Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For the 34th-consecutive season, the Kansas men's basketball team is ranked in the Associated Press (AP) Preseason Men's Basketball Poll. The Jayhawks, ranked in each preseason poll since the 1990-91 season, check in at No. 19 in the preseason poll announced Oct. 13.
The AP preseason poll started in 1962 and this marks the 48th time Kansas has appeared in the poll that is selected by a media panel. The 48 ranks fifth most in NCAA Division I history behind Kentucky (58), North Carolina (56), Duke (50), and UCLA (49).
Kansas is one of six Big 12 teams ranked in the AP preseason top 25, which ties for the most nationally with the Big Ten and the SEC. Kansas is ranked along with No. 2 Houston, No. 8 BYU, No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 13 Arizona, and No. 16 Iowa State. The six ranked league teams are tied for the most in conference history, matching the mark set last season to open the 2024-25 season.
This also marked the fourth time in the last six years that at least five Big 12 teams have been ranked by AP in the preseason.
Kansas will play 10 games against teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, and potentially one more in the third game of the Players Era, Nov. 25 or 26. Seven of the 10 games will be against Big 12 foes with No. 2 Houston, No. 8 BYU, No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 13 Arizona (twice), and No. 16 Iowa State (twice). KU will also play No. 4 UConn, No. 6 Duke and No. 25 North Carolina.
Under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, who enters his 23rd season at Kansas, KU features returners Flory Bidunga, Jamari McDowell and Elmarko Jackson. Self welcomes eight newcomers to the KU squad, featuring freshman Darryn Peterson, the top-rated recruit in the nation, and four upperclassmen transfers – Melvin Council Jr., Jayden Dawson, Nginyu "Gee" Ngala, and Tre White.
Peterson, the third No. 1 ranked national recruit to play for Self at Kansas, joining Andrew Wiggins and Josh Jackson, is surrounded by a talented freshmen class this year, including Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya, Bryson Tiller, Samis Calderon and Corbin Allen.
Fans will get a first look at the 2025-26 Jayhawks at Late Night in the Phog presented by Hy-Vee on Friday, Oct. 17, at 6:30 p.m. CT, inside historic Allen Fieldhouse.