Kentucky vs. Kansas live updates: Wildcats take on Jayhawks in blue-blood showdown at Champions Classic

CHICAGO — Kentucky coach Mark Pope used a Champions Classic win over Cooper Flagg and Duke to breathe life into the Big Blue Nation fanbase back in 2024, and he'd love it if history repeats itself in 2026. In saunters No. 15 Kansas, armed with future No. 1 pick Tyran Stokes, and Bill Self's inner gangster is starting to percolate a little bit after choosing to add Purdue's Trey Kaufman-Renn in the final hour.

Kansas has its chips in for a chase toward a championship. So does Kentucky ahead of a make-or-break Year 3 for Pope.

Check the ball. The game will tell all, like it normally does, to shape what's possible for these two blue-blood programs starved to return to Final Four heights.

Keep it locked here as CBS Sports provides you with live updates, highlights and analysis from Chiacgo's United Center as No. 24 Kentucky battles No. 15 Kansas in the second game of the Champions Classic

Kentucky' starting guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins are off to a fast start. Both are 2 of 2 from the floor, and the Wildcats have made all five of their field goal attempts. Bill Self called an early timeout ahead…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/