If you want to annoy a Kentucky fan, call the Wildcats KU.

KU is Kansas — James Naismith, Wilt Chamberlain, and now Bill Self. The seemingly million time winner of the Big 12. The program with the most — er, make that 2nd-most with an assist from the NCAA — wins in college basketball history. Kentucky, of course, is UK — Adolph Rupp, Dan Issel, and now John Calipari. The program with the (double-checks notes) most wins in college basketball history.

If you’ve spent much of your November still thinking about the gridiron (and while that might be a little unusual for fans of Kentucky and Kansas, you can include plenty of them in that grouping), here’s a chance to get up to speed ahead of perhaps the marquee early matchup of the college basketball season, a game that’s a contrast in opposites. They two blue-bloods will tip off at 9:30 pm Tuesday.

What to know about Kansas

First, they’re No. 1. Second, they’re old. No, not old for 2023 college basketball. Old for any basketball old. Kansas’s starting 5 features 3 graduate seniors, a junior, and a freshman. It’s a transfer heavy team. Starters Hunter Dickinson (Michigan) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (Texas Tech) join top reserves Parker Braun (Santa Clara was the first home the graduate senior) and Nick Timberlake (Towson; and yes, another graduate senior) in having taken the long route to Lawrence.

It’s hard to draw a ton of conclusions from 2 blowouts against definitely subpar competition. But this Kansas team can score — they’re averaging 99 points per game, shooting 62% overall and 47% from 3-point range. They’re also balanced — 5 Jayhawks are averaging double figures (led by Dickinson at 19.5) and 9 Kansas players are sitting at 5+ points per game. Add in a couple of guards who have been excellent distributors — grad senior Dajaun Harris, who is a sticky defender, and freshman Elmarko Jackson — to some significant post scorers like the 7-2 Dickinson, who Kentucky courted in the transfer portal, and junior KJ Adams, who is shooting 81% on the young season. There are no apparent weak spots in this team.

What to know about Kentucky

At the moment, they’re small. West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell, at 6-9 is going to be the inside part of what will likely be a 4 out/1 in offensive look. Kentucky is missing true big men Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso due to injuries and still trying to get foreign big man Zvonimir Ivisic cleared by the NCAA. Also (and stop is if you’ve heard this one before) they’re young.

In their last game, Kentucky started 3 freshmen along with Mitchell and graduate senior Antonio Reeves. Reeves is the wily veteran after 1 previous season at UK and will look to prove more consistent this season as a steady outside threat. Mitchell is a do-everything type who can play inside or outside, but he’ll have to be crafty against Dickinson, who has a 5-inch height advantage. As for the freshmen, scoring threat DJ Wagner is the one with the publicity, point guard Rob Dillingham looks the most improved from UK’s preseason international trip, and 6-8 wing Justin Edwards is the one with the most obvious next-level NBA potential.

Kentucky, which is also 2-0 after blowing out a couple of inferior opponents, will rely on late blooming 6-8 wing Adou Thiero as a glue guy — he missed their last game, though, due to a minor injury sustained in the season opener. Freshman Reed Sheppard has impressed as the kind of coach-on-the-floor type who endears himself to UK’s fan base. While obviously more athletic and more comfortable on the perimeter than many recent UK teams, this Kentucky team is very much a work in progress — like most of Calipari’s teams are in November.

The prediction

Preseason No. 16 Kentucky holds an all-time 24-11 series lead over Kansas, with the most significant game being UK’s 2012 NCAA title win over the Jayhawks. That said, Kansas has won 5 of the past 7 matchups and is 2-2 vs UK in Champions Classic matchups.

Kansas beat Kentucky last year at Rupp, but both rosters have changed so dramatically, it’s tough to draw conclusions or uncover trends that will impact Tuesday’s game. KJ Adams had a big game for Kansas, but 2 other KU starters from that game are in the NBA this year. All 3 Kentucky players who reached double-digits against the Jayhawks are in the NBA this year, too.

So, same programs, same coaches, same huge expectations, different rosters.

Kansas has the edge in experience but even more so in size. Consider Calipari’s dislike of zone defenses, it’ll be interesting to see Thiero and Mitchell trying to stick with Adams and Dickinson in the post. That said, Kentucky’s perimeter skills and defensive intensity should keep this game competitive.

For Calipari, it might make sense to sell this game as being like the January 2022 matchup of the schools in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Kentucky rocked Kansas 80-62, but a little more than 2 months later, watched that Kansas team with the NCAA title. November games probably mean more as learning opportunities than as statement makers.

So Kansas will make the statement, but might it be Kentucky would ultimately learns more from the experience?

Final score: Kansas 79, Kentucky 71