The No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks are on an absolute tear. An eight-game winning streak with the scalps of the No. 2, No. 13 (twice), and the No. 1 team in the nation, nothing looks like it can stop the Jayhawks, and the nation is taking notice.
From a conference start that saw the Jayhawks open play at 1-2, with tough losses to both UCF and West Virginia, fans would have been right if serious doubts had crept over the potential of this team.
However, over the course of just one month, the narrative of the program has flipped to a height that hasn’t reached over the past few years.
Thanks in especially to fan-favorites Flory Bidunga (14.9 PPG, 9.0 REB, 1.7 AST. 2.83 BPG, 68.6 FG%) and Melvin Council Jr. (14.1 PPF, 4.8 REB, 5.1 AST), this is a Kansas team with an aggressive front-footed high-flying identity that is both willing and able to ground out a slugfest or duke it out in high-scoring matchups, whatever the game calls for.
Kansas has the third-best odds to win the Big 12
Minutes ago, Isaac Trotter, in his piece “Trotter’s Trends,” broke down the CBS Sports model’s favorite of each high-major conference, and the Jayhawks were given their best evaluation all season.
Trotter gave Bill Self’s squad a 16% chance of winning the Big 12, with Houston and Arizona as the only two conference teams with higher chances. The Cougars were given a 55.8% chance, and the Wildcats, a 19.2% chance.
How has Kansas improved since the start of conference play?
While at the beginning of the season, any powerhouse can let its stats gloss over the cracks of its respective program, Kansas has done the inverse. As Big 12 play is now thoroughly underway, KU has improved in some of the game’s biggest stats.
States compiled from TeamRankings
Prior to Iowa State (January 13th)
Shooting rate: 46.7%, PPG: 77.5, PPG Allowed: 68.1
Current day (February 11th)
Shooting rate: 47.5%. PPG: 78, PPG Allowed: 67.8
What is next for the Jayhawks?
It was just this past Monday when Kansas defeated No. 1 Arizona in a thrilling 82-78 win, leaving them a trip out west later this month to decide the series.
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have yet to face Kelvin Sampson’s Houston squad and will only be given one opportunity this season to take on last season’s national runner-ups, as Houston will travel to Allen Fieldhouse on February 23rd.
Kansas’ next game will be against the Cyclones this Saturday in Ames, Iowa, where T.J. Otzelberger will be looking for revenge following their blowout 84-63 loss that kick-started Kansas’ winning run.
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