Kansas to square off against Texas in Big 12 Championship game

The Kansas Jayhawks advanced to the Big 12 Championship game after they defeated Iowa State 71-58.

Although head coach Bill Self is still away from the team, KU has taken care of business in the conference tournament. A stellar performance against the Cyclones puts them back in the final round of the tourney. They will look to go back-to-back as Big 12 regular season champions, Big 12 Tournament champions, and National Champions.

Iowa State is known for its stingy defense, but it was the Jayhawks this time around who put the clamps on T.J. Otzelberger’s squad. They turned the ball over a season-high 22 times and shot just 40.0% from the field en route to KU’s victory.

Jalen Wilson continued his hot stretch by recording his 12th double-double of the season. He committed seven turnovers but was perfect otherwise. He scored 25 points, grabbed 10 boards, shot 8-14 from the field, and did not miss any of his six foul shots.

Gradey Dick scored 15 points on 4-10 shooting and 2-6 from three. Dajuan Harris dropped 11 while also making his presence felt defensively with his four steals and one block.

Kevin McCullar was able to start the game despite his lingering back spasms but was in visible pain throughout the contest. He did not play in the second half of the game, ceding his minutes to Joseph Yesufu for the most part. We probably see McCullar play minutes today in some form.

KU’s semifinal victory advances them to the finals, where they will play Texas. They beat TCU 66-60 directly after the Jayhawks played.

Timmy Allen, one of the Longhorns’ most important contributors, has already been announced to be out in this game. The senior is the third-leading scorer for Texas and their leading rebounder.

Texas routed Kansas in their regular season finale last week. They are the No. 2 seeded team in the Big 12 and will be a top 3 seed in March Madness. These two schools are as even as they come, so it should be an extremely close ballgame.

Kansas has the chance to make history starting today. They will look to go back-to-back as Big 12 regular season champions, Big 12 Tournament champions, and National Champions.

Although a win against Texas would be great for bragging rights, it is not a necessity for Kansas. Even a loss today would not change their fate as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks’ biggest concerns lie in whether Bill Self will be back in time for the Big Dance.