FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State at
#19/19 Kansas
Tuesday, October 28 ⦁ 7 p.m.
Lawrence, Kan. ⦁ Allen Fieldhouse
Radio: KJLS (103.3) CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Fort Hays State gets the opportunity to face the University of Kansas in exhibition play for the 11th time in program history on Tuesday. It will be the 14th meeting overall between FHSU and KU, since the teams also played three regular season games. The Jayhawks enter the 2025-26 season as the No. 19 ranked team in the AP and USA Today Coaches Top 25 Preseason Polls for NCAA Division I. The teams last met in exhibition play to at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Fort Hays State had a record of 22-10 overall in 2024-25. The Tigers went 12-7 in MIAA play and received the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament after using KPI rankings to determine seeds. The Tigers won the MIAA Tournament with a thrilling 1-point win over Central Oklahoma in the championship game to punch their ticket for a 15th time to the NCAA Division II national tournament. As the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Central Regional, the Tigers fell in the opening round to MSU Moorhead, 69-62.
Kansas had a record of 21-13 overall in 2024-25. The Jayhawks finished sixth in the Big 12 standings with a conference mark of 11-9. They were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell in the opening round to Arkansas, 79-72.
Fort Hays State and Kansas last met on November 1, 2023 when Kansas entered the 2023-24 season as the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks won that contest 73-55, but it was the lowest amount of points the Jayhawks ever scored against the Tigers in exhibition or regular season play. The 18-point margin was the second lowest in the series history between the teams as well, exhibition or regular season. FHSU outscored KU 32-30 in the second half of that contest after trailing by 20 at halftime.
Fort Hays State enters its 25th season under head coach Mark Johnson, who owns an overall record of 473-230 at FHSU. He guided the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament for a ninth time in his career in 2024-25 and at least 20 wins in a season for the 13th time. Johnson will enter the 2025-26 season ranked 18th among active NCAA Division II men's basketball coaches in winning percentage at .673. This will be the 12th time Johnson coaches the Tigers against the Jayhawks overall and the 11th time in exhibition play.
Bill Self enters his 23rd season at Kansas with a record of 609-156. He starts his 33rd season overall as a head coach at the Division I level, holding an overall record of 816-261.
Fort Hays State's identity in recent years has been its defense. The Tigers led NCAA Division II in scoring defense for the second-straight season last year, holding the opposition to 59.9 points per game. In 2023-24, the Tigers held opponents to 57.9 points per game. FHSU has been among the top-two teams in Division II for four-straight years. The ranked second in 2021-22 (56.6 ppg) and 2022-23 (57.2 ppg). The Tigers were also among the top 10 in field goal percentage defense over the last four years, nearly producing the same percentage all four years. In 2021-22, they allowed a .398 percentage, then in 2022-23 a .397 percentage. The percentage was back at .398 for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
The Tigers several significant players from their 2024-25 squad, including five-time All-MIAA selection and three-time all-region selection Kaleb Hammeke and MIAA All-Defensive Team performer Shaun Riley. Hammeke also set the all-time scoring record at FHSU with 2,086 points and was the only active player in NCAA Division II last year with at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists in a career. FHSU also lost regular starters Traejon Davis and R.J. Crawford. Kyle Grill is the only regular starter returning this year from the 2024-25 squad, but he was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection and MIAA All-Tournament Team performer last year. He averaged 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Alongside Grill, four other returners saw action on the floor for FHSU last year. Dan Mukuna was the top scorer off the bench and averaged 6.0 points per game. Lucas Hammeke chipped in 3.6 points per game, while Muhamed Kante averaged 2.7 and Eli Lawson averaged 2.0. Redshirts Jahvari Martino, Tory Homan, and Alec Carlson all return.
Transfers Juju Ramirez and Blake Danitschek will give the Tigers a pair of players with significant experience at the NCAA Division II level. Four true freshmen also look to make an impact early in their collegiate careers.