Kansas Reaches Season-High Mark in AP Poll Following Big Week

The Jayhawks found themselves in the top 10 for the first time all season this week.

Jan 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The AP Top 25 has been quite unkind to Kansas this season. The Jayhawks opened the year at No. 19 and yet, within three weeks, were unranked in November for the first time in 20 years.

Following a 1-2 start to conference play that included losses to mediocre UCF and West Virginia squads, Bill Self's group once again fell out of the poll in the Jan. 12 edition. Less than a month later, however, KU has surged all the way back, making its first top-10 appearance since Jan. 13, 2025.

The Jayhawks' impressive seven-game winning streak has AP voters believing again, as they jumped two spots from No. 11 to No. 9 in this week's rankings, being the fourth Big 12 school ranked.

BREAKING: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/7roX4J2ynl pic.twitter.com/zTRm0ar9I5

— On3 (@On3) February 9, 2026

AP Top 25 Rankings (Feb. 9)

1. Arizona
2. Michigan
3. Houston
4. Duke
5. Iowa State
6. UConn
7. Nebraska
8. Illinois
9. Kansas
10. Michigan State
11. North Carolina
12. Gonzaga
13. Purdue
14. Florida
15. Virginia
16. Texas Tech
17. St. John's
18. Saint Louis
19. Vanderbilt
20. Clemson
21. Arkansas
22. BYU
23. Miami (OH)
24. Louisville
25. Kentucky

The rise can be attributed to a pair of wins this past week, starting with a road victory over Texas Tech and followed by a home win against Utah. The win over the Red Raiders was one of the most impressive of the season, as KU overcame a late deficit behind the heroics of star freshman Darryn Peterson in the game's closing moments.

In the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the Jayhawks made the same jump from No. 11 to No. 9, sitting behind Arizona, Houston, and Iowa State in the Big 12, which account for three of the top four teams nationally. It also marks KU's highest placement in the Coaches Poll this season.

Ben Queen-Imagn Images

This remarkable stretch began with last month's win over previously undefeated No. 2 Iowa State, and Self and Co. haven't looked back since. They took care of business at Bramlage Coliseum for their first win in Manhattan since 2022 and defeated BYU at home a little over a week ago.

Now, Kansas will face yet another unbeaten squad with No. 1 Arizona coming to town. A victory would almost certainly push the Jayhawks even higher next week, regardless of the outcome of Saturday's road test at Iowa State, given Arizona's sheer dominance at 23-0.

Either way, the turnaround the team has made over the past month has been incredible. Nobody could have predicted the Jayhawks would be sitting inside the top 10 again this quickly.