A month ago, Kansas basketball looked like it was teetering. The Jayhawks stumbled out of the gate in Big 12 play, dropping two of their first three conference games and sitting at 11-5 overall.
That second loss-against a struggling West Virginia squad-had fans and analysts alike raising eyebrows. Was this KU team in real danger of slipping to a low seed come March?
Or worse, missing the NCAA Tournament altogether?
Well, Kansas answered those questions emphatically.
Since that rocky start, the Jayhawks have flipped the script. They're now riding a six-game winning streak, and their latest victory might be their most impressive yet: a road win over No.
13 Texas Tech, handing the Red Raiders their first home loss of the season. That’s not just a quality win-it’s a statement.
At 17-5 overall and 7-2 in conference play, KU is starting to look like, well, KU again. The defense is tightening up, the offense is finding rhythm, and the team’s chemistry-something that looked shaky early on-is beginning to click. This is the version of Kansas that’s been a mainstay in March for decades.
The recent surge hasn’t gone unnoticed in the eyes of bracketologists either. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi now projects the Jayhawks as a No. 3 seed in his latest NCAA Tournament bracket. That’s a significant jump considering where they were just a few weeks ago.
Now, to be clear, Lunardi currently has Kansas slotted as the lowest of the three seeds, behind Michigan State, Nebraska, and Purdue. So there’s still work to be done if the Jayhawks want to climb higher and secure a more favorable path in the tournament. But the important part is this: they’re firmly back in the mix, and trending in the right direction.
Kansas is also one of seven Big 12 teams projected to make the field, which speaks to the depth and strength of the conference this season. Every night is a battle, and KU has shown it’s up for the fight.
The early panic? That’s in the rearview. The Jayhawks aren’t just surviving Big 12 play-they’re thriving in it.