12. Kansas (20-7)
Much like in the last couple seasons, Kansas dealt with some issues earlier in the season and weren’t exactly looking like a contender. The Jayhawks then put together a fantastic winning streak that includes enormous performances against Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, and Arizona. The Cyclones got their revenge and ended that streak last weekend, but Kansas is still clearly on top of their game with those four big wins.
The Jayhawks were back on the road to start the week but took care of business this time, getting an 81-69 win at Oklahoma State. Darryn Peterson made his presence felt with a 23-point outing while Bryson Tiller flirted with a triple-double. Unfortunately, Saturday’s performance left a lot of question marks as Kansas somehow got manhandled at home in an 84-68 loss against Cincinnati. Flory Bidunga had 18 points and 12 rebounds but this was an outcome few saw coming after Kansas’s recent brilliance.
After spending the last month knocking out basically every other Big 12 contender, the Jayhawks really shot themselves in the foot with that showing on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats have struggled mightily at times this season but somehow Cincinnati got the better of Kansas in a game that makes us truly wonder about this team’s ceiling. Regardless, they need to shake this off instantly as they welcome Houston to town on Monday before a tough rematch at Arizona.