Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 24-9
Head Coach: Bill Self (11th season)
Season summary: The name on everyone’s lips this season has been Andrew Wiggins. Although the freshman sensation got off to a relatively slow start, he has looked NBA-ready of late, especially during his 41-point performance against West Virginia to close out the Jayhawks’ regular season. Despite Wiggins’ dominance, however, Kansas fell to the Mountaineers—and, for a team that was ranked as high as No. 2 this season, the Jayhawks have lost games against opponents they should have beaten. Kansas lost three of its final five games of the season, including falling to No. 3 seed Iowa State in semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. The Jayhawks, however, still clinched their 10th consecutive regular-season title, on the backs of Wiggins, second-leading scorer Perry Ellis and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Joel Embiid. Another diaper dandy, Embiid led Kansas in rebounding with 8.1 per game, and blocks at 72 for the season—but the injury-prone center, who suffered a knee injury earlier in the season, is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his lower back.
How they make a run: Wiggins continues his hot play and carries the Jayhakws, as he continues to show the tournament-bound NBA scouts why he deserves to be a lottery pick in June’s draft.
How they falter: Kansas’ defense cannot compensate for Embiid’s absence.
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