Kansas basketball drops significantly in AP Poll following two loss week

The Kansas basketball team entered the 2024-25 campaign with high expectations. For the second year in a row, the Jayhawks entered the campaign ranked atop the AP Poll. A slew of transfer additions and returning starters had voters bought into KU despite last year's down season in Lawrence.

A handful of early-season wins vs. blue-blood schools strengthed Bill Self and Co.'s resume. However, the hype has since died down after a disastrous road trip that saw the Jayhawks lose a pair of games to unranked opponents. It should come as no surprise that the No. 1 ranking is far out of reach for Kansas now:

AP Poll drops Kansas basketball to No. 10 after two loss week

Losing to Creighton alone might not have resulted in such a steep decline, but the Border Showdown defeat to Missouri was the icing on the cake. A two-loss week this early in the season was bound to drop the Jayhawks in the rankings, even with their No. 1 preseason ranking.

Tennessee leaped to the top spot in the country. They are the only undefeated team in the top eight. Meanwhile, Auburn, Iowa State, and Duke trail the Vols. Four Big 12 schools maintained their spot in the poll.

Kansas has two victories over squads in the current poll. The aforementioned Blue Devils landed at No. 4 in the country, and the Jayhawks defeated them in the Vegas Showdown. Michigan State landed at No. 21; Kansas beat them in the Champions Classic. Meanwhile, UNC dropped out of the polls following its disappointing 5-4 start.

Creighton and Missouri did not find themselves in the top 25, though they both received votes. The Tigers were the fourth team out with 119 total votes, while the Bluejays were the 14th team out with 32 total votes.

Kansas should remain in the top 10 until the next poll comes out, though teams ahead of them would likely need to lose for them to rise. The only game the Jayhawks play this week is a home matchup against NC State on Saturday.