Kansas basketball had another Senior Day to remember with an 83-76 win over Arizona—the 42nd consecutive Senior Day victory for the Jayhawks. The win also set up the Jayhawks for a chance to make a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament, but we’ll get to that in a little bit. It was the seniors who stepped up and led Kansas to a big win in their final game at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Hunter Dickinson led the way with 33 points (tied for a career high) and 10 rebounds, going out with a bang in his final game as a Jayhawk. Zeke Mayo, the hometown kid who transferred in from South Dakota State, broke out of his recent slump with a 20-point, 6-assist, 4-rebound effort. KJ Adams Jr, despite the vocal minority of Kansas fans showering hatred toward him on social media throughout much of the season, showed up big again with 12 points and eight rebounds. Dejuan Harris Jr did what he has done repeatedly during his Jayhawk career, being the steady hand of the team with 9 points, nine assists, and four rebounds. It was a true team effort, and the key four players just happened to be seniors.
When Kansas plays with that fire and intensity, they can beat anyone in the country. They show glimpses of why they were the Associated Press preseason No. 1 team in the nation. It’s the same team that beat Duke, a consensus No. 1 seed in the tournament and like the No. 2 overall team heading into the big dance. This is the same team that beat Michigan State, a team that will likely be a No. 2 seed in the tournament and riding a seven-game winning streak, including five wins over ranked opponents. This KU has quality wins over Big 12 teams and even though no one likes to say it, a few quality losses as well. That includes taking No. 3 Houston to double overtime at home and nearly pulling off an upset against the Cougars on the road last week.
The win over Arizona sets up the Jayhawks with a chance to make a run in the Big 12 tournament. A loss on Saturday would have dropped the Jayhawks to an eight seed in the Big 12 tournament, but the win bumped them up to the six seed. Being the six seed helps the Jayhawks avoid any potential matchup with Houston, Iowa State, or BYU until the championship game if Kansas were to make it that far. As things stand now, the Jayhawks will take on the winner of the Utah/UCF matchup. That game will be played on Wednesday at 8:30 CT on ESPN2.
If Kansas can get by the winter of Utah/UCF, they would take on Arizona at 8:30 on Thursday night. This is a team the Jayhawks just beat this past Saturday, and they should have some confidence going into that game if they are able to win their game on Wednesday. If Kansas were able to get by Arizona on Thursday, they would likely play Texas Tech or Baylor, the two highest-rated teams moving in from that part of the bracket, in a semifinal matchup. Kansas State and Arizona State are not likely to make it that far, but they could if they upset Baylor and then Texas Tech.
If it ends up being Kansas vs. Texas Tech or Kansas vs. Baylor in the semifinals, Kansas would very likely be the favorite in that game. The Jayhawks will have the home-court advantage as their fans generally flood downtown Kansas City during the Big 12 tournament while KU plays. Of course, if Kansas can win that game, they will get to the Big 12 championship game with the chance to get another win over a top 15 team, assuming it would be Houston, Iowa State, or BYU moving on from the top half of the bracket.
The Big 12 tournament is going to be ultra-competitive, but the Jayhawks put themselves in a position to make the most of their opportunities this week. It is now on the players to go out there and get the job done. Doing well in the conference tournament can set them up for a better position in the national tournament as well. Ultimately, the win over Arizona to close out the regular season could end up having big implications on how things play out for both postseason tournaments for the Jayhawks.
Doing well in the conference tournament can set them up for a better position in the national tournament as well. The latest projections have the Jayhawks as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Getting to the semifinals would certainly get the Jayhawks to a No. 6 seed, and getting to the Big 12 championship could move them up as high as a No. 5 seed.
Conference tournament week is sure to have plenty of action and high-stakes drama. The Jayhawks need to handle business and put themselves in the best position they can in order to make the deepest run possible in March.
