Overview: The Great Danes take on the defending national champions tonight at Allen Fieldhouse on ESPNU at 9 p.m. 

The Jayhawks lost all five starters from their title-winning team. All five were drafted and four of them are playing in the NBA, with Sasha Kaun now playing in Russia. 

UAlbany has won three games in a row and eight of their last ten in jumping out to the program's best start since turning Division I. 

The Great Danes are 0-2 against BCS schools so far this year, losses to Big East schools Villanova and DePaul to open the season. 

While Kansas isn't nearly as good as last year, the Jayhawks still are easily the second best team UAlbany has played behind 'Nova. 

Records: UAlbany 8-4. Kansas 8-3

The Series: These two teams have never met.  

Player to Watch: Sherron Collins, junior Kansas. Collins is averaging 17.8 points and 4.8 assists per game. UAlbany coach Will Brown said that when Collins struggles, so do the Jayhawks, so it is imperative they slow down the 5-foot-11 guard.  

X-factor: Rebounding. UAlbany is averaging +8.4 on the glass, while Kansas is +8.0. In the middle of that is 6-foot-11 sophomore Cole Aldrich, who averages 9.9 rebounds per game. The Great Danes have seven players who average more than 3.5 rebounds per game, but they are primarily guard. Brown has made it a team philosophy to send players to the glass and UAlbany has traditionally been a good rebounding team.  

Prediction: Kansas 79, UAlbany 60 (My record is 10-2)