LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball is on a two-game winning streak, and that’s led to the Jayhawks being ranked No. 19 in Monday’s update of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Jayhawks (13-5, 3-2 in Big 12) were ranked No. 25 last week. Then came KU’s wins against now-No. 9 Iowa State and Baylor — both at home. Those victories helped renew momentum around coach Bill Self’s team early in its Big 12 Conference slate after Kansas had gotten off to a sluggish start.
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The Big 12 also features No. 1 Arizona, No. 6 Houston, No. 9 Iowa State, No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 13 BYU. Not on that list are Colorado or Kansas State, the teams KU will face Tuesday and Saturday on the road, respectively. Kansas has yet to win on the road against a Big 12 team this season, with Self and company’s only true road win this season coming in non-conference play against North Carolina State.
The Jayhawks have been playing better with freshman guard Darryn Peterson a regular part of the lineup again. They’ll need that to continue this week if they’re going to want to remain a part of the race for a Big 12 regular season title. Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga will need to continue to play well, too.
Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson (22) yells out to fans following a game against Baylor inside Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 16, 2026.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Did Kansas basketball rise in latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?
