Kansas settles for top seed in West
Kansas did not get a No. 1 seed in the Midwest, costing the Jayhawks a chance to potentially play the regional round just down the road in Kansas City.
The Jayhawks are still a No. 1 seed, however, and will have their coach back for their bid to repeat as national champions.
Bypassed for Houston in the Midwest Region, Kansas is the top seed in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region and learned that coach Bill Self should be on the sideline when the Jayhawks face Howard in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday.
Self missed the Big 12 tournament after complaining of chest tightness and undergoing a heart procedure but was discharged from the hospital Sunday.
“He’s one of the greatest coaches of all time, so that’s a big bonus for us,” Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. said. “He’s been in March Madness a long time. He knows what he’s doing, and we just have to have his back.”
Kansas (27-7) won its first two games at the Big 12 tournament without Self before losing 76-56 to No. 7 Texas in the title game.
The Jayhawks appeared as though they would slip to a No. 2 seed when top-ranked Houston got the top spot in the Midwest, but the NCAA selection committee still made them the No. 1 in a West Region that ends in Las Vegas on March 23-25.
“I’m just shocked we didn’t get the overall No. 1 seed, but that happens sometimes,” Kansas forward K.J. Adams said.
“They mark it how they feel, and we’re just going to do what we need to do to get where we need to be.”
Kansas, the bracket’s third overall seed, faces a difficult road in its bid to become college basketball’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07.
The stacked West Region includes No. 2 UCLA, No. 9 Gonzaga, No. 11 UConn, No. 16 Saint Mary’s and No. 22 TCU.
Get by Howard, which is in its first NCAA Tournament since 1992, and the Jayhawks will get a stiff test in the second round against Arkansas or Illinois.
The Illini and Razorbacks limped to the finish of the regular season but have talented rosters and will be tough outs for any team.