LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball is now on a seven-game winning streak, and that’s helped the Jayhawks rise to No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
The Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2 in Big 12) were ranked No. 11 last week. Then, they went on to defeat now-No. 16 Texas Tech on the road and Utah at home. This week, KU is set to face No. 1 Arizona on Monday at home and No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday on the road.
The Big 12 Conference also features No. 3 Houston and No. 22 BYU. Kansas has yet to face Houston this season, but did recently beat BYU at home. The Jayhawks’ lone game during the regular season against Houston isn’t until Feb. 23, at home amid another Saturday-Monday turnaround after a home game against Cincinnati.
KU freshman Darryn Peterson has been able to finish games in recent days, despite his injury issues earlier this season. Sophomore Flory Bidunga has thrived, becoming even more of a presence in the paint. That senior Melvin Council Jr. has continued to be consistent hasn’t hurt, either, especially ahead of one of the more challenging weeks a team could see across the college ranks this season.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Is Kansas basketball in top 10 of USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?