6. Kansas (7-1)
Everything went right for Kansas in the opening month of the season, as a team with high expectations lived up to them, getting some nice wins over Duke, Michigan State, and North Carolina in the process. The road ahead is really tough in the Big 12, though the Jayhawks aren’t looking for a repeat of last year’s 5th place finish. That kind of finish is very disappointing in Lawrence though they have the talent to get back on top of the Big 12 podium.
This season wasn’t going to be without challenges, and the Jayhawks were humbled on Wednesday night. They traveled to Creighton as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle and were handed a 76-63 loss by the Bluejays. Dajuan Harris Jr. scored 15 points and had 5 assists while both AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo added 12-point performances in a tough loss where Hunter Dickinson was outplayed by that tough Creighton frontcourt.
Despite that perfect start and great results, things haven’t exactly looked awesome for Kansas, and this first loss of the season certainly exposes some of those issues. The offense has been very efficient in the opening weeks, though the long-range shooting is a challenge at times. Creighton showed that Dickinson and company won’t have their way against bigger, experienced teams like this. Sunday’s matchup at Missouri will be another intriguing road challenge and a chance for a big bounce back win.