The team played its home games in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas and are members of the Big 12 Conference.

On April 13, 2009, key players Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich announced that they would forgo the NBA draft and return for the 2009–10 season.

In the offseason the Jayhawks lost Senior walk-ons Matt Kleinmann and Brennan Bechard from the 2008–09 roster.

On April 9, Quintrell Thomas and Tyrone Appleton announced their intention to transfer to other schools due to lack of available playing time.

In October 2008, the Jayhawks received commitments from a pair of five-star recruits, Elijah Johnson from North Las Vegas and Thomas Robinson of Washington, D.C. On Thursday April 23, 2009 McDonald's All-American Xavier Henry of Oklahoma City announced his intention to play at Kansas, prompting ESPN to name the Jayhawks as "the team to beat in 2010."