senior Melvin Council Jr. finished the contest with six assists, giving him his third consecutive game with six or more assists. Council has now recorded five or more assists 27 times in his career.

Freshman Bryson Tiller made his first career start. Tiller finished the game with six points and grabbed five rebounds for his third game this season with five or more rebounds.

Additionally, Tiller has made at least one three in every game this season.

Freshman Kohl Rosario tied a season high with two three-pointers made. Rosario finished the contest with six points and went 2-3 from the three-point line.

Rosario also tied a season high with five rebounds; he has now recorded five rebounds in three of his first four games.

Senior Jayden Dawson recorded two steals for the second consecutive game, and has led the team in steals in both contests. Dawson played a season high 24 minutes and finished with six points, and tied season highs with three rebounds and two assists.

Redshirt-sophomore Elmarko Jackson tied a season high after grabbing three rebounds.