From: February 23

Welcome to The Road to March, a new series from Next Man Up. Over the next month, we will be previewing teams daily that have a chance to make the big dance. These previews will include a season outlook, key contributors, key wins, key losses, and the ceiling and floor for the team in the tournament.

Next up, the Kansas Jayhawks.

SEASON OUTLOOK:

Most of the media questioned what this Kansas team would be like after their national championship win in 2022. They lost 70 percent of their scoring and multiple first-round picks to the NBA Draft. Veterans like Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, Remy Martin, and David McCormack all moved on. They did not have a certified big man to throw the ball to in the paint. Despite all this, in typical Bill Self fashion, he figured out how to put the pieces together. Kansas has transitioned to a small ball look, with K.J. Adams giving them a matchup nightmare at the 5. Self was able to keep in-state five-star Gradey Dick at home and has utilized him as an Ochai Agbaji lite type of player. Dick is super smooth and polished, a perfect wing for the Kansas system. Dajaun Harris runs the show at the point as one of the better playmakers in the country. The Jayhawks have a superstar in Jalen Wilson too, a crafty wing/forward who is on about every midseason award watch you can put him on. They had a shaky start to the season, barely beating Duke in the Champions Classic, then losing to Tennessee in Atlantis. Kansas righted the ship after that and did not lose for almost two months. The Jayhawks are tied atop of the Big 12 with Texas and are in line for yet another number-one seed in the tournament this year.

KEY CONTRIBUTORS:

Jalen Wilson is the All-American that leads the Kansas offense. They do not have a very deep bench and get little production from it. Gradey Dick is a sensational freshman and a lottery pick. Kevin McCullar transferred in from Texas Tech and has been the defensive stopper on the perimeter. Dajaun Harris Jr. has been one of the best overall guards in the country and Kansas is almost impossible to beat when he scores in double figures. K.J. Adams, an unbelievably athletic forward, rounds out the Kansas starting five. Adams is a premier lob threat and is elite in transition on both ends of the floor.

KEY WINS:

Home vs 17 Indiana: 84–62

Home vs 23 Iowa State: 62–60

Home vs 14 Kansas State: 90–78

Home vs 8 Texas: 88–80

Home vs 9 Baylor: 87–71

Away vs 24 TCU: 63–58

KEY LOSSES:

Neutral vs 11 Tennessee: 64–50

Away vs 14 Kansas State: 83–82

Away vs 23 Iowa State: 68–53

Home vs 24 TCU: 83–60

Away vs 9 Baylor: 75–69

CEILING:

This team has all the makings of a national title contender. They have great guard play, defend on the perimeter and in the paint, and have an All-American level player in Jalen Wilson. This team is firing on all cylinders heading into March and are as good as anyone in the country.

The Kansas Jayhawks’ ceiling is a National Championship.

FLOOR:

As much as I have raved about this team in the article, they do have a fatal flaw: Dajaun Harris. If Harris has an off night, they are extremely beatable. Early in the year, if Jalen Wilson was not able to get going, the rest of the crew was not able to pick up the load. That has changed, with Gradey Dick and Kevin McCullar finally coming on. A perfect example of the blueprint to beat Kansas is their most recent matchup with Baylor. In the first half, the Bears’ guards went off and forced Dajuan Harris to get rid of the ball early. He was blanked in the first half, and Kansas went into the break down double digits. If Dajaun Harris is not scoring, Kansas can get upset in the second weekend.

The Kansas Jayhawks’ floor is the Sweet 16.