A great Kansas Jayhawks team is always a contender in the NCAA Tournament.
This season, the Jayhawks have overcome obstacles. February is here, and Bill Self's squad is playing like it is one of the better teams in the country at the right time. However, it did not start out this way.
Kansas began the season ranked No. 19 in the country. A couple of early losses to No. 25 North Carolina and No. 5 Duke pushed them outside the Top 25, a rare occurrence. However, Kansas went 3-0 in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas and jumped back into the Top 25 for a short bit. The non-conference continued to be difficult with a loss to No. 6 UConn to open December. Once conference play started, the Jayhawks lost to UCF and West Virginia on the road. They fell out of the rankings again.
The loss to West Virginia put an end to the bad play, at least for now. Sell's team has not lost since the loss to the Mountaineers on January 10. They are 7-2 in Big 12 play, two games back of the undefeated No. 1 Arizona Wildcats. Kansas defeated No. 2 Iowa State by 21 points at home and followed it up with wins against Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State, No. 14 BYU, and lastly, No. 13 Texas Tech on the road.
Why Kansas is a clear March Madness contender
The Jayhawks take on Utah this Saturday, followed by a massive week against Arizona at home on Monday and then on the road at No. 7 Iowa State on the 14th. Even if they lose both games, the Jayhawks would still be in a good position to finish as a top-3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and a top-5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas has skyrocketed to No. 11 in the nation, and they could be higher by the time they take on Arizona on Monday night. This will be one of the bigger games of the entire college basketball season because the Wildcats will have a chance to lose their first game of the season on the road in a hostile environment. If Kansas does win, they would have wins against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. They would solidify themselves as a clear contender in March Madness.
Kansas also has wins against No. 17 Tennessee, NC State, and TCU in overtime. It has not looked pretty, but the Jayhawks are forming into the team they were meant to be.
Who is leading the way?
Darryn Peterson is one of the best players in the country. When he is healthy, the Jayhawks become one of the best teams in the country. The issue is that Kansas has had to play 10 games without him. In 12 games this season, Peterson is averaging 21.1 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and shoots 49.4% from the field and 43.2% from beyond the arc. The freshman from Ohio is going to be a Top 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft if he declares.
Peterson has scored at least 16 points in every game this season, with a high of 32 against TCU in OT. He shows up on the defensive end as well, with six games with at least two steals and one 3-steal game. Peterson has seven blocks in 12 games as well.
In the massive road win vs. Texas Tech, Peterson played a season-high of 35 minutes. That is a great sign, knowing that he isn't on any restrictions and is healthy enough to play during this final run of conference play.
Tre White, Flory Bidunga, and Melvin Council Jr. are all playing incredibly this season. All are averaging at least 13.8 points per game and contribute with rebounding and assists. Bidunga leads the team at 8.9 boards per game (tied-40th), while Council Jr. leads the team in assists at 5.0 (tied-66th).
White plays like one of the better guards in the country, forming a great duo alongside Peterson. White is 6-foot-7, and averages 7.2 rebounds along with his 14.5 points. He shoots 48.5% from the field and 44.6% from deep (51.1% at home).
If all four of these players are clicking at once, then Kansas can beat anyone in the country, and the biggest test of all will be next Monday against No. 1 Arizona.
