There’s death and taxes, and then there’s the Kansas men’s basketball team. All three are consistent constants in life and for the past 11 years, the Jayhawks have been the epitome of legendary on the Big 12 conference stage.
By defeating West Virginia in overtime last week, Kansas secured its 11th straight conference title and 14th overall since the Big 12 was formed in 1994. The Jayhawks’ last regular season home win may have been its best as they overcame an 18-point deficit for their 23rd victory of the season. Kansas finished 24-7 overall after Saturday’s road win at Oklahoma and will begin play in the Big 12 tournament on Thursday.
But how will the Jayhawks respond away from the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse? In 12 years on the job, head coach Bill Self has won 190 of 199 games at the historic gymnasium.
Also, how will Kansas play in the postseason?
Kansas has won one national title under Self in 2008, but just one other Final Four appearance which came in 2012. And with those 11 regular season Big 12 titles, the Jayhawks have only won six tournament championships.
In the past two years, Kansas has been bounced in the Sweet 16 and second round, respectively, despite ending the regular season ranked in the Top 10. This year, the Jayhawks have that same billing.
While their spot in the NCAA tournament is locked up (likely as a No. 2 seed), Kansas could see an early exit from the conference tournament. It played the last game with out big man Perry Ellis. One of the most experienced members of the team, Ellis suffered a sprained knee against West Virginia and he sat out for the Oklahoma game. When Ellis is cleared to play again, he will wear a brace that could hinder his aggressiveness down low. Also, the status of two other players remain in question. Brannen Green, who averages six points per game, is serving a team-oriented suspension and Cliff Alexander, who averages seven points and five rebounds per game, is sitting out during a brief NCAA investigation. The absence of these role players could affect the Jayhawks’ depth, which would only help opposing teams in the tournament.
With just one senior on the team (Christian Garrett), Kansas will most certainly have to deal with the departure of some underclassmen to the NBA. Ellis, a junior, is likely gone, along with sophomore Wayne Selden, Jr. and Alexander, who is a freshman. It’s not as if Kansas is all in for this year, as it will likely reload for next year, but the Jayhawks certainly have something to prove.
In the 11 years that they have won a regular season Big 12 title, they have only captured one national crown. In that time, North Carolina has won two; Florida has won two; and Connecticut has won three.
Kansas has three total titles, which is tied for fifth with Louisville among all winning schools. UCLA is first with 11, despite not winning a championship since 1995.
A title for Kansas this season would move it into a tie with Duke and Connecticut. The Jayhawks will likely have to evade undefeated Kentucky to claim their fourth national title, along with contenders Wisconsin, Virginia and Arizona. Though the Big 12 was highly regarded as the most competitive conference in the country, Kansas rose above the other nine teams and distinctively stood out. It’ll have to fend off the top teams from the other conferences, while carrying the banner for the Big 12, though it is expected the league will qualify seven teams for the tournament.
If Kansas is to reach its full potential this March, Ellis and his team-leading 14 points per game will have to recover quickly from his ailment and Frank Mason will have to work on his shooting touch from the outside.
The easy part is over for the Jayhawks, just has it has been for the past 11 years. This year, they need the title that really matters.