No. 19 Kansas and Green Bay have never been on the same court for a college basketball game.
That said, a familiar face will be on the visitor’s sideline on Monday as coach Doug Gottlieb brings his Phoenix to Lawrence, Kan., for the season opener for both teams.
Gottlieb played his final three seasons in college at Oklahoma State, facing the Jayhawks on five occasions — including a loss at Allen Fieldhouse when he was a junior.
The Phoenix are coming off a 4-28 season in 2024-25, including 2-18 in the Horizon League.
No. 19 Kansas, meanwhile, will look to extend its winning streak to 53 games in home openers, dating to the Ted Owens era (1964-83).
The Jayhawks finished last season with a 21-13 overall record, including 11-9 in the Big 12, and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
For Green Bay, Gottlieb is in just second season as a head coach, but he’s been around the game for more than 20 years. Following a brief professional playing career, he served as a college basketball analyst on television. He also hosted radio programs and podcasts before being named the 10th coach in Green Bay history following the 2023-24 season.
While things didn’t go the way he wanted in his first campaign, he’s ready for this year.
“This league is brutally physical,” Gottlieb said at the Horizon League Media Day. “We had to get physically tougher and mentally tougher, and get bigger and older bodies. I told my assistant coaches I wanted to recruit on three main things: character, competitiveness — I want guys who cry when they lose — and toughness.”
Green Bay was picked last in the 11-team Horizon League’s preseason poll by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
Kansas finds itself in uncharted territory, as the Jayhawks were tabbed sixth in the preseason coaches’ poll, their lowest ranking in the 30-year history of the poll. But that doesn’t mean coach Bill Self doesn’t have another loaded squad. Few players returned for Self, but his new crop looks pretty good.
“I think so,” Self said at Big 12 Basketball Media Day, when asked if this year’s team had more size, more depth and better shooting than last year’s squad.
“I think (we’re) more athletic, too. Last year’s players were good players. We didn’t have the year that we that we wanted to have, but it wasn’t as a reflection of not having good players.
“This year’s team is unproven. We haven’t done anything yet. We’ve got some guys that can make plays you can’t coach. I think we’re more equipped for what should be an unbelievable league this year.”
The key recruit for Self is guard Darryn Peterson, who was picked as the preseason freshman of the year in the conference.
Peterson was the Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year after averaging 30.4 points per game at Napa Christian High School in California. He was a McDonald’s All-American who was tabbed as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by 247Sports.com and On3.com.
