The Kansas Jayhawks are starting to look like a team that’s found its rhythm-and just in time. After a rocky 1-2 start to Big 12 play that briefly knocked them out of the AP Top 25 for the second time this season, Kansas has reeled off four straight wins. And these haven’t been squeakers-they’ve been statements.
It all started with a thunderous 84-63 rout of then-No. 2 Iowa State, a game that reminded everyone what this program is capable of when it locks in.
That win lit the fuse. Since then, Kansas has kept the momentum rolling, including an emphatic 86-62 victory over in-state rival Kansas State in the Sunflower Showdown.
That’s how you silence the noise.
The bounce-back has been enough to push the Jayhawks back into the national conversation. After the Iowa State and Baylor wins, they jumped back into the rankings at No.
- Now, with two more wins under their belt, they’ve climbed even higher-up to No. 14 in the latest AP poll.
Still, in a loaded Big 12, Kansas finds itself looking up at several conference foes in the rankings. Arizona leads the way at No. 1, followed by Iowa State (No.
8), Houston (No. 10), Texas Tech (No. 11), and BYU just ahead of Kansas at No.
- It’s a reminder of how stacked this league is from top to bottom-and how little room there is for error.
That sets the stage for a pivotal stretch ahead.
Bill Self’s squad gets a bit of a breather before the next test, with no game until January 31. But the wait won’t make things any easier.
That night, they’ll host BYU in what promises to be a high-stakes showdown. The Cougars are 17-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play, and they’re led by one of the most electric scorers in the country: AJ Dybantsa.
The forward is averaging 23.6 points per game-second-best in the nation-and he’s coming off a jaw-dropping 43-point performance in a win over Utah.
Containing Dybantsa will be priority No. 1 for Kansas, and it’ll take a full team effort on the defensive end to slow him down. But if the Jayhawks can ride the wave of their recent defensive intensity and keep their offensive rhythm flowing, they’ll have a real shot to make another statement.
And there’s no time to rest after that. Just days later, Kansas heads out on the road to face No.
11 Texas Tech, another top-tier Big 12 contender sitting at 16-4 (6-1). It’s a brutal back-to-back, but it’s also a golden opportunity for Kansas to prove it belongs in the upper echelon of the conference-and the country.
Tipoff against BYU is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT, with the game streaming live on ESPN. Buckle up-this stretch could define the Jayhawks’ season.