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Enjoy the spotlight while it lasts, Kansas.
While the Midwest Region’s top team is a lot of people’s pick to win it all, there are plenty of reasons to hesitate before filling out that bracket.
Some have labeled the Jayhawks’ Midwest path “easy.” Far from it. Nothing is easy when you wait until 2:45 left to come back from a 14-point deficit.
That’s what KU did in beating West Virginia in overtime on Feb. 13. That 84-80 victory seemed to sum up the season. It’s weird how the Jayhawks don’t seem to play complete games -- but they almost always win them.
That sort of approach won’t work in the tournament.
A reason to like the Jayhawks: They’ve won 13 consecutive Big 12 regular-season titles. That ties UCLA (AAWU/Pac-8/Pac-10) for the all-time record.
A reason not to like the Jayhawks: Some might argue KU has “underachieved” in the tournament during those 13 years. Only twice during that run have the Jayhawks made the Final Four, despite being a No. 1 seed seven times. Only once (2008) have they followed it up with a national championship.
The New York Times laid out the “underachieving” idea in a stunning Sunday graphic. Among the blue bloods, Kansas doesn’t compare during that 2005-16 period.
Duke (five No. 1 seeds during that period) played in two Final Fours and won the title both years. North Carolina (seven No. 1 seeds) played in four Final Fours and won two titles. Kentucky has been in four Final Fours since 2005 with a national title in ‘12.
With that in mind, here are five things to watch as Kansas tries to back up that 13th consecutive conference title with another national championship:
The Josh Jackson factor
Jackson can play/guard four positions but can he check himself?
Kansas’ talented freshman was suspended for the TCU loss in the Big 12 Tournament for his latest off-court transgression -- of which there have been a few for this KU team.
While Jackson is expected to be on his best behavior with less than three weeks left in his college career, there is a larger story here. Jackson has a chance to own March (and the early part of April).
He has a chance to write an Anthony Davis-like legacy in leading his team to a national championship in his one-and-done year. Except for sketchy free-throw shooting (55.9 percent, eeeew), Jackson has the talent and ambition to do it all.
This cannot be Frank Mason’s team alone.
Kansas City, here they come
The path to Phoenix does seem rather navigable.
The Jayhawks open Friday against 16th-seeded North Carolina Central or UC Davis. If they can get past the Miami-Michigan State winner, they would be playing in a Kansas City regional for the first time in 22 years.
That’s the last time (1995) the western Missouri city hosted a regional 40 miles from Kansas. Yes, that more than qualifies as home court.
K.C. remains the city that has hosted the most NCAA games and Final Fours. A Kansas appearance would add to that legacy. The Sprint Center will be jamming if the Jayhawks make it.
Trust me, the setting would be as close to a home game as there is for KU outside of Lawrence.
A cautionary reminder: In ’95 in Kansas City, in the Midwest Region, Virginia cut down the top-seeded Jayhawks 67-58 in the regional semifinal.
The similarities are eerie. That team was loaded too with Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz and Greg Ostertag.
The potential slip-ups
Either Miami or Michigan State in the second round can pull the upset.
Miami coach Jim Larranaga just gets athletes. This is the Canes’ third NCAA appearance in his sixth season. Despite the loss of Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan in the back court, the Canes beat North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Duke on their way to 21 victories. Guard Bruce Brown averaged 22.7 points and shot 68 percent against Duke and North Carolina.
This is an off year for the Spartans but don’t tell Tom Izzo. He is 46-18 in the tournament. Despite 14 losses this season, Izzo knows that history.
“If we get into any tournament,” he said after the regular-season finale against Maryland, “we’ll be a hard out.”
There is no Denzel Valentine this season. Guard Eron Harris saw his career end with a knee injury on Feb. 18. What other coach could squeeze this much out of a program that lost five of its top six scorers?
If the Jayhawks make it to the Sweet 16 they would face a kitchen drawer full of sharp knives. Purdue has Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan, who would be a load for the Jayhawks, who are thin in the post.
Iowa State has owned Kansas City lately, winning three of the past four Big 12 Tournaments at Sprint. The Cyclones also beat KU in Lawrence this season.
A regional final could possibly include seventh-seeded Michigan, which knocked out KU in 2013 (Trey Burke!) and remains one of the hottest teams in the bracket.
The Wolverines seem to be a team of destiny after winning four games in four days in the Big Ten Tournament after a travel scare.
If not Michigan, then Louisville. The second-seeded Cardinals have one of the best tournament coaches ever, Rick Pitino.
Don’t forget Oregon, which just lost its top rim protector Chris Boucher but still has Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks.
If (Rock) chalk holds
The Final Four favorite to face the Jayhawks in a national semifinal is South Region top seed North Carolina. That would blow a lot of Jayhawks fans’ minds.
These two teams are compared to each other in so many ways. Dean Smith played at Kansas. Roy Williams got the KU job in 1988 on a recommendation from Smith.
Since 1991, KU is 4-1 against the Tar Heels in the tournament both with and against Williams.
KU broke Carolina’s record for consecutive tournament appearances (28) this year.
Williams lost Brice Johnson (leading scorer, rebounder, blocker) from the team that lost the championship heartbreaker to Villanova last year. ACC player of the year Justin Jackson is only 20 of 60 in his past four games.
The Heels do lead the country with a plus-13 rebound margin. Look out for 6-foot-10, 260-pound Kennedy Meeks.
Player of the Year curse?
KU types say they never know if Mason, a senior guard, is happy, sad, up, down or none of those.
That poker face hides an assassin’s mentality. The 5-11 bulldog never seems to come off the court (36.2 minutes per game). He slashes. He bombs (an amazing 48.7 percent shooter on 3-pointers).
Mason cannot have an off game from here on in. He is more likely to carry the Jayhawks on his back. Many expect Mason to be named the National Player of the Year.
But you should know a Naismith Award-winning guard has never been part of a national champion. (The award began in 1969.) Only twice since 2002 has the POY played for the national champion. (Tyler Hansbrough in 2009, Anthony Davis in 2012). The last guard for a top-seeded team to win the award was J.J. Redick (2006).
That Duke team got beat in the Sweet 16. Beware Kansas? Mason might be the nation’s best player. Are the Jayhawks the best team?
