Kansas guard Sherron Collins penetrates through the Baylor defense as he elevates to the bucket during the second half Monday, Feb. 2, 2009 at the Ferrell Center in Waco.

Things can change quickly in Big 12 Conference men’s basketball.

“It’s a roller coaster. You are on top and on the bottom in the same week. You are only as good as your last game,” Baylor University coach Scott Drew said.

True enough.

Fair enough.

But as of this exact moment — entering Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. home game against Oklahoma State — Kansas University’s rebuilt basketball team happens to be at the top rung of the Orient Express.

The Jayhawks, who returned just two multi-minute contributors (Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins) off last year’s national title team, are off to an 18-4 start, 7-0 in the league.

How’s that possible?

“By working every day in practice,” KU junior forward Mario Little said. “Knowing we don’t know the game — coach knows the game — listening to him and working every day.”

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound undersized power forward said it’s no big deal the Jayhawks are starting to get some national attention.

KU on Monday entered the AP rankings for the first time in eight weeks. The Jayhawks — who were AP’s preseason No. 24, checked in at No. 21 after an extended absence.

“We have been ranked before. I’m not tripping on being ranked,” Little said with a smile. “We know we can easily not be ranked, too. We’ve got to keep working at practice.”

Little — he contributed 12 points in 13 minutes in Monday’s 75-65 victory at Baylor — said the sky actually is the limit for this team.

“Yes, if we keep winning, of course,” Little said of the possibility of KU continuing to improve in the ratings. KU is No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll.

“This is the Big 12. We have tough games coming up, a good Oklahoma State team, then Missouri right after that (Monday in Columbia, Mo.). They (voters) have to at least recognize we are a good team. We’re scratching the surface. It (KU future) all depends on what we do at practice.”

As far as his contributions at power forward … “It’s been a team effort. If it wasn’t me, somebody else would be stepping up,” Little said.

• Bilas impressed: ESPN announcer Jay Bilas has taken notice of KU’s 18-4 start.

“Kansas coach Bill Self may be doing the best coaching job of his career,” Bilas wrote on ESPN.com. “He does not have a single starter back from last year’s title team, and has new players at almost every spot. Nevertheless, Self has made this into a Top 25 team and a contender for the Big 12 title (although I feel that Oklahoma is the best team in that league). In a year or two, Kansas will be a Top 10 team and a national championship contender.”

• New nickname for KU big man: Cole Aldrich’s dad, Walt, reports that Cole’s teammates have started calling him, “Phantom of the Phog” in connection with Cole’s wearing his Phantom of the Opera-like face mask the past two games.

“I thought it was pretty cute,” Walt Aldrich said of the nickname.