LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will host Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 29, 2020, inside historic Allen Fieldhouse, replacing KU’s previously scheduled Dec. 29 game against Harvard. On July 8, the Ivy League announced it would have no athletics competition for the fall semester which forced Kansas to find an opponent for the vacant date.
Stephen F. Austin is coming off a 28-3 season in which it won the Southland Conference regular-season title going 19-1 in league play prior to the COVID-19 pandemic ending the season. Included in its 28 wins was an 85-83 overtime victory at then-No. 1 Duke on Nov. 26, 2019. The Lumberjacks are coached by Kyle Keller who was on the KU staff for three seasons from 2008-09 to 2010-11 under KU coach Bill Self.
“When we lost the Harvard game, we wanted to fill the opening with a quality opponent, and Kyle’s team clearly fits that description,” Self said. “Kyle has done a fabulous job highlighted by the 2018 NCAA Tournament berth and the win at Duke last year. He’s a great coach and a great friend and I look forward to having him back at Allen Fieldhouse. This will be a game that will benefit us and hopefully help us get better.”
After KU, Keller spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Texas A&M before taking over at SFA in 2016, his first head coaching position. On the court, Keller is 88-41 in four seasons at SFA as the Lumberjacks advanced to the 2017 CIT in his first season in Nacogdoches, Texas, and the 2018 NCAA Tournament the following year.
Kansas and Stephen F. Austin will be meeting for the first time in men’s basketball. Dating back to the 2013-14 season, Kansas has won its last 30 games against non-conference opponents in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are 119-4 versus non-league foes in the venue under Self who enters his 18th season at Kansas.
2020-21 Kansas Men’s Basketball Schedule (home games in ALL CAPS)
Nov. 4 (Wed.) – WASHBURN (exhibition)
Nov. 10 (Tues.) – vs. Kentucky (Champions Classic, Chicago)
Nov. 13 (Fri.) – SOUTHERN UTAH
Nov. 16 (Mon.) – EASTERN ILLINOIS
Nov. 20 (Fri.) – STONY BROOK
Nov. 26-27 – vs. TBD (Wooden Legacy, Anaheim, Calif. – Georgetown, UCLA, Virginia)
Nov. 26-27 – vs. TBD (Wooden Legacy, Anaheim, Calif. – Georgetown, UCLA, Virginia)
Dec. 3 (Thurs.) – CREIGHTON (Big 12/Big East Battle)
Dec. 8 (Tues.) – OMAHA
Dec. 12 (Sat.) – MISSOURI (Border Showdown Series, Kansas City, Mo.)
Dec. 19 (Sat.) – USC
Dec. 22 (Tues.) – at Colorado
Dec. 29 (Tues.) – STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Jan. 2 (Sat.) – Big 12 regular season begins
Jan. 30 (Sat.) – at TBD (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
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