Fort Worth, Texas — The Kansas men’s basketball team jumped up two spots to No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, picking up seven first-place votes in the process.
The latest poll was released at 11 a.m. Monday morning, and it showed that KU’s win over Baylor on Saturday drew some attention around the country.
Kansas received first-place votes from Brenna Greene of KOIN TV in Portland, Dave Borges of the New Haven (Conn.) Register, Dylan Sinn of The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Gannett’s Jerry Carino, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Zach Klein of WSB in Atlanta.
The lowest the Jayhawks were ranked this week was No. 7.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Kansas basketball at TCU
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KU has yet to fall out of the top 10 this season, extending its streak of consecutive top-10 appearances to 35 weeks, dating back to the 2021-22 preseason poll. That is the longest active streak in college basketball.
KU landed behind No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Alabama at the top of the poll. The Cougars received 48 first-place votes and Alabama, which was ranked on top last week before losing to Tennessee over the weekend, received seven first-place votes like Kansas.
In all, six Big 12 Conference teams remained ranked this week, including three in the top 10 and Monday’s KU opponent, TCU, at No. 24.
KU, Texas (8th) and Baylor (9th) landed in the top 10, while Kansas State (14th), Iowa State (23rd) and TCU rounded out the Big 12’s presence in the latest poll. Oklahoma State, which lost twice last week, received one vote in this week’s poll.
Gradey Dick honored by Big 12
After scoring a career-high 26 points in a big road win at Oklahoma State early last week, KU freshman Gradey Dick followed it up with 16 more in a home win over Baylor.
The 21-point average for the week earned the Wichita native the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Week honor for the third time this season and the first since Dec. 5. Dick also won the honor on Nov. 21.
The sharp-shooting freshman guard’s 63 3-point makes entering Monday’s game had him tied for fourth in the Big 12 and ranked fifth on KU’s all-time list for freshmen.
This marks the fifth Big 12 weekly honor for a Jayhawk in 2022-23. Redshirt-junior forward Jalen Wilson was the Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 5, while teammate KJ Adams was the player of the week on Jan. 16. Besides today, Dick was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5.
Dick made good on the honor, scoring 14 first-half points, including 10 of KU’s first 12 against TCU on Monday night. He finished with 19 for the night, after scoring KU’s first five points of the second half, as well.
Big Monday history
Kansas played its third and final Big Monday contest of the season on Monday night — of a possible four per season — with two of the three coming on the road.
The Jayhawks have more Big Monday appearances than any program in the Big 12 (100) since the inception of the league back in 1996. The Jayhawks are now 78-22 all-time on ESPN’s basketball showcase night following the battle with the Frogs — 47-1 at home and 31-21 on the road.
Those marks included a 58-16 record under current Kansas coach Bill Self, whose KU teams have never lost at Big Monday at home.
KU now has won 23 of its last 27 games on Big Monday.
This and that…
Monday’s win gives KU 11 conference victories for the 29th consecutive season, a streak that began during the 1994-95 season and is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I… Kansas is now 7-3 in true road games this season and 10-4 in games played away from Allen Fieldhouse… The Jayhawks now lead the series with TCU, 25-4, which includes an 8-2 mark at Schollmaier Arena… The Jayhawks are now 10-2 all-time against the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth… At 23-5 overall, KU now has 23 wins or more for the 19th time in Bill Self’s 20 seasons in charge of the program. It also marks the 24th time in Self’s 30 seasons as a head coach that he has reached 23 wins.
