Kansas Ranks #3 in Pomeroy’s List of Best Basketball Programs

Kansas Basketball is one of the elite programs in the country according to new program rankings.

Basketball statistic expert Ken Pomeroy recently released a list of the statistically best programs in college basketball since the 1997 season on his website kenpom.com. The Jayhawks rank third on the list behind Duke and Kentucky with an overall rating of 37.04 and are the best program in the Big 12.

Interestingly, the Longhorns finished 2nd in the Big 12, and 10th overall ahead of other blue blood programs like UCLA, Indiana, and Connecticut.

The Big 12 has the second-highest averaged ranking between the power-5 conferences with an average of 39, while the ACC has the highest average ranking with 35. While trivial, the numbers point toward the Big 12 as an attractive conference for coaches and players alike.

According to Pomeroy, the ranking does take conference affiliation into account, along with RSCI rankings from the past ten years. The main ingredient though is each team’s average finish since 1997, with a particular interest in more recent seasons.

Kansas’ best finish in Pomeroy’s rankings is No. 1 back in 2008, with their worst being No. 25 back in 2000. The Jayhawks median rank since 1997 is No. 7, which is actually the second-best behind Duke’s median rank of 4th.

The lack of big-name recruits does hurt Kansas, as schools like Kentucky and Duke get boosted in the rankings for being able to land marquee recruits year in and year out. Despite being “out-recruited” at times, Kansas basketball is without a doubt a premier school in the eyes of coaches, player and spectators.

While the list could be used as a definitive ranking of the best programs in the country, Pomeroy stated that the list as “trying to capture the perception of a program.” While aforementioned Texas isn’t normally considered a blue blood basketball program by most, it’s ranked ahead of several prominent programs.

Pomeroy explains how the ranking should be looked at through the eyes of a potential coach or player, rather than a spectator:

"“Consider it a guide to how coaches and players might consider the currently hierarchy of college basketball when entertaining job or scholarship offers.”"