Projecting where Kansas basketball, coach Bill Self might start 2025-26 season in top 25

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball will play a pair of exhibition games later this month, before coach Bill Self and company start their regular season in November.

The Jayhawks will be on the road on Oct. 24 for an exhibition against Louisville. They’ll be back at home on Oct. 28 for an exhibition against Fort Hays State. Both precede the regular season opener Nov. 3 at home against Green Bay.

But while fans will have to wait a bit longer to see their team in action, the opportunity remains to project where KU might start the 2025-26 campaign in the top 25. Across the nation, teams — not just Kansas — have been able to learn a lot about themselves in recent months. The Jayhawks, specifically, are set to be led by a duo of freshman guard Darryn Peterson and sophomore forward Flory Bidunga.

Here are a few projections on where Kansas might start the upcoming season in the top 25:

On3 — No. 11

This places Kansas just outside of the top 10, at No. 11, but it’s still a favorable projection for the Jayhawks as tip-off approaches. It’d also set KU up well to compete in the Big 12 Conference, as only No. 2 Houston would be ranked ahead among league opponents. Should that preseason ranking come Kansas’ way, it’ll likely have a lot to do with expectations around Peterson and a respect for what Self has accomplished over the years.

CBS Sports — No. 16

This still has Kansas safely within the top 20, at No. 16, but the road to a Big 12 championship looks far tougher than the previous projection. There’d be No. 2 Houston, No. 7 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 12 Arizona and No. 15 Iowa State all in the Jayhawks’ way. It’s a sign that as much as Peterson could potentially be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he’s going to need help this season from more than just Bidunga.

ESPN — No. 22

This projection drops Kansas out of the top 20, at No. 22, but keeps the Jayhawks in the top 25 to start things out. Once again, KU would have to traverse a loaded group of Big 12 contenders with No. 3 Houston, No. 7 BYU, No. 11 Texas Tech, No. 13 Arizona and No. 15 Iowa State. If transfers like senior guards Melvin Council Jr. (St. Bonaventure), Jayden Dawson (Loyola-Chicago) and Tre White (Illinois) can all step up and be factors as expected, though, that’ll do a lot to not just help Peterson but also allow some of the younger talents to develop and contribute in time themselves.

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 [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball Bill Self top 25 projection On3 ESPN CBS Sports 2025