Kansas Re-Enters Coaches Poll After Statement Wins at Players Era, While Michigan Rockets to No. 2
Feast Week lived up to its name for Kansas - and not just because of the turkey. The Jayhawks carved through the competition at the Players Era Classic, going a perfect 3-0 and punching their ticket back into the Coaches Poll at No.
- After a tough early-season stretch that saw them tumble out of the rankings, Kansas reminded everyone why they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
The Jayhawks didn’t just win - they won convincingly. Double-digit victories over Notre Dame and Syracuse set the tone, but the real statement came in the finale: a wire-to-wire win over No.
13 Tennessee. That kind of top-25 triumph doesn’t just boost a résumé - it sends a message.
And they did it all without one of their brightest young stars. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson, sidelined with a nagging hamstring injury, watched from the bench as veterans stepped up in his absence. Elmarko Jackson and Melvin Council Jr. combined for 34 points in the win over Tennessee, providing the kind of backcourt punch Kansas will need as the season ramps up.
Let’s not forget, this is a Kansas team that had slipped out of the poll after a 78-66 loss to No. 4 Duke.
Add in a second loss to No. 17 North Carolina, and the Jayhawks’ early résumé had some dents.
But those two defeats came by an average of 12.5 points - not ideal, but not disastrous either when you consider the caliber of competition. What matters now is how they’ve responded, and the answer is clear: with toughness, depth, and a renewed sense of urgency.
That resolve will be tested again soon. Kansas hosts No. 5 UConn on December 2 in what promises to be one of the marquee matchups of the early season.
Michigan Makes Its Move - and Then Some
If Kansas had a bounce-back week, Michigan had a breakthrough one. The Wolverines didn’t just win the Players Era Championship - they owned it. After jumping four spots to No. 2 in the Coaches Poll, it’s safe to say Dusty May’s squad is no longer flying under anyone’s radar.
Michigan dismantled San Diego State and No. 24 Auburn to earn a shot at the title, but what happened in the final was something else entirely.
The Wolverines delivered a 101-61 drubbing of Gonzaga - the worst loss of the Mark Few era. That’s not just a win; that’s a program-defining moment.
We’re used to seeing Michigan teams that defend, rebound, and grind out wins. But this version?
They’re explosive, confident, and playing with a swagger that feels built for March. If this is the team that shows up every night, the Wolverines have a real shot at cutting down nets in April.
Full Dec. 1 Coaches Poll (Week 4)
The top of the rankings didn’t shift dramatically, but Michigan’s leap to No. 2 is the headline. Purdue holds onto the top spot with 21 first-place votes, while Arizona and Duke round out the top four.
UConn, Kansas’ next opponent, sits at No. 5.
Here’s how the top 25 shakes out after four weeks of the 2025-26 season:
- Purdue (21)
- Michigan (6)
- Arizona (3)
- Duke (1)
- UConn
- Louisville
- Houston
- Michigan State
- Iowa State
- BYU
- Gonzaga
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Illinois
- Vanderbilt
- North Carolina
- Kentucky
- Texas Tech
- Indiana
- Kansas
- **St.
John's**
23.
Arkansas
24.
Auburn
25.
Iowa
Others receiving votes: USC (56), UCLA (33), Nebraska (31), Missouri (28), Saint Mary’s (20), Baylor (19), NC State (16), Virginia (14), LSU (14), Clemson (9), Butler (9), Ole Miss (8), TCU (5), Wisconsin (4), Utah State (4), SMU (4), Oklahoma State (1), Colorado (1)
What’s Next
Kansas has a golden opportunity to keep climbing the rankings - but it won’t come easy. UConn looms large, and with Peterson’s status still uncertain, the Jayhawks will need another big-time performance from their backcourt.
As for Michigan, the buzz is real - and deserved. The Wolverines are playing like a team with something to prove, and after a dominant Feast Week, the rest of the country is officially on notice.
College basketball’s early-season chaos always offers surprises, but if Feast Week taught us anything, it’s this: Kansas is back in the mix, and Michigan might just be built for something special.