Kansas basketball lost again.

This time, it was an 81-73 defeat to an 11-11 Kansas State team in a game the Jayhawks were supposed to win. That makes three losses in the last five Big 12 games.

A team that started the season as the preseason No. 1 is now sitting at 16-7 overall, 7-5 in conference play, and staring at a ranking in the 20s when Monday’s AP poll drops.

So… what’s going on? Is it roster construction? A lack of chemistry? Just bad luck?

Bill Self put together a team that, on paper, had everything it needed to win a national title.

Hunter Dickinson was brought in to be a dominant inside force, and while he scored 21 against Kansas State, he still disappears at times defensively. This team struggles inside, even with a guy like Dickinson in the middle.

Dajuan Harris Jr. has long been a steady presence at point guard, but Kansas continues to have turnover issues, including 14 in Saturday’s loss. That’s not all on Harris, but for a team that prides itself on being experienced, it’s a problem that keeps showing up.

Zeke Mayo was supposed to be a scoring spark, and he looked good in the first half against Kansas State. But in the second half? Just three shots. That can’t happen.

He has to stay aggressive, but right now, he looks like he’s hit a bit of a wall in Big 12 play.

KJ Adams had a strong start as well, scoring in double figures before halftime, but he didn’t even attempt a meaningful shot after the break. It’s becoming a theme—Kansas has stretches where everything clicks, but then players disappear when they’re needed most.

The bench hasn’t helped much either. Flory Bidunga has had some decent moments, but overall, Kansas isn’t getting the kind of depth it needs.

The offense goes stagnant for long stretches, and when that happens, there isn’t anyone stepping up to change the momentum.

This team was built to win a championship. Instead, it’s struggling to win road games against unranked teams.

The pieces don’t seem to fit together the way they should.

Kansas can still turn things around, but at this point, it feels like a team trying to hold onto a respectable tournament seed rather than one built to cut down the nets in April.