Kansas Skyrockets in CBS Sports Rankings After Massive Win Over Tennessee

Kansas got its respect from a CBS Sports analyst following Wednesday’s victory to cap off the Players Era Festival.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self looks on during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There were questions about how the Kansas Jayhawks would perform in the Players Era Tournament with Darryn Peterson out for all three games in Las Vegas, but Bill Self's group responded by stringing three huge wins together. 

It began with a victory over Notre Dame, followed by a tight win over a Syracuse team that took Houston to overtime, and finally a win over No. 17 Tennessee, a previously undefeated squad that had beaten Houston the night before.

Doing all of this without Peterson has left people excited for what the Jayhawks can accomplish once he does return. 

CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish recently came out with his updated top 25 college basketball rankings, and he placed the Jayhawks at No. 14 nationally. This is a seven-spot jump following the win over Tennessee. KU only trails Arizona (No. 1), BYU (No. 5), and Iowa State (No. 9) in the Big 12 and even jumped title contender Houston. 

DAILY COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS: Here is Thursday morning's updated @CBSSports Top 25 And 1 -- with some words on Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks.

1. Arizona
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
4. UConn
5. BYUhttps://t.co/MZQjakQ3oS

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) November 27, 2025

"Kansas traveled to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival with a 3-2 record featuring two double-digit losses, no good wins and lots of questions considering the Jayhawks were about to play three games in three days without their best player, Darryn Peterson. None of this was ideal," Parrish wrote.

"There were reasons for KU fans to be concerned -- and there still are on some level, I guess," he continued. "But what could've been a really rough week that, worst-case scenario, would've sent Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach Bill Self into December with a losing record for the first time since he started 0-2 at Oral Roberts in 1994 actually went really well."

It has been quite the turnaround for KU, which was unranked in the previous AP Top 25 due to last week's loss to Duke in the Champions Classic. 

The Jayhawks entered the week with a 3-2 record, yet now sit at 6-2 with three quality wins.

What's Next for Kansas?

The next game on the schedule is a matchup against No. 5 UConn in Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

This long-anticipated matchup is one where the Jayhawks could really use Peterson. There is no clear answer on whether he will return for this game, but it should be sooner rather than later.

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