After Kansas Basketball started March with two close losses against No. 9 Texas Tech and No. 2 Houston, it finished the regular season with a big win on Senior Day over Arizona.
As it turned out, in the metrics and rankings, that mattered.
Kansas finished the regular season with a 20-11 overall record and an 11-9 record in Big 12 play. Going from the No. 1 team in the country to one of the worst season in the Bill Self era was not anticipated, nor should it have been.
The experience that the Jayhawks bring to the table with their senior heavy roster is something that fans were banking on to take them far this season. Now it has to all kick in when it matters.
Although the Jayhawks have been out of the AP Top 25 for the last couple of weeks, KenPom has Kansas in a good spot ahead of the tournament season.
KenPom, one of the best analytical sites in college basketball has been updated prior to conference tournament week, and here is where the Jayhawks landed:
Overall Rank: 21
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (ORtg): 116.1 (52nd Nationally)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (DRtg): 92.2 (8th Nationally)
Adjusted Tempo (AdjT): 68.5 (117th Nationally)
Luck Rating: -0.027 (263rd Nationally)
Strength of Schedule Net Rating (NetRtg): +15.24 (10th Nationally)
Although this hasn’t been the season that Kansas fans were hoping for after starting the season as the No. 1 team in the country, they have a chance to save the season with runs in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.
Kansas will either play Utah or UCF in the second round of the Big 12 tournament and will likely enter the NCAA tournament as a seven seed.
