Kansas Jayhawks: Halfway Home to Eleven

Feb 2, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) celebrates after scoring during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Iowa St. Cyclones came and did what most do in Allen Fieldhouse — they lost.

ISU (16-5, 6-3), the only Big 12 Conference team to defeat the Kansas Jayhawks, hung around early Monday night but eventually fell, 89-76.

The victory was the eighth in nine games for the Jayhawks (19-3, 8-1), and halfway through league play, they have a two-game lead in the win column in their quest to claim an 11th straight conference title.

Eleventh straight conference title.

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Did it sound any crazier the second time?

If the Jayhawks hold on to their lead and do in fact win again, it would tie them for the second-longest streak in Division I history.

Gonzaga did the same from 2001 to 2011, but let’s be honest, the West Coast Conference is not the Big 12.

The all-time record of 13 held by UCLA from 1967 to 1979 is impressive, but it was done in a different era.

There was no 3-point line at the time, and the 64-team NCAA Tournament bracket format didn’t even exist.

That doesn’t take the accomplishment away from the Bruins, but in today’s game, the streak is almost unimaginable.

Kansas leads the “Big Five” conferences with 10 in a row, while Florida (SEC, 2), Virginia (ACC, 1), Michigan (Big Ten, 1), and Arizona (Pac 12, 1) have a long way to go to catch the Jayhawks.

Say what you will about the fact the Big 12 does not have a national championship outside of Kansas in 2008, but the league produces top-25 teams year in and year out.

This year, seven teams are projected to make the NCAA Tournament, and it seems like Kansas will once again be the best of the bunch.

The Jayhawks have a very good chance of winning at least four of their next five games.

Even if they were to drop one on the road at either Oklahoma St. or West Virginia, they would be sitting at 12-2.

Unless the Mountaineers were to go 6-0 during that stretch, Kansas would be leading the league with just four games left to play.

However, West Virginia going on that streak is as about as likely as KU losing in Allen Fieldhouse.

Even though the Mountaineers are in second at 6-2, their record is deceiving.

While they have a decent home win against Oklahoma, four of their six conference victories have come against Texas Tech and TCU, who have combined to start 2-15 in league play.

Seven of their final 10 remaining games are against ranked teams, including one in Lawrence.

With that brutal stretch looming, it’s unlikely WVU ends Kansas’ streak.

Iowa St. is now a full two games behind the Jayhawks, and it’s unrealistic to think they can surpass KU by three games with only nine to play.

After Iowa St., every team has at least four league losses, and considering Self has never lost more than four conference games in a season at Kansas, at best, it’s become a three-horse race.

However, if recent history has anything to say about it, just call Kansas, Secretariat.

Next: Kansas Jayhawks: Naming the All-Bill Self KU Teams

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