When guys like Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris, and KJ Adams chose to run it back with Bill Self instead of heading to the NBA, the hype around Kansas was through the roof. Fans expected dominance, analysts agreed, and that’s why the Jayhawks started the season as the No. 1 team in the country ahead of the defending champions UConn. But the season has panned out horribly for them. They’ve tumbled out of the Top 25, and cracks in the locker room are starting to show!

After the blowout defeat to BYU, Bill Self offered a look into the dynamics of his roster. “I thought this would be a great opportunity to be a team-bonding situation, but it hasn’t been and this hasn’t been a good trip,” he had admitted. The Jayhawks lost an embarrassing 91-57 to an unranked team while committing 15 turnovers and allowing 52% shooting. Self had emphasized the need to get away from each other and regroup before proceeding.

For a team with 6 new transfers, perfect on paper, the Jayhawks seem to have failed to piece the puzzle right. And the issue hasn’t gone unnoticed by the spectators.

When asked about what the future holds for Kansas this season, the former assistant coach of Wake Forest, Randolph Childress, didn’t have anything reassuring to say about the two-time NCAA champion and his team. He said, “I don’t see a final four in this group if I had to bet you know…I’d take more of a first-round exit, I don’t see a final-four in Kansas.” 

The Jayhawks have a 10-7 record in the Big 12 conference this season and have struggled against the good teams, going just 4-7 against Quad 1 teams. Dickinson has been inconsistent on the defensive end and Adams, no better on the offensive. Against BYU, he was limited to 4 points across 25 minutes on 2-of-5 from the field. Zeke Mayo has been one to show up, but against BYU and Kansas State, the guard would fumble too. To sum up? The players aren’t showing up when the team needs them the most.

However, as Self suggested, the team regrouped to come back for a 2-game win streak after the defeat to Cougars. But their 17-9 record and 23rd spot on the national ranking hasn’t got analysts or Childress’ hopes up.

He continues expressing a grave concern for Kansas, saying, “This team isn’t playing well, they’re leaking all to me coming down the stretch here. They’ll take care of business, there’s no doubt they’ll beat Colorado tonight [they did] but you know I don’t even think they’ll make a run in the Big 12 tournament let alone in the NCAA tournament.”

The five teams above them in the Big 12 are the top 25 teams in the country and winning the conference won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination.

But the road ahead doesn’t get any easier for Kansas. In fact, it gets even rougher. Their final stretch of games offers little reason for optimism, and if Bill Self and his squad don’t figure things out soon, their season could go from bad to worse real quick!

More trouble brewing for Bill Self?

After the 91-57 blowout loss to BYU, Bill Self made a big statement by saying the players and the coaches needed to be away from each other. “We need to get away from each other. I’ll tell you that point blank,” “Guys need to get home — we should be back around 5 a.m. — and get away from us (coaches) for a day.”

This approach did work for them as they bounced back with two wins on the trot against Oklahoma State and Colorado just like Childress had predicted! But both these teams were at the bottom of the conference and the Jayhawks were expected to come away with wins comfortably! But the real test lies ahead!

Kansas faces a brutal three-game stretch, hosting number 10 Texas Tech, hitting the road to take on number 4 Houston, and then wrapping up at home against number 22 Arizona. But believe it or not, ESPN still expects them to beat Texas Tech and Arizona at home! It will be tough, but not impossible!

Kansas might have bought themselves some breathing room with back-to-back wins, but the real storm is still ahead. With a brutal three-game stretch looming and doubts creeping in from analysts like Childress, the Jayhawks are running out of time to prove they’re more than just a first-round exit waiting to happen!