NCAA Basketball: North Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
15. Kansas (22-9)
These are unfamiliar waters for Kansas, who certainly haven’t looked like a dominant team this season. The Jayhawks have no shortage of talent on this roster and won some incredible games earlier in the season, but a challenging Big 12 slate has seen them pick up a handful of losses, including yet another dire one this week.
Before that, the Jayhawks did avenge an earlier loss, surviving 90-68 against Kansas in their final home game. Kevin McCullar Jr. scored 19 points while Hunter Dickinson had 15 points and 20 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks. Things went south quickly over the weekend, as Kansas got pummeled 76-46 at Houston to finish the regular season. Those Cougars avenged an earlier Kansas win, with Dickinson both being the only double-digit scorer (11 points, 6 rebounds) and also leaving with a shoulder injury.
Things went from bad to worse on Saturday, but if Dickinson is alright then it’s not the end of the world. We’ve already seen that this Kansas team isn’t as dominant as years past: the 10-8 mark in Big 12 play certainly proves that. What remains is how they perform on the biggest stage. They have significant work ahead of them if they want success in the Big 12 Tournament and are certainly seeing their potential seed in March Madness drop with each passing week.