When the Kansas Jayhawks suffered a 15-point second-half scoring differential in the midst of their 86-75 loss last Saturday to the West Virginia Mountaineers, it was probably in the back of fans' minds that their No. 22 slot would likely see them drop from the AP Top 25.
Minutes ago, that status was confirmed as the Jayhawks fell down to the “others receiving votes” category for the second time this season.
The first occurred when the Jayhawks started their season with a near-.500 record at 3-2 after Kansas lost to the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils in a 78-66 loss.
Room for hope?
After Kansas dropped out the first time following their loss to Duke, Kansas went on a 7-1 stretch with their only loss coming to the No. 5 UConn Huskies in a 61-56 loss.
During that stretch, Kansas went to the Players Era Championship, where they tallied a smooth 3-0 record with two wins over ACC competition (71-61 win against Notre Dame, 71-60 win over Syracuse), along with what may be one of the cult-favorite wins this season in a come-from-behind 81-76 win over Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers.
Kansas also dismantled the Missouri Tigers in what was a sweet 80-60 win, Melvin Council Jr. then went for a ballistic 36 points against NC State in a 77-76 win, and two blowout wins over Towson and Davidson followed before Big 12 play got underway.
What is next for the Jayhawks?
Playing in the Big 12 does mean there is always room for a kick-start win out of nowhere. For example, the Jayhawks are set to take on the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones in just over 24 hours. Two games later, Kansas will take on Kansas State in what will be a highly anticipated Sunflower Showdown, proving that in the matter of 40 minutes, the stock of the Kansas Jayhawks could skyrocket.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.
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