Final Four berth brings overdue credit to Jayhawks

By Staff     Mar 26, 2018

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Senior guard Devonte' Graham hoists an Elite Eight victory trophy above his head at Allen Fieldhouse after the Jayhawk's 85-81 victory over Duke in Omaha, Neb. earlier in the day on Sunday, March 25, 2018. KU will face Villanova in the Final Four round of the NCAA tournament in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday.

Omaha – The Kansas basketball team has been a No. 1 seed in each of Devonte’ Graham’s three seasons as a starter.

Those three teams have won three regular-season Big 12 titles (obviously), two Big 12 conference tournaments, made it to two Elite Eights and one Final Four, and compiled an overall record of 95-17 so far, a winning percentage of .848.

Teams with Graham starting have gone 10-2 in the NCAA tournament.

Now that this team busted through the Elite Eight round, Kansas coach Bill Self is hopeful his recent teams, not just this one, will get the credit he believes they deserve.

“I don’t think people talk about our program the way they talk about others, but in the last three years we’ve been the No. 1 overall (2016), the No. 2 overall (2017) and the No. 3 overall (this season) 1 seed and we haven’t gotten (to the Final Four), so those guys have to be pretty good to get us there (to a No. 1 seed).”

A look at the starting lineups of the three teams for which Graham has started:

Year Starters NCAA
Record
Results
2015-16 Frank Mason, Devonte’ Graham
Wayne Selden, Perry Ellis
Landen Lucas
3-1 Austin Peay, 105-79; UConn, 73-61;
Maryland, 79-63, Villanova, 64-59 L
2016-17 Mason, Graham, Svi Mykhailiuk,
Josh Jackson, Lucas
3-1 UC Davis, 100-62; Michigan St., 90-70
Purdue, 98-66; Oregon 74-60 L
2017-18 Graham, Malik Newman,
Lagerald Vick, Mykhailiuk,
Udoka Azubuike
4-0, so far Penn, 76-60; Seton Hall, 83-79;
Clemson, 80-76; Duke, 85-81, OT
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