Kansas guard Brandon Rush (25) signals Jayhawk ball before an enraged Missouri student section. The Jayhawks moved up to No. 2 in both major polls released Monday on the strength of their 76-70 victory Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

Kansas guard Brandon Rush (25) signals Jayhawk ball before an enraged Missouri student section. The Jayhawks moved up to No. 2 in both major polls released Monday on the strength of their 76-70 victory Saturday in Columbia, Mo.

A No. 2 national ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN college basketball polls satisfies Kansas University’s players … for now.

“If I had my way, I’d rather be 2. When you are 1, there’s nowhere to go but down,” KU senior Russell Robinson said Monday after learning Memphis moved from No. 2 to 1 and KU from No. 3 to 2 two days after top-ranked North Carolina’s loss to Maryland.

“It’s an improvement, and it gives us something to work toward,” Robinson added.

The 18-0 Jayhawks, who have won one more game than Memphis, are right on the tails of the Tigers.

Memphis received 49 first-place votes and 1,777 points in the AP poll, compared to KU’s 23 first-place votes and 1,751 points. In the USA Today/ESPN poll, Memphis tallied 21 firsts and 765 points to KU’s 10 firsts and 754 points.

“I knew that Memphis was going to get it,” sophomore Darrell Arthur said. “They were No. 2, and I knew they were going to move up. They have a pretty easy conference (Conference USA). I think they can go undefeated pretty easily. We have a pretty tough schedule. Anything can happen.”

Junior Brandon Rush said moving up just one slot, “doesn’t bother me. There are two undefeated teams left in the country. They picked Memphis over us, so I have no problem with that.

“I thought we had a chance (at No. 1),” Rush added, “but according to the polls we’re No. 2, and we’re going to stay there until somebody else loses. But I don’t have a problem with it at all.”

Junior Mario Chalmers had similar sentiments.

“It’s a good ranking for us,” Chalmers said, “but we can’t be happy with it because we know we still have a lot to do.”

KU big men Darnell Jackson and Cole Aldrich were a bit more worked up in expressing their thoughts.

“We should be No. 1. It’s kind of disappointing we are No. 2, but we’ll definitely show everybody who is No. 1 at the end of the year,” freshman Aldrich said.

Senior Jackson, who has been talking about “hanging a banner” in the fieldhouse following the season, noted: “One day we’ll experience being No. 1. When I got here my freshman year we were No. 1. As long as we keep playing hard, great things will happen.”

KU coach Bill Self said No. 2 would be good enough heading into Wednesday’s 6 p.m. home game against Iowa State.

“I think Memphis started out ahead of us. They haven’t done anything to warrant anyone believing they haven’t done what they are supposed to do,” Self said. “We’ve played fairly consistent, and I don’t know if 2 or 1 or whatever means anything right now. I think it’ll certainly be motivation for our guys. We haven’t gotten to where we want to go.

“Then if you are No. 1, you try to hang onto it as long as you can. I don’t read too much into it. We’re probably about where we should be.”

The Jayhawks realize that, as a top-five team, they are a big game on any team’s schedule.

“Teams are coming at our heads, playing harder and harder,” Arthur said. “The Big 12 Conference is pretty tough. We have to play our game and match the intensity of our opponents.”

“There’s always a little pressure, but only as much as you put on yourself,” frosh Aldrich noted. “We’re going out there and having fun playing basketball.”

If KU does eventually ascend to No. 1 … “it would be cool,” Arthur said. “We are not worried about it. We probably won’t be ranked No. 1 unless Memphis loses. We’re not thinking about it now. We’re thinking about Iowa State. I think we’ve got a great team. If we play like a team I think we can go far.”

¢ISU update: Wednesday’s foe, Iowa State, features this week’s Big 12 player of the week. Sophomore guard Wesley Johnson was so honored after averaging 22.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in victories over Missouri (72-67) and Oklahoma State (73-66). Johnson had 20 points and 11 boards against MU and 24 points versus OSU. ISU is 12-6 overall and 2-1 in league play, losing its only road game to Baylor, 74-67.