The Kansas basketball team has put together one of the most impressive resumes in the first few weeks of the 2024-25 season. Bill Self’s Jayhawks have a 6-0 record and have held the top AP Poll ranking in the country since the preseason.

Despite voters’ confidence in KU, the KenPom rankings did not favor the Jayhawks earlier in the year. The advanced metric system gave Kansas a sixth-place national ranking in October. Even after a massive win over Duke in the Vegas Showdown, the metrics still favor several teams over KU.

A handful of top-ranked schools across the country lost this week, including reigning champion UConn, which was defeated in each of the three Maui Invitational games. Three of the top five teams in the country will inevitably slide in the rankings once the next AP poll comes out. Meanwhile, Kansas strengthened its record in a tough non-conference game.

Regardless, KenPom, one of the most trusted analytics sites in college basketball, still has seven teams ahead of the Jayhawks. Auburn, Tennessee, Houston, Duke, Gonzaga, Iowa State and most recently Florida after their win on Friday lead KU in the rankings.

Coach Self’s team has an offensive rating of 119.0, the 11th best grade in the country and the 14th best defensive rating of 93.9. However, they only have a net rating of +25.07, while Auburn’s +32.32 is the highest in the country.

Many fans believe Auburn should finish in the top spot given their current schedule. The Tigers earned hard-fought victories over No. 5 Iowa State and No. 6 Houston, as well as a convincing win over No. 12 North Carolina. Even after Kansas defeated fellow blue-blood Duke, Bruce Pearl and Co. were able to overtake KU in the rankings and drop it to No. 2.

Although they have blown big leads and still have more to prove, if they maintain this level of play, Kansas will be among the best in the country all season long.