NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Gonzaga still sit atop updated top 25 ranking

6. Kansas (2-0)

Fresh off a national championship, the Jayhawks are back this season with the talent to contend for national glory again. There are a few pieces, like Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris, back from that title-winning team, but new faces are playing a big role as well. Bill Self’s squad is depending on freshman Gradey Dick and he’s certainly gotten his career off to a solid start, albeit against inferior competition.

The season began last Monday with an 89-64 victory over Omaha, an outing in which Dick had 23 points and Wilson put up 19 points and 11 rebounds. Bobby Pettiford Jr. added 13 points off the bench. Three days later, Kansas took control against North Dakota State, eventually getting an 82-59 victory after a dominant first half. This time, Wilson led the way with his 21-point effort while the Jayhawks were just under 50% shooting from the field.

There’s not much to gleam from Kansas after these two games, but there’s reason for excitement from Gradey Dick at the very least. This roster looks slightly different from last year’s title team but there are still those two big playmakers in Dick and Wilson and the rest of the roster will get their chance to shine. That trial by fire will come very quickly, as the Jayhawks will play Duke in the Champions Classic this coming Tuesday, a major test against a very talented Blue Devils team.