After falling week after week during a rough stretch that saw them lose 4 out of 6 games, the Kansas Jayhawks this week began moving their way back up the rankings in the Associated Press Top 25.
Wins last week over TCU and West Virginia moved Kansas up two spots to No. 12 in the latest AP poll, where the Jayhawks sit as the highest of four Big 12 teams ranked in this week’s Top 25.
Texas Tech (14th), Iowa State (19th) and Kansas State (23rd) also stayed in this week’s Top 25, with Tech moving up a spot, ISU moving up four spots and K-State dropping five spots from last week’s rankings.
The Jayhawks and Red Raiders will face each other on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, in a key contest for both teams’ hopes of staying alive in the Big 12 title race.
Kansas and Texas Tech currently sit a half game behind Kansas State for first place and will either be a full game back or in a 3-way tie after tonight’s KSU game at West Virginia.
As for the rest of the poll, there was a fairly sizable shakeup at the top, where the top four teams in this week’s poll all moved up one spot from last week.
No. 1 Duke moved from second to first, Gonzaga from third to second, Virginia from fourth to third and Kentucky from fifth to fourth. Former No. 1, Tennessee, dropped four spots to No. 5 after losing at Kentucky last weekend. Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina, Houston, Michigan State and Marquette round out the Top 11. Kansas has a 3-1 record against four of those 11 teams this season and is 6-3 this season against the current AP Top 25.
**Here’s a look at this week’s complete poll…**
1 – Duke, 23-2 (58)
2 – Gonzaga, 25-2 (6)
3 – Virginia, 22-2
4 – Kentucky, 21-4
5 – Tennessee, 23-2
6 – Nevada, 24-1
7 – Michigan, 23-3
8 – North Carolina, 20-5
9 – Houston, 25-1
10 – Marquette, 21-4
11 – Michigan State, 21-5
12 – Kansas, 20-6
13 – LSU, 21-4
14 – Texas Tech, 21-5
15 – Purdue, 18-7
16 – Florida State, 20-5
17 – Villanova, 20-6
18 – Louisville, 18-8
19 – Iowa State, 19-6
20 – Virginia Tech, 20-5
21 – Iowa, 20-5
22 – Wisconsin, 17-8
23 – Kansas State, 19-6
24 – Maryland, 19-7
25 – Buffalo, 22-3
**Others receiving votes:** Cincinnati 99, Wofford 32, Auburn 21, Washington 20, St. John’s 2, Mississippi State 2, Mississippi 1, Yale 1.
