The Kansas Jayhawks were left off the AP Poll for the first time in 1,447 days. They responded by going into Boulder and sneaking by Colorado.
After an early-season win against ninth-ranked North Carolina and eleven-ranked Duke, Kansas looked destined for another very successful season. They were ranked as the number-one team in the preseason as well. The issues arose when they lost to in-state rival K State and then suffered a 34-point blowout loss to BYU, which showed just how far the Jayhawks have fallen.
They responded with a blowout of Oklahoma State and a win against Colorado. The Buffaloes battled hard against KU but Hunter Dickinson proved to be too much.
The Kansas big man had his 12th double-double of the year with 32 points and 13 boards. Dickinson was the difference for Kansas, but others stepped up as well. Senior Forward KJ Adams added 15 points and Junior Guard Rylen Griffen chipped in 10. With the 71-64 win, the Jayhawks broke their four-game road losing streak. That had to feel good since they are struggling on the road this season with a 4-7 record.
The Jayhawks need to use this newfound confidence in their upcoming games. The last three games of their season aren’t easy. First, they will go back home to face a hungry 10th-ranked Texas Tech team following their loss to third-ranked Houston. They will then have to face that very same Houston team on the road. Finally if that wasn’t enough, Kansas will head back to Allen Fieldhouse to take on 23rd-ranked Arizona. The Wildcats are currently struggling but have flexed their muscles this season with upsets over Iowa State and Texas Tech.
Bill Self and company have a great opportunity to improve their seeding. With their last three games coming against ranked teams, they can make lots of noise. The Jayhawks have shown flashes of their talent in ranked wins earlier in the season. Kansas is currently projected as a 7th seed in the NCAA tournament. It will be interesting to see if the Jayhawks will slide down or move up in the seeding as Selection Sunday approaches.
Since Bill Self was hired in 2003, Kansas has not been lower than a four-seed in March Madness. So in this unfamiliar territory, can the Jayhawks tune out the noise and make a run in March? They are currently projected to play the 10-seed Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt certainly won’t be intimidated by Kansas who is a historically successful team in March. The Commodores have pulled upsets this year over Tennessee and Kentucky, and they can pull one off over Kansas.
Will Kansas be able to recreate some of their March magic? Or is this the downfall of Kansas as we know it? Bill Self and his squad have the players to make a run in March, they just haven’t fully put it together. Obviously with almost a full season under their belt, it will be hard to trust them in March with how up and down their season has been.
The Jayhawks have the opportunity to quiet all of the doubters. Bill Self will have his team ready to go in March, but will his players step up in the big moments, or has Kansas’ time passed? Their last three games of the season are massive against three ranked teams. Will they go on a run heading into the Big 12 tournament or take a drastic step back? The Jayhawks have lots of things to clean up before tip-off in the first round of March Madness.
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