9. Kansas (18-5)
The Jayhawks just didn’t look quite right in the early parts of this season, though even great teams have lost to the likes of UConn, Duke, and North Carolina. Things weren’t turning around with some rough road losses to start Big 12 play, but Kansas has really turned things around during this recent stretch. They’ve really delivered in big wins over Iowa State and BYU and got another of those showings this week to add to the list.
Monday saw the Jayhawks get quite the win, holding on for a 64-61 victory on the road over Texas Tech. Darryn Peterson had 19 points and reminded the world why he’s a star freshman while Melvin Council Jr. added 16 points and 7 rebounds. The good work continued into the weekend as Kansas knocked off Utah 71-59 back at home. Flory Bidunga led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Tre White added 16 points against the Utes.
In the blink of an eye Kansas has gone from a liability with question marks to 8-2 in the Big 12. They’re right there both in the Big 12 race and in these national conversations thanks to this impressive seven game winning streak. As flashy as Peterson and gang have been in recent weeks, this upcoming stretch will tell us a lot about the team down in Lawrence. They’ll host top-ranked Arizona before heading to Iowa State, with those Cyclones no doubt seeking revenge.