MANHATTAN, Kan. — Ranked No. 16, Kansas is facing challenges that threaten their standing in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. The Jayhawks, once the preseason No. 1 team, have struggled to find consistency, recently alternating between victories and losses over their last six games, including a setback against Kansas State with a final score of 81-73. In this matchup, Kansas (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) struggled throughout, only holding a brief lead at 21-20 during the first half.

Head coach Bill Self’s team is now grappling with how to regain their momentum. Forward KJ Adams Jr. expressed the team’s uncertainty, stating, “I don’t know what’s holding us back from a winning streak. College basketball has a unique vibe right now with players frequently coming and going. We just need to come together as a team to resolve this.”

Self shared his frustrations about the team’s inability to maintain a high level of gameplay consistently. “It has been tough for us to display back-to-back performances with the necessary energy,” he noted. “There are moments when we can effectively contain elite opponents, yet there are times when we struggle to defend at all.”

Kansas has secured a spot in the rankings for 78 weeks, marking the second-longest active streak in Division I, trailing only Houston’s 99 weeks. Their record over the past few weeks has oscillated between wins against TCU, UCF, and Iowa State, contrasted with losses to Houston, Baylor, and Kansas State.

Despite the current struggles, Kansas still has ample opportunity to rectify their issues. Hunter Dickinson stated, “Our primary goal for the next six games is to achieve consistency. I believe this is what Coach Self is focusing on, and it makes sense. Achieving consistency in these next games can be a positive sign for our aspirations in the NCAA Tournament because in the tournament, teams must deliver sustained efforts over six games. A single disappointing performance could lead to an early exit.”

A significant factor in the loss to Kansas State was the early foul trouble faced by point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., who played just four minutes in the first half. Although he completed the second half, his scoring was limited to just four points.

Self commented on the impact of Harris’ limited playing time, saying, “His absence was felt significantly. There were some unfortunate fouls; I didn’t see the last one, but it was reportedly a good call. Losing one of our key players certainly hampers our stability and consistency.”