19. Kansas (13-5)
It would be very easy to label the Jayhawks as a disappointment so far this season but that isn’t telling the whole story. Kansas lost against some tough competition in the nonconference and haven’t really looked up to par to start Big 12 play. However, let’s not forget that star freshman Darryn Peterson has missed significant time this season and is only just starting to come into his own.
He and these Jayhawks had their finest moment of the season on Tuesday night, upsetting previously unbeaten Iowa State 84-63 in a dominant performance at home. Kansas took down the #2 team in the nation thanks to 19 points and 10 rebounds from Tre White and a 16-point effort from Peterson. Their work Friday was just as prominent, winning 80-62 over Baylor in another home win. Peterson was electric with 26 points while Flory Bidunga starred with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
After losing their first two conference road games, Kansas took advantage of their electric atmosphere at home, securing two very important wins. They’re making above .500 in the league standings and are trending in a much better direction. Last weekend’s double-digit loss at West Virginia featured abhorrent defense and looked like it would ruin the season but Kansas has really bounced back. They’ll be back on the road next week and we’ll see if they can handle Colorado and Kansas State, two teams with significantly less talent than them.