Kansas Basketball Hasn't Reached Its Ceiling, But Can It Get There?

Kansas earned its third top-five win Monday against Houston, and with Darryn Peterson's health improving, coach Bill Self believes the Jayhawks can get even better.

Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self celebrates against the Houston Cougars at Allen Fieldhouse. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The scariest part about Kansas might be what it hasn't yet become.

Monday's 69-56 win over No. 5 Houston was certainly impressive, but even more intriguing is that the performance displayed a long-term view of the Jayhawks' high ceiling.

Now 21-7 overall and tied for second with Houston in the Big 12 at 11-4, Kansas has had its ups and downs this season. It fell out of the top 25 in November –– and again in January –– before rising to No. 8 with a win over No. 1 Arizona, only to lose at home to unranked Cincinnati on Saturday.

"We're one of those teams that our ceiling is high, but also we can play to any level," Self said in his postgame interview on ESPN. "So we gotta tighten up a lot of stuff and become more consistent. "

Kansas has always had the pieces to play and win a game like Monday's against Houston, but it hasn't maintained that level of play throughout the year. Against Cincinnati, players attributed that to bad energy and not respecting the Bearcats. In other games it's been the absence of Darryn Peterson, or a poor shooting night.

But against Houston, all of the pieces came together to show just how elite Kansas can be at its best. Self couldn't resist handing out superlatives postgame, further displaying the Jayhawks' balance.

Self called Flory Bidunga as good of a defensive player in America as anyone. He referenced a stretch in the second half where Melvin Council Jr. dominated the game. He called Tre White the best offensive player in the game after scoring a game-high 23.

Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) drives against Houston at Allen Fieldhouse. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

He said the ball-screen defense was on point, adding that everyone contributed and that he was proud of their effort. He knew the "best-looking ugly" would win the game. That was seen by Kansas out-rebounding Houston –– an elite rebounding team -– by five.

That's all without mentioning Darryn Peterson, the potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick who's been in and out of the lineup throughout the year due to injuries.

Kansas needs Peterson for a deep NCAA Tournament run, but perhaps his absence has been beneficial to the growth of others.

"Has Tre gotten better? Has Flory gotten better? Has Bryson gotten better? Has Melvin gotten better? Has 'Mari and 'Marko gotten better? I think you can make a strong case that we've improved individually," Self said. "But I think winning some of those games without Darryn, even though it stunk, it may have been not the worst thing for us because it forced guys to be players as opposed to be contributors in many ways. So that was a positive, and now we just gotta find a blend and a balance that we can do a little bit of everything."

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) alongside Tre White (3) and Bryson Tiller (15) against the Houston Cougars at Allen Fieldhouse. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Along with Peterson's 14 points, Self said his presence stretches the floor for others. He also said it was a big step in the right direction to have Peterson log a second straight game with at least 30 minutes and finish the game healthy.

He's proven to have another gear offensively with six 20-plus point games, and Self believes Peterson can still be a much better defender. Just imagine Peterson's level of play if Self had a full season to coach him.

"When I say I haven't had a chance to coach him, I'm talking about day-to-day on the court where you can actually worry about the details that go into winning more so than the meat and potatoes of just being out there," Self said. "But tonight, he was great. His attitude was great, and hopefully he felt well ... and it'll be a great way to move forward."

With a main rotation of Peterson, Council, White, Bryson Tiller, Bidunga, Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, Kansas has a good combination of guard and post play required to make a deep run in March Madness.

But because they've also had letdowns like Saturday against Cincinnati and a few injuries, there's still some uncertainty moving forward.

"I think I have a decent feel of what we need to be," Self said. "I'm not sure I know who we are totally."

Kansas Jayhawks guard Tre White (3) talks to ESPN following their win over Houston Cougars at Allen Fieldhouse. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Self does know, however, is that Kansas can still get better, which is a scary thought if you ask No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Iowa State or No. 5 Houston, who lost to the Jayhawks by a combined 38 ponts.

"Our ceiling is still well in front of us," Self said. "I mean, there's a lot of great teams out there that are playing really well, and they can still improve and get better. But I think we got a big gap that we can get better, we just gotta get everybody healthy and on the same page and get two or three weeks together."

Things don't get any easier moving forward, as Kansas plays at No. 2 Arizona on Saturday before wrapping up the regular season against Arizona State and Kansas State.

The biggest question for Self and Kansas now is whether they have enough time to reach their ceiling and get hot at the right time when the NCAA Tournament arrives.

"I think so," Self said. "We're kind of against the wall a little bit. But the thing about it is if you can defend and rebound and not let people be comfortable, it always gives you a chance. And that's what we did tonight, and that's not what we did on Saturday."