The Kansas basketball team has accumulated 21 wins so far this season, playing one of the most difficult schedules in the country. If the Jayhawks can finish the season strong and play well in their conference tournament, they should be looking at a favorable seed in the NCAA tournament.
According to KenPom.com, KU played the 14th hardest non-conference schedule. That seems low considering the teams the Jayhawks played. That early schedule included North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, Missouri, and Tennessee.
There were also games against teams like Notre Dame, Syracuse, Princeton, and Davidson. None of these schools are pushovers either.
The overall strength of schedule number might have been pulled down by the relative weakness of the ACC. Duke is ranked second in the country, but their SOS is ranked 16th, and they have the hardest SOS in the ACC. KU had games against five schools from that conference, and the ACC just hasn't been as good as some others from top to bottom.
KU's three non-conference losses were against UNC, Duke, and UConn.
The Big 12 has improved Kansas's strength of schedule ranking
While KU's non-conference schedule ranked 14th, the rugged Big 12 slate has moved Kansas up to number three overall. Of the conference's 16 teams, only K-State and Utah haven't been very competitive.
The Big 12 has eight schools in the top 23 for SOS. Every night is a battle in the Big 12, and Kansas' losses indicate that. KU lost road games at UCF, West Virginia, and Iowa State, and they lost at home to Cincinnati.
While KU has some losses that weren't great, they also have wins against Iowa State, Arizona, Houston, and BYU, all at Allen Fieldhouse. They do have another big road game on Saturday, against Arizona. If they can win that game, they might be able to move up a slot or two.
It is important to play tough games early in the season, and KU does that nearly every season. Iowa State is ranked eighth overall but 51st in strength of schedule. As good as the Big 12 is, the Cyclones played the 274th hardest non-con schedule. If KU and ISU end up with similar records come NCAA tournament time, Kansas should get the higher seed due to their more difficult strength of schedule.
It is always fun for the fans to watch their schools play in games against the best competition. KU fans not only get to witness fantastic play in the Big 12, but head coach Bill Self continually tries to schedule premier matchups outside of conference play.
That schedule is great for fans, lets the players go against the best competition, and it can help with seeding come tournament time. This season, the Jayhawks' schedule has been one of the most challenging, yet they still have a small chance to win another conference championship and should be well prepared for the upcoming tournaments.
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