It wasn’t that long ago that Kansas was an unstoppable force in the Big 12 Conference.
When a single program claims 14 straight conference championships and 17 conference championships in 20 years, that is a level of dominance that has only been seen one other time in the history of college basketball, and you’d have to go back to the old John Wooden teams from UCLA to find it.
So, what’s going on with Kansas basketball now?
First of all, B-R-E-A-T-H-E
Let’s start by establishing that the sky isn’t falling in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks have an overall record of 12-4 and are still ranked in the Top 10—at least for now.
They are currently a top-five team in the Big 12 and likely to finish in the top three.
They have neutral court wins over No. 3 Duke and No. 12 Michigan State, and their road losses are mostly acceptable outcomes, given the circumstances. The loss at Creighton makes sense, as the Bluejays are always a tough team to play at their place. Missouri just beat No. 5 Florida on the road and might just be better than anyone gave them credit for. And, most recently, the loss at Iowa State came against the No. 2 team in the nation, which has now won 28 straight home games in Ames.
As it stands, the 62-61 loss to West Virginia in the conference opener is the lone head-scratcher this season. It was their first conference opening loss since 1991 and their first ever Big 12 conference opener loss.
Are teams no longer intimidated by the Jayhawks, or is this just the way of college basketball these days?
Times Are Changing, and So is Basketball
It might be a little bit of both. The playing field has never been more even than it is right now in college basketball, thanks to the transfer portal and NIL. Kansas has always been able to get top recruits and continues to do so with its rich tradition, history, and track record of success. Building a roster the “old school way” just won’t cut it anymore. Of course, you will want a few players you can build up as freshmen and have them until they are juniors or seniors, but that’s easier said than done in today’s college basketball climate. If a player isn’t getting the playing time they think they deserve, they will often just move on to another opportunity.
Kansas head coach Bill Self went all out in the transfer portal for the first time last offseason. When Kansas sputtered down the stretch last season after playing with a super thin bench, Self decided he needed to go all in if he was going to compete for a championship. Making this shift was a big deal for Self and so far, the results have been mixed.
It’s taken a while, but the rotation is finally in place for the transfer portal players. Zeke Mayo and Shakeel Moore are the starters while Rylan Griffen, AJ Storr, and David Coit are off-the-bench guys. Self has also been able to mix in his two highly recruited freshmen, big man Flory Bidunga and guard Rakease Passmore, trying to combine the old-school and new-school way of roster building.
The jury is still out on whether this will work out for the Jayhawks, as things have not been a disaster, but it’s been far from ideal for the preseason No.1 team.
This Team Doesn’t Appear to Have a Legitimate Superstar
One concern for the Jayhawks has been the play of Hunter Dickinson. He is supposed to be an All-American player. He’s a fifth-year senior. He’s in his second year at Kansas. He has not lived
up to the expectation. Last season, it seemed like Dickinson could get a 20-point, 10-rebound
game in his sleep. Now, that seems rare for him. The Jayhawks will need their key players to step up as the season unfolds in conference play. Dickinson’s not been nearly as dominant, which makes Kansas seem much less intimidating than they have been in years past.
Let’s be honest: Dickinson isn’t Joel Embiid, Thomas Robinson, Udoke Azubuke, or any number of top-tier big men who have come through Kansas. Dejuan Harris isn’t Frank Mason, Tyshawn Taylor, Devon Dotson, or Devonte Graham. He’s a fine point guard, but he isn’t an All-American and can’t take over a game. KJ Adams is a decent player, but nothing over-the-top special.
Mayo, one of Self’s transfer portal players, might be the best of the bunch with his ability to take over a game on the offensive end. He’s also a Lawrence native and understands the culture and what winning means to Kansas. That can sometimes get lost in the mix with transfers coming into Kansas, but not with a guy like Mayo, who was brought up around the tradition.
The Big 12 Has Changed, Too
Another thing to consider is the expansion of the Big 12 conference, meaning Kansas has more competition than ever before. Not every new team in the Big 12 will be a dominant force, but adding teams like Houston and Arizona, who have been solid programs that have been top-tier teams the past several seasons, makes the league that much tougher.
The Cougars and Wildcats didn’t come into the Big 12 fearing any of their new conference foes, Kansas included.
Perhaps that’s the problem for Kansas, and if so, they’ll need to find some way to get that edge back. However, once the mystique and aura of Kansas basketball have been cracked, it may be hard to get that back fully.
Still, Allen Fieldhouse is one of the toughest places to play in America, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Ask Houston, who came into Lawrence as a top-five team in the nation in 2024 and got smoked by a struggling Kansas squad.
While Kansas doesn’t currently appear to be worthy of their preseason No. 1 ranking and top odds to win a national championship, they will still be a force to reckon with this year and in the future. As long as Bill Self moves ahead with the times and adjusts accordingly, Kansas can keep its mojo and continue competing for championships in the Big 12 and nationally.
As for the here and now, this next stretch of conference matchups will push the team ahead for this season, and that starts with a home tilt against Kansas State on Saturday.
