Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: What history says about KU basketball in KC at NCAA Tournament
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self isn’t shy about wanting the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. There’s good reason for that.
“I think if somebody were to ask me what would be a perfect scenario, I think a perfect scenario would be to go to Des Moines and go to Kansas City,” Self said on Thursday, though he did acknowledge ... “I’m not sure that’s the sure-all thing. We went to Kansas City before and got beat.”
Last year’s title team was also in the Midwest Regional, but it went through Chicago.
Under Self, KU has only lost once in Kansas City: Kansas lost 74-60 to Oregon in the 2017 Elite Eight. Kansas’ overall record in KC for the NCAA Tournament, with Self as coach, is 5-1, though four of those games were in the first two rounds.
And what can happen when you get shipped out? As a No. 1 seed in the 2006-07 season, KU lost to No. 2 seed UCLA 68-55 in the West Regional Final — with the second-seeded Bruins having plenty of fans in the building.
In his latest projection, ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has the Jayhawks in the Midwest.
Currently, KU has a nation-leading 15 Quad 1 victories. Still, most bracketologists don’t have the Jayhawks capturing the No. 1-overall seed, with Houston serving as the biggest roadblock to landing in KC.
However, that could change depending on how KU does in its regular-season finale against Texas on Saturday, plus the Big 12 tournament.
Let’s look at how KU fares compared to Houston and Purdue.
Quad 1 wins
- Kansas — 15
- Alabama — 9
- Purdue — 9
- Houston — 4
Net Ranking
- Houston — 1
- Alabama — 2
- Purdue — 5
- Kansas — 6
Strength of Schedule (per KenPom)
- Kansas — 2
- Alabama — 10
- Purdue — 30
- Houston — 105
It looks to be an exciting finish for the No. 1 overall seed. If the Jayhawks do finish with the No. 1-overall seed, then they will get their pick of region. Based on Self’s comments it would almost certainly be the Midwest.
Anyway, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. Some questions are from the KU Sports Twitter Spaces I host each Wednesday at 7 p.m. As always, thank you for all the questions!
Do you think the Big 12 should go to divisions once Oklahoma and Texas leave? – @aheim26
I don’t think so.
The concept of one big group makes the conference more fun overall and gives you a greater chance to play each team each year. Sure, some teams may get lucky with their schedule, but luck is always a factor in sports.
One big division also allows fans to travel to places they might not normally visit to watch games.
This year in basketball, the Big 12 has been an absolute gauntlet in terms of how tough the league has been — I believe there are legitimately nine tournament teams (sorry, Oklahoma). I think playing that level of competition will pay dividends when tournament time arrives.
You wouldn’t necessarily have that same level of competition in divisions, which can become unbalanced if a team or two hits a rough patch or makes a bad hire.
What do you see KU football’s record being in the nonconference portion of the 2023 season? – @connordschmidt
So, Kansas has three nonconference football games next season. The games are Missouri State in week one, Illinois in week two and Nevada in week three.
I expect KU to beat Missouri State and Nevada (2-10 overall last season), but Illinois could be a toss-up.
The Fighting Illini went 8-5 in the Big 10 last season but lost several key pieces, such as All-American running back Chase Brown and All-American cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Not to mention starting quarterback Tommy DeVito.
On the other hand, KU has some continuity, with all but one starter returning on offense. The Jayhawks’ coaching staff has also focused on improving the defense and special teams through the transfer portal.
Ultimately, I like Kansas over Illinois, so pencil me in for a 3-0 prediction.
This is a great question.
My initial thought was to go after a star big man who scores a lot and plays excellent defense, but no big hit the criteria.
I was looking for somebody who could add what Kansas lacks.
I then thought about how KU lacks bench scoring and K-State guard Markquis Nowell would be the perfect super-sub for Kansas.
The 5-foot-8 guard is averaging 16.8 points and 7.7 assists per game. Not to mention, he averages 2.3 steals per game.
Conventional wisdom is to pick Keyontae Johnson here, but Nowell makes more sense fit-wise and based on what the Jayhawks lack.
Yes, he might not start at Kansas because his defense is an issue at his height and the Jayhawks are set in the backcourt with Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar and Gradey Dick, but can you imagine him catching fire for KU off the bench in a tournament game for the Jayhawks?
I can. I think Nowell would make KU’s guard rotation that much deeper and more versatile, not to mention his playmaking ability is elite.
Plus, I love watching small guards that score loads of points, so I may be slightly biased because of the entertainment factor.
Lol!
Funny enough, Carmen (Gradey’s mom) admitted to me that she was more of a post player and not much of a shooter when she played at Iowa State. Carmen is a member of the ISU 1,000-point club (1,097) and was the 1989 Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year.
Though she did practice against Gradey growing up, Bart (Gradey’s father) had a little more influence on his shot.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: What history says about KU basketball in KC at NCAA Tournament."
