Kansas basketball drops to #23 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll

Kansas basketball has dropped even further in the AP Poll this week, finding themselves at #23, the lowest rank under head coach Bill Self since 2009.

While it was expected for Kansas basketball to drop a few more spots in this week’s AP Poll, it was still a tough realization for fans finding the Jayhawks sitting at #23 this morning.

This season has been a tough ride for Kansas and their recent struggles have sent their rank spiraling downward. Earlier in their 2020-21 campaign, the Jayhawks were the third-best team in the country and a suggested contender for the tournament.

Now that look has changed and Kansas is fighting to stay in the conversation. Head coach Bill Self has made subtle changes to the starting five, more noticeably Dajuan Harris’ transition into the point guard role.

While some change is good, Kansas will need to fundamentally improve their offensive approach if they want to rebound from what was a disastrous month of January. Senior forward Mitch Lightfoot has stated to the press “we gotta worry about what we can do to fix it”.

Having upperclassmen deeply concerned about the season’s direction may help distill some new energy in practice, but the real change needs to be seen in their performances. The next step in this path would find a powerful win over Kansas State tomorrow.

Kansas State may not seem like a very tough opponent for Kansas to handle, but after the recent weeks, they can’t be letting their guard down. Rivalries like the Sunflower Showdown can create sparks for programs and letting the Wildcats make a run at Allen Fieldhouse would raise some serious red flags for the Jayhawks.