24. Kansas (1-1)
Regardless of the end results and returns to the Big Dance, you can easily call these last few years disappointments for a Kansas team that didn’t finish in the Top 4 in the Big 12 race. Bill Self isn’t looking backwards, but used the recruiting trail and transfer portal to reload with talent for the upcoming season, eager to bring titles back to Lawrence, but is there already reason for concern?
There weren’t concerns Monday night, as Kansas quickly dispatched of Green Bay in a 94-51 win to open the season. Freshman star Darryn Peterson had 21 points in his debut while returning stalwart Flory Bidunga led the way with his 23 points and 6 rebounds over the Phoenix. The problems came Friday, as the Jayhawks blew an 8-point halftime lead and lost 87-74 at North Carolina in a hostile road environment. Peterson had 22 points and looked great again, but that second half was a struggle for the Jayhawks despite solid shooting numbers.
Last season, Kansas leaned on talented players like Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. who alone weren’t enough to get the job done. It’s been just two games, but we’re already wondering who’s going to step up on this team behind Bidunga and Peterson, who are clearly the two most notable weapons the Jayhawks possess. They’ll get a chance to lick their wounds and start answering those questions with a pair of home games next week, but a tough matchup against Duke isn’t too far in the future.