12. Kansas (13-4)
Last season this Kansas program was very talented, very strong, and still finished just 5th in the Big 12 with considerable question marks at times. That team is a bit different from this season, with several new faces joining stars Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. in this rotation, but sometimes the results have been the same. Wins over Duke and Michigan State continue to look awesome, though this was another week of disappointment.
Let’s not act like the sky is falling; elite teams are going to go to Ames and get handled, like Kansas did in a 74-57 loss on Wednesday. Iowa State controlled that game, severely limiting the Jayhawks offense, which was led by Zeke Mayo and his 17-point effort. Kansas bounced back nicely this weekend, getting back in the win column with an 84-74 victory against rival Kansas State. Dickinson had 25 points and eight rebounds, while Mayo supplied 24 points, continuing to stand out as their best offseason addition.
One issue for the Jayhawks is not getting enough production from their other transfers and additions. Mayo is proving his worth time and time again, but you haven’t seen a ton from AJ Storr or Rylan Griffen and the Jayhawks need more than just their starters to win these tough games in the Big 12. After a trip to TCU this week, Kansas will have a highly-anticipated home date with Houston on Saturday. A win over those Cougars would certainly help get the Jayhawks back into the league race.