Rare is the season when Bill Self’s Kansas men’s basketball team is seeded lower than a 1 or a 2 in the NCAA Tournament.
In fact, it’s happened just six times now and, as Kansas fans everywhere know, Self’s KU teams have never been seeded lower than fourth.
The Jayhawks, who are a 3 seed this year, have been a 1 seed eight times under Self, a 2 seed three times, a 3 seed three times and a 4 seed three times, as well.
But just because this year’s Kansas team is a little more off the national-title-contender radar than most does not mean that Self is playing up the Cinderella angle entering this year’s tournament.
Taking that approach could be viewed as easy to do.
Not only are the Jayhawks (20-8) in a region with No. 1 overall seed and heavy title favorite Gonzaga (26-0), but there has been talk that the Jayhawks, as soon as the second round, if they get there, could be on the wrong side of the betting line in Las Vegas against No. 6 seed USC.
And then there’s No. 2 seed Iowa, which has both better odds than Kansas to win it all and likely national player of the year Luka Garza.
“I don’t know that we could spin it that we’re an underdog,” Self said this week. “I don’t know that that would be something that our opponents would think. We’re not at full strength, but we weren’t at full strength when we played a really good Oklahoma team (in the Big 12 tournament) and played pretty darn well in that game, especially the first half.”
The confidence that this team gained from that performance, which came without starting big man David McCormack, has helped the Jayhawks prepare for this week with a positive mindset despite knowing that they will be without another starter, Jalen Wilson, and Tristan Enaruna, who are both back in Lawrence and also will have McCormack back but in limited capacity coming off of his COVID-19 quarantine.
KU’s late-season COVID issues certainly have added additional obstacles for the team to overcome. But Self believes there’s something positive that can come from it. And it’s the closest thing to the underdog card that you’ll probably ever hear the Kansas coach use.
“I think we have a chance maybe to do something that not as many people probably expect us to do just because of the hand that’s been dealt us,” he said.
That’s both as a team and a potential deep run and as individuals who will be asked to step up as Enaruna, McCormack and Wilson work their way back.
“We have a great opportunity for guys to be even better than what maybe they’ve had an opportunity to be to this point because of personnel changes,” Self said. “So I’m excited about it.”
Whether that means freshman guard Bryce Thompson, a likely starter, enjoys a breakout tournament or role players like senior forward Mitch Lightfoot and redshirt freshman point guard Dajuan Harris emerge as key pieces, these Jayhawks will take whatever they can get.
Self has not been shy this week about thrusting seldom-used junior Tyon Grant-Foster into the spotlight, saying that the juco transfer could also be huge for the Jayhawks in the days ahead.
Whatever it means and however it ends up playing out, Self is not about to allow this team to fall back on the list of readily available excuses before things even get started. They’ve prepared with who they have. They’re confident in that group. And, after missing out on a chance to play at this point a year ago, those players and coaches who were a part of last season’s 28-3 team are ready to try to pick up where that group left off.
“We have a motto, faces change, expectations do not,” Self said. “And I think it’s one of those deals (where) we still expect to play well and we still expect to have a chance to compete and advance. But we know our margin for error is probably as slim as it ever has been.”
After one last practice and final walk through on Friday, and watching a whole bunch of games on TV, the Jayhawks will take on 14th-seeded Eastern Washington at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday in Round 1.
