LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas began the season as a formidable force, characterized by an impressive roster that included high-profile transfers like Zeke Mayo and AJ Storr, alongside All-American hopeful Hunter Dickinson and seasoned players familiar with success.
As the preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25, the Jayhawks initially performed to expectations.
However, the remainder of the season did not unfold as anticipated.
Kansas suffered a defeat to their historic rival Missouri in non-conference play, and experienced unexpected losses at home to West Virginia, Houston, and Texas Tech.
This saw them tumble from the Top 25, ending an 80-week streak, and they descended the Big 12 rankings.
As they approach their conference tournament, Kansas holds the No. 6 seed, potentially facing a similar or worse seeding in the NCAA tournament.
Coach Bill Self’s teams have never been seeded lower than No. 4 in this tournament.
“We’re talented enough. We were the preseason No. 1 team for a reason,” Dickinson expressed following their morale-boosting victory over Arizona on Saturday.
“We have the talent. But it’s just a matter of going out there and showing it.”
Kansas’ opportunity to demonstrate their capability begins Wednesday when they face either Utah or UCF in the Big 12 Tournament’s second round.
Kansas isn’t the only team once highly ranked that is attempting to gain momentum late in the season.
Fourteen teams, initially ranked in the preseason poll, have since fallen out.
While many remain secure in their NCAA qualifications, others linger on the bubble, with some needing to win their league tournaments to secure a berth.
Unranked teams still secure their NCAA appearance regardless, like Arizona, who slipped from the Top 25 but remains a solid Big 12 seed No. 3 contender.
Similarly, UConn, a two-time reigning national champion, dropped out in early February but holds the third seed in the Big East Tournament.
Other likely qualifiers include Creighton in second place in the Big East, Gonzaga as the No. 2 seed in the West Coast Conference, and Ole Miss seeded eighth in the SEC tournament.
In a fight to improve their standing, teams like Baylor, who fell from the preseason Top 25, also aim to make their mark.
Baylor’s recent close contest with second-ranked Houston, ahead of their Big 12 Tournament positioning as the seventh seed, suggests potential for redemption.
Arkansas, now in better form after a shaky start, will enter the SEC tourney from the No. 9 seed, needing victories to solidify their NCAA spot.
Likewise, Indiana shares this ninth seed place in the Big Ten Tournament.
North Carolina faces a challenging path, seeded fifth in the ACC, due to early losses against Stanford, Wake Forest, Pitt, and Duke.
They might require two wins to regain NCAA favor and safeguard Hubert Davis’ coaching tenure.
Texas, playing for coach Rodney Terry’s future and an NCAA berth, finds itself seeded 13th in the SEC, set to battle another bubble team, Vanderbilt.
Cincinnati, initially ranked 20th, along with Rutgers at 25th in the preseason, both face compelling pressure to triumph in their conference tournaments for NCAA entry.
Cincinnati, positioned as the 13th seed in the Big 12, starts against Oklahoma State, while Rutgers, 11th in the Big Ten, faces USC.
