Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday, November 6
Lawrence, KS
8 p.m.
Middle Tennessee
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No. 17/18 Kansas
11/5/2026 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAWRENCE, Kan.- Middle Tennessee men's basketball (1-0) hits the road for the first time this season, jetting off to the midwest for a test against No.17 Kansas (1-0) in the storied Allen Fieldhouse.
Friday night's 8:00 p.m. tip marks the first matchup between the Blue Raiders and Jayhawks since November of 2000. This will be Middle Tennessee's first ranked opponent since last November, when they traveled to take on Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Game two: No.17/18 Kansas
Tip Off: 8:00 p.m.
Watch: ESPNU
Stats: Live Stats
Radio: WGNS/ Blue Raider Network
Media Center: Here
Series History:
This matchup between Middle Tennessee and Kansas will mark their fourth all time matchup on the hardwood, and the third in Allen Fieldhouse. The Blue Raiders are 0-3 in previous matchups, with one of those losses coming inside the Murphy Center.
Game Notes:
STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT
• The Blue Raiders started the season off right on Monday with a 117-73 win over Fisk on Education Day in the Murphy Center. The 117 point effort marked the 72nd time Middle Tennessee has put up 100 points. It was also the highest scoring effort since scoring 119 against Maryville in 2019.
• Education Day was another success in packing the Murphy Center, with a reported attendance of 7,611.
QB1'S WORLD
• Junior guard and Division II (Walsh) transfer Quintero Barnett announced himself to the Blue Raider faithful with a 24-point performance, leading the team in scoring.
• Barnett flashed efficiency in the win, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. The Brunswick, Ohio, native added two rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.
RICE IS NICE
• Another debut of note from game one was 6-foot-7 senior Eli Rice. A product of Gallatin, Tennessee, by way of Nebraska and Penn State, Rice dropped 18 points with five makes from behind the arc.
• Rice's effort came off the bench for MTSU, and was the lone double-figure scorer from the second unit.
RANKED BATTLE
• Friday night's matchup with No. 17 Kansas will mark the first time the Blue Raiders square off with a ranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2025 against the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines. The Blue Raiders fell 86-61 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• The Blue Raiders last ranked win came against No. 25 Florida Atlantic on Feb. 16, 2023. This was FAU's final loss before its Final Four run that season.
• All-time, Middle Tennessee is 4-25 against ranked opponents, with only one of those wins coming in the regular season. Two of those losses came to ranked Kansas teams in 1999 and 2000.
SCOUTING REPORT: No. 17 KANSAS
• Perennially a top program in the country, the Jayhawks are led by 24th-year (34th overall) head coach Bill Self.
• The Jayhawks enter the 2026 campaign No. 17 in the AP Poll, coming off a trip to the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament as a four-seed in the East Region.
•This season's rendition of the Kansas Jayhawks features Tyran Stokes, the consensus top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026. Stokes is projected to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft next summer.
• Kansas sits 1-0 after a 96-65 win over Fordham.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTMensBasketball), X (Twitter) (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
Friday night's 8:00 p.m. tip marks the first matchup between the Blue Raiders and Jayhawks since November of 2000. This will be Middle Tennessee's first ranked opponent since last November, when they traveled to take on Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Game two: No.17/18 Kansas
Tip Off: 8:00 p.m.
Watch: ESPNU
Stats: Live Stats
Radio: WGNS/ Blue Raider Network
Media Center: Here
Series History:
This matchup between Middle Tennessee and Kansas will mark their fourth all time matchup on the hardwood, and the third in Allen Fieldhouse. The Blue Raiders are 0-3 in previous matchups, with one of those losses coming inside the Murphy Center.
Game Notes:
STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT
• The Blue Raiders started the season off right on Monday with a 117-73 win over Fisk on Education Day in the Murphy Center. The 117 point effort marked the 72nd time Middle Tennessee has put up 100 points. It was also the highest scoring effort since scoring 119 against Maryville in 2019.
• Education Day was another success in packing the Murphy Center, with a reported attendance of 7,611.
QB1'S WORLD
• Junior guard and Division II (Walsh) transfer Quintero Barnett announced himself to the Blue Raider faithful with a 24-point performance, leading the team in scoring.
• Barnett flashed efficiency in the win, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. The Brunswick, Ohio, native added two rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.
RICE IS NICE
• Another debut of note from game one was 6-foot-7 senior Eli Rice. A product of Gallatin, Tennessee, by way of Nebraska and Penn State, Rice dropped 18 points with five makes from behind the arc.
• Rice's effort came off the bench for MTSU, and was the lone double-figure scorer from the second unit.
RANKED BATTLE
• Friday night's matchup with No. 17 Kansas will mark the first time the Blue Raiders square off with a ranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2025 against the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines. The Blue Raiders fell 86-61 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• The Blue Raiders last ranked win came against No. 25 Florida Atlantic on Feb. 16, 2023. This was FAU's final loss before its Final Four run that season.
• All-time, Middle Tennessee is 4-25 against ranked opponents, with only one of those wins coming in the regular season. Two of those losses came to ranked Kansas teams in 1999 and 2000.
SCOUTING REPORT: No. 17 KANSAS
• Perennially a top program in the country, the Jayhawks are led by 24th-year (34th overall) head coach Bill Self.
• The Jayhawks enter the 2026 campaign No. 17 in the AP Poll, coming off a trip to the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament as a four-seed in the East Region.
•This season's rendition of the Kansas Jayhawks features Tyran Stokes, the consensus top-ranked recruit in the class of 2026. Stokes is projected to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft next summer.
• Kansas sits 1-0 after a 96-65 win over Fordham.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTMensBasketball), X (Twitter) (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballMonday, November 02
Friday, October 30
Wednesday, March 18
Monday, March 02
