The Kansas men’s basketball team dropped just one spot to No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday after a 1-1 week.
Kansas knocked off then-No. 7 Kansas State at home last Tuesday and followed that up with a 15-point road loss at then-No. 13 Iowa State over the weekend. The result of those outcomes left the Jayhawks in the top 10 for the 14th week this season, a statement as much about the rest of college basketball as the Jayhawks’ talent, resume and potential as they head into the homestretch the season.
The Jayhawks are one of six Big 12 teams ranked in the Top 17 this week, with another (West Virginia) receiving votes.
Texas moved up five spots to No. 5, Iowa State jumped two spots to No. 11, Kansas State fell five spots to 12th and Baylor and TCU both fell, as well to 14th and 17th respectively.
At the top of the poll, after being a unanimous No. 1 a week ago, Purdue held on to the top spot despite losing to Indiana over the weekend. The Boilermakers were one of four teams receiving first-place votes this week, with No. 2 Houston picking up 22 first-place votes and No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Arizona each getting one.
Texas, Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia, KU and Marquette rounded out this week’s top 10 while North Carolina State, Creighton and Rutgers entered the poll at 22-24 after not being ranked a week ago.
Following tonight’s game with No. 5 Texas, the Jayhawks will travel to unranked Oklahoma on Saturday for a noon tipoff from Norman, and then return to the Sooner State next Tuesday to take on unranked Oklahoma State.
After that, it’s a sprint to the finish, with five games in 15 days, including three at home and road games at TCU and Texas.
