The Kansas Jayhawks have completely revamped their 2026-27 roster in the past few weeks, unexpectedly adding a pair of key starters from last year's team thanks to individual lawsuits against the NCAA. Unless Tre White or Melvin Council Jr. have their injunctions reversed in the coming weeks, they will be members of this squad.
Before that duo of players returned, though, the national outlook on Bill Self's Jayhawks was mixed. Just like last season, there is a clear top option in star freshman Tyran Stokes but a number of unproven pieces around him. It appears that ESPN's skepticism has persisted despite KU's latest recruiting wins.
Jeff Borzello recently released his final preseason top 25 of the year before the college basketball campaign commences. He's bumped them up from No. 25 to No. 19 from his previous ranking, but still only has Kansas as the fourth-best school in the Big 12.
Schools to finish ahead of KU in the conference in this prediction are Arizona (No. 4), Texas Tech (No. 9), and Houston, one spot ahead of the Jayhawks (No. 18). Here's what Borzello said to justify his updated ranking:
"Even before Kansas was one of the biggest beneficiaries of recent five-for-five decisions — getting back a pair of starters in Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White — the Jayhawks were going to open the season in the top 25," Borzello wrote. "Bill Self is back for another year in Lawrence, and he's bringing in another player who will be in the No. 1 NBA draft pick discussion all season in Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2026."
An important caveat is that Borzello posted additional scenarios where all fifth-year players were ruled ineligible, and surprisingly, Kansas would only drop two spots to No. 21 under this hypothetical. It seems a bit odd that the addition of two All-Big 12 players would only boost them two spots.
Fellow ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi, who is renowned for his "bracketology," slotted the Jayhawks in as the best No. 4 seed in his latest bracket, which hypothetically places them at No. 13 overall. However, Borzello's projection aligns more closely with CBS Sports, which most recently had KU at No. 18 in the country.
With the preseason opener just a week away and the Preseason AP Top 25 looming, it appears Kansas will fall somewhere between the No. 15 and No. 20 range unless something happens to remove White and/or Council from the equation.
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Today's best reads
- A Scary Truth About Kansas Basketball's Current 2026-27 Roster Situation
- Former Kansas Guard Melvin Council Jr. Granted Injunction: Will He Return to Jayhawks?
- Kansas Jumps Back Into CBS Sports' Top 25 After Bringing Back Tre White
- Why Kansas Basketball Could Look Beyond Melvin Council Jr. For One Final Addition
- Kansas HC Bill Self Offers Glowing Praise for Returning Star Tre White
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kansas as Where Kansas Basketball Finished in ESPN's Preseason Top 25 Rankings for 2026-27.
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