Kansas basketball is heating up at just the right time. Riding a five-game win streak, the Jayhawks have climbed to No. 11 in the latest AP Poll, moving up from No. 14 after a statement win over BYU this past weekend. With two more matchups on deck this week-including a marquee road test at Texas Tech followed by a home game against Utah-KU is positioning itself as a serious threat in both the Big 12 and the national picture.
Let’s break down where things stand. The Jayhawks have leapfrogged a couple of Big 12 rivals in the rankings and now sit as the fourth-highest team in the conference, trailing only Arizona (No.
1), Iowa State (No. 7), and Houston (No. 8).
Right behind them? Texas Tech at No. 13 and BYU at No.
- That’s six Big 12 teams in the top 16-arguably the deepest conference in the country right now-and Kansas is right in the thick of it.
Their latest win over BYU wasn’t just another notch in the win column-it was a showcase of resilience, poise, and offensive firepower. Kansas jumped out to a commanding first-half lead, thanks in large part to a dominant two-way effort.
On defense, they locked in on BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, holding the dynamic scorer to just three field goals in the opening 20 minutes. On the other end, Darryn Peterson was electric, pouring in 18 points before halftime to help KU build a 20-point cushion.
But as is often the case in Big 12 play, no lead is safe. BYU came storming back in the second half, slicing the deficit all the way down to four points in the final minute.
That’s when Kansas leaned on its veterans and found just enough offense to close it out. Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, and Flory Bidunga stepped up in the clutch, snapping a nearly eight-minute field goal drought with three huge buckets down the stretch.
That late-game composure made the difference in a 90-82 win that was much closer than the first half suggested.
From a shooting standpoint, Kansas was locked in. The Jayhawks hit 57.1% of their shots from the field, a scorching number against a quality opponent.
They also went 11-for-22 from beyond the arc-an efficient, balanced perimeter attack that kept BYU chasing all game. BYU matched KU with 11 threes of their own, but it took them 32 attempts to get there.
That shooting disparity was a quiet but crucial factor in the outcome.
And then there was Bryson Tiller. The freshman forward had his best game in a Kansas uniform, leading the team with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
He came out firing, knocking down his first three triples-his first made threes in Big 12 play and his first multi-three game since the matchup with North Carolina. Tiller’s emergence adds another layer to an already versatile Kansas offense, and if this performance is a sign of things to come, KU just got even more dangerous.
With momentum on their side and a tough week ahead, the Jayhawks are entering a defining stretch of their season. A win at Texas Tech would be another résumé booster, and holding serve at home against Utah could solidify their top-10 push. The Big 12 gauntlet doesn’t get easier from here, but Kansas is starting to look like a team that’s built for the grind.