Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 26-8, 13-5 Big 12
Head coach: Bill Self (12th season)
Season summary: In one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, Kansas won its 11th straight regular-season Big 12 title. The Jayhawks played a total of 19 games against tournament teams this season, winning 13 of those contests. Basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy rates Kansas' schedule as the hardest in all of basketball. The No. 2 seed dominated on the defensive end, ranking seventh in the nation in defensive efficiency, according to Pomeroy. The stalwart defense relies on excellent rebounding from an extremely talented frontcourt of Perry Ellis and Cliff Alexander.
Kansas played several tight games throughout the year, and thanks to the leadership and scoring of Ellis and Frank Mason III, it was able to secure the win in the vast majority of those games. However, not everything went according to plan for the team out of Lawrence. The Jayhawks will most likely be forced to play without their star, Alexander, who sat out the Big 12 tournament as the NCAA looks into potential rules violations.
How they make a run: Kansas makes up for the hole left by Alexander’s absence with flawless play from leading rebounders Mason III and Kelly Oubre Jr.
How they falter: The regular-season Big 12 champion has been prone to playing sloppy basketball at times and might be in even bigger trouble without the presence of one of its best players.
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