15. Kansas (15-5)
There were days in the not so distant past when we wouldn’t expect Kansas to lose 5 games the entire season, especially during that historic run of Big 12 titles. Those days aren’t the same anymore and this conference has many more contenders than it did a decade ago. For the Jayhawks, this season has seen disappointment but this team is also starting to come together at the right time based on their recent work against Iowa State.
The good work continued into this week as they won 75-69 at Colorado for another road win. Melvin Council Jr. had 18 points while Tre White added 17 points and 15 rebounds. Saturday brought more success away from Allen Fieldhouse, with the Jayhawks prevailing 86-62 at rival Kansas State. A strong second half delivered another key win with 21 points and 10 rebounds from Flory Bidunga and a 17-point, 12-assist effort out of Council.
Struggles have been a part of this season for Kansas but four straight wins has them trending in the right direction once again. The Jayhawks have had some tough performances on the road but shook off some of those struggles this week. It’s good that this team took care of these games because the road ahead is far from easy especially in the Big 12. There’s an important battle with BYU next weekend before the first half of February brings even more trouble for the Jayhawks.