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NCAA TOURNAMENT
Kansas (29-5, 14-4 Big 12) is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional as selected March 17. KU will take on No. 16-seeded Western Kentucky (20-15, 10-10) from the Sun Belt Conference on Friday, March 22, at approximately 8:50 p.m. (Central) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The game will be televised on TNT. Kansas will have open practice in the venue on Thursday, March 21, from 5:10-5:50 p.m.
Kansas is making its 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as its 24th-consecutive trip to the tournament, the longest active streak in the nation. KU is a number one seed for the 11th time since seeding began in 1979. The Jayhawks were a one seed in 1986-92-95-97-98-2002-07-08-10-11 and this season, with the last five under head coach Bill Self.
KU, which is ranked No. 3 in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches polls, has won nine-straight Big 12 regular-season championships dating back to 2005 and six conference postseason championships under head coach Bill Self. This season, KU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 record and a 14-4 mark in Big 12 conference play. Kansas has won 10 of its last 11 games.
A victory against Western Kentucky on Friday would give Kansas a 30-5 record and KU would become the first school in NCAA Division I history to have won 30 or more games for four-straight seasons (note: Memphis won 30 for four straight seasons from 2006-09 but later vacated the 2008 season). It would also be KU's 2,100th all-time victory, which ranks second behind Kentucky (2,111).