Kansas basketball falls, other Big 12 schools climb in new AP Poll
Kansas basketball took a dive in the most recent AP Poll after their one-point road loss to Villanova, while other Big 12 schools continue to climb.
Kansas basketball fans knew the Jayhawks would take a hit in the new poll after their loss to Villanova, and they were right. The Jayhawks dropped to fifth in the latest AP Top 25 after climbing to first in the previous poll.
Kansas was the fifth number one ranked team to lose this season, and now Gonzaga is in possession of the number one ranking. It’s hard to see the Bulldogs losing any time soon though, considering not a single one of their opponents for the rest of the season appear in the AP Poll (BYU and Saint Mary’s did receive votes though).
While Kansas basketball is still the highest-ranked team in the Big 12, Baylor is right on the Jayhawks’ heels. The Bears came in ranked seventh in this AP Poll, and it looked like head coach Scott Drew has a serious contender this season in Waco.
Texas Tech and West Virginia are also ranked 22nd and 23rd respectively. After taking on Stanford on the road next Sunday (the Cardinal received votes), Kansas will take on West Virginia at home to open up Big 12 play on January fourth.
Another team of note from the Sunflower State is the 10-1 Wichita State Shockers, who received the most amount of votes of the teams who didn’t make the top 25. The Shockers received 112 votes, while #25 Iowa cracked the rankings with 125 votes.
Kansas basketball might have fallen in the rankings, but they’re statistically the same after their loss to Villanova. The Jayhawks are holding on to fourth in the KenPom rankings (based entirely on numbers), and a one-point road loss to a good team shouldn’t hurt Kansas too bad in the future.
Villanova, on the other hand, gained quite a bit from their win. The Wildcats jumped from #18 into the top ten, holding the #10 spot. Nova is now the highest-ranked team in a very competitive Big East Conference.
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There’s a long way to go this season, and Kansas basketball is far from out of the national championship picture. The Jayhawks still have one of the best chances out of any team to win the title, all they have to do is play the way they’re capable of playing.