Kansas may be staring at another uphill climb before the season even starts.
On3’s latest way-too-early bracketology has the Jayhawks slotted as a No. 6 seed in the South Region, a projection that would send them to a First Four winner between Oklahoma and Villanova. For a program that has lived near the top of the sport for years, that’s a pretty clear sign the national view has cooled.
It also would mark the second-worst seed of Bill Self’s tenure. Only one season has finished worse than a No. 4 seed, and that came two years ago during a rough campaign that ended with a first-round loss to Arkansas.
Kansas still carries the kind of March résumé most programs can only dream about. The Jayhawks have reached 36 straight NCAA Tournaments, the longest active streak in the country.
But the recent trend line is impossible to ignore: four straight first-weekend exits, and a 2025-26 season that ended on a buzzer-beating layup by St. John’s.
That run of disappointment has raised the obvious question about whether Kansas can get back to its old standard under Self. The answer, at least from the outside looking in, is that the Jayhawks no longer have the automatic respect they once did. In a college basketball world shaped by constant roster churn and transfer portal movement, even blue-blood programs have to fight harder to put together title-level teams every year.
Kansas is trying to reset behind Tyran Stokes after coming up short with one-and-done freshman Darryn Peterson. Stokes, the No. 1 recruit and a 5-star prospect from Rainier Beach High School, could end up being KU’s best shot at chasing a third national championship under Self.
The skepticism will be there when the season begins, but the schedule gives Kansas chances to answer it quickly. Early matchups with Kentucky and UConn in the first month will tell a lot about where this team stands.
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Daniels finished 9 of 14 for 71 yards and a touchdown through the air, added 19 rushing yards on seven carries, and has now stacked two solid preseason outings together. That has put him in the mix to be Baker Mayfields primary backup, with one more chance against the Jacksonville Jaguars to make his case even harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]