Where Kansas Basketball Landed in KenPom's First Rankings of the Season

As the college basketball regular season approaches, longtime analyst and metric guru Ken Pomeroy has unveiled his first KenPom rankings for the 2025–26 campaign.

There were several surprises across the board, including seven Big 12 teams appearing inside the top 25, along with an intriguing early placement for the Kansas Jayhawks.

These rankings will constantly update every day throughout the season, but it will be interesting to compare where KU started at the beginning of the year later on.

First KenPom Rankings of 2025-26 Season

1. Houston
2. Florida
3. Purdue
4. Kentucky
5. UConn
6. Illinois
7. Duke
8. Gonzaga
9. Tennessee
10. UCLA
11. Michigan
12. Texas Tech
13. Iowa State
14. Louisville
15. Arizona
16. St. John’s
17. Baylor
18. BYU
19. Vanderbilt
20. Wisconsin
21. Kansas
22. USC
23. Alabama
24. Ole Miss
25. Michigan State

Kansas opens the season ranked No. 21 nationally with a +21.46 net rating. The Jayhawks are projected to post an offensive efficiency of 114.0 (42nd nationally) and a defensive efficiency of 92.6, which ranks among the top 10 defenses in the country.

Last year, KU finished No. 24 in KenPom, one of its lowest marks since the metric began over two decades ago, but expectations are higher for a bounce-back year.

The Jayhawks will look to rebound behind incoming freshman Darryn Peterson, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is widely considered one of the best guard prospects of this generation, as he can score from anywhere on the court and set up his teammates as a playmaker.

His supporting cast includes big man phenom Flory Bidunga and a revamped roster featuring several key transfer additions like Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, and Jayden Dawson. They all bring plus defense and athleticism to the table and should be excellent complementary pieces for Peterson.

MORE: Darryn Peterson Hints at His Kansas Backcourt Mate for 2025-26 Season

Big 12 programs ranked ahead of the Jayhawks include Houston (No. 1), Texas Tech (No. 12), Iowa State (No. 13), Arizona (No. 15), Baylor (No. 17), and BYU (No. 18).

Houston was the runner-up in last year's title game and should continue to dominate with Kelvin Sampson's defense-first scheme. The conference has other interesting contenders this year, including BYU, led by fellow star freshman and Peterson's rival, AJ Dybantsa.

As usual, the Big 12 is shaping up to be one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, but if Peterson is as good as advertised, KU has a legitimate chance to re-establish itself as one of the conference's contenders by the end of the season.