“They’re looking a lot better lately. I’d say right before Christmas, they didn’t look as good against Arizona, but since then, they’ve been playing a lot more consistent basketball.”

After an inauspicious start to the season, Kansas (11-3 overall) has won three straight games, including an upset over then-No. 18 Tennessee.

Kansas will look to add another quality nonconference win to its résumé against the Spartans (12-2) who have won eight consecutive games and 26 straight at Breslin Center.

“They’re as good as what their preseason ranking was,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said Thursday at a press conference. “They’re a lot like us. They’re playing really well now. They’re a team that can obviously make a run at it and go to the Final Four.”

Although Kansas was the last team to rip down the nets during the Big Dance, the Jayhawks are hardly even a lock to make this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Having lost all five starters from last year — including four who were selected in the NBA Draft — the Jayhawks are in somewhat of a rebuilding mode.

Still, Kansas is nothing if not a tough out.

“They’re the national champions, they know how to win,” freshman forward Delvon Roe said. “They’ve got players that can make plays. It’s going to be a test for us — our bigs and our guards — to make sure we stop their penetration with (Sherron) Collins and make sure we do a lot of damage ourselves on the offensive end.”

Collins, the only regular from last year’s squad who returned to school, leads Kansas with 17.6 points per game. The 5-foot-11 guard has drawn comparisons to North Carolina guard Ty Lawson, who torched MSU for 17 points, eight assists and seven steals earlier this season, because of his blinding quickness.

Center Cole Aldrich, averaging 15.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, is Kansas’ other major scoring threat.

“As a high school player, we recruited Cole and he was a very good player then,” Izzo said. “They kind of brought him along slowly last year because of the big men they had, not necessarily because of what he was. He has really stepped up his game, as Collins has.”

Izzo said he plans on sticking multiple players on Collins, but will give senior guard Travis Walton the first crack at him. Roe and senior center Goran Suton will likely share time on Aldrich.

The Spartans also are anticipating a defensive lift from the Izzone, which will make its return to the student section after a month-long hiatus.

“It will be great to have the Izzone back, we will need them in a game like this,” sophomore guard Kalin Lucas said. “It’s going to be a great game, a hype game, so having the student crowd back is going to be exciting.”

Despite Kansas’ uncharacteristic absence from the polls, Izzo said his team will give the Jayhawks the respect they deserve.

“They are the defending national champs,” Izzo said. “That means they are national champs until somebody takes that spot over.”