The Kansas Jayhawks ended an up-and-down regular season on a high note Saturday, rolling past Kansas State on senior night. KU’s 104–85 victory set a new mark for the most points scored by either team in the history of the Sunflower Showdown.
With the win, No. 14 Kansas finishes the regular season 22–9 overall and 12–6 in Big 12 play, good for third in the conference. The Jayhawks began the year ranked No. 19 and were picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 according to the league’s preseason men's basketball media poll.
Despite some disappointing losses, KU still had a better season than many expected from Bill Self’s team at the start of the year.
With one week until the NCAA Tournament bracket is unveiled, attention turns to Kansas City, where the Big 12 Tournament will be held for the 24th time since the conference’s inception in 1997.
With a double-bye secured, Kansas won’t play until Thursday night’s quarterfinals, where it will face the winner of TCU (No. 6) vs. Colorado (No. 11)/Oklahoma State (No. 14).
If Kansas advances, it could set up a potential second meeting with Houston in Friday evening’s semifinals. The Cougars would first need to defeat the winner of West Virginia (No. 7) vs. BYU (No. 10)/Kansas State (No. 15) to get there.
With so many possible outcomes on the upper side of the bracket, predicting Kansas’ potential opponent in the Big 12 Championship game (assuming the Jayhawks get there) is mostly speculation. Arizona (No. 1) is the favorite, but Texas Tech (No. 4) and Iowa State (No. 5) are also capable of making a run to the title game.
If KU wins the Big 12 title, they would likely move up to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, a significant jump from the No. 4 seed most experts currently project. They also have a chance to earn a No. 3 seed, depending on how the tournament plays out, with the most probable path being a run to the Big 12 Championship game before falling (two wins). A semifinal exit (after one win) would likely lock the Jayhawks in as a No. 4 seed heading into Selection Sunday.
While a No. 5 seed in the Big Dance isn’t out of the question, it’s unlikely for Kansas to land there. An 0-1 showing in the Big 12 Tournament could make it a real possibility, depending on how other results shake out around the country.
There are plenty of opportunities for movement over the next week, but the Jayhawks will most likely land on the No. 3 or No. 4 line when the brackets are revealed next Sunday, barring any unexpected results. Kansas City will be the place to be this week, as several top teams look to build momentum heading into the Big Dance.
Will fortune smile on the Jayhawks as they aim to cut down the nets and claim the Big 12 Tournament title?
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