Ames, Iowa ? No picnic awaits Kansas University’s women’s basketball team in its first week of Big 12 Conference competition.

Iowa State (12-1) today and No. 9 Baylor (13-1) on Saturday are the first foes on the struggling Jayhawks’ dance card.

Tipoff against the Cyclones will be at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. A live telecast will be available on CSTV (Sunflower Broadband 143).

Asked if she would have preferred to face a pair of less potent conference foes this week, KU coach Bonnie Henrickson replied: “What teams would you like to open with in this league?”

Henrickson was referring to the fact nine Big 12 teams will begin conference play this week with three or fewer defeats.

The freshman-dominated Jayhawks, meanwhile, are the only league team with a losing record, dipping to 5-7 after Sunday’s 72-63 loss to Xavier in Allen Fieldhouse.

After winning four of their first five outings, the Jayhawks have dropped six of their last seven, making it KU’s worst start since the 2001-2002 team began with a 5-8 record.

Nine KU players have started at least one game. Only freshman guard Kelly Kohn and junior forward Taylor McIntosh have opened in all 12.

“We’re definitely looking forward to conference play,” said Kohn, the Jayhawks’ leading scorer at 10.7 points a game. “I think we’re ready for the challenge.”

Against Xavier, Henrickson had four freshmen in the starting lineup for the first time and one of them, LaChelda Jacobs, responded with 18 points and seven rebounds, both career highs.

Iowa State has won all eight home games, thanks partly to an average crowd of more than 8,000 that makes Hilton Coliseum one of the loudest venues in the league.

“I’m ready to see what it’s like there,” Jacobs said. “It will be a good atmosphere to play in.”

On the surface, it would seem Henrickson would prefer to go into Hilton with a more experienced team, but that isn’t the case.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are,” Henrickson said. “If you play well, you can take a crowd out of the game.”

Iowa State leads the Big 12 with 107 three-point goals. Kansas has 50 made three-pointers, half of them by Kohn. Senior guard Lesley Medders leads the Cyclones in scoring (13.3) and the Big 12 in assists (7.08).

Baylor will be the foe for KU’s home opener on Saturday. Tipoff will be at 3 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. That game will be televised by Fox Sports Midwest.