Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Predictions: Eastern Washington Eagles

March Madness has officially began, with a huge dose of madness yesterday. The Kansas Jayhawks will try to keep the Big 12 undefeated as they take on the Eastern Washington Eagles. Is the absence of Jalen Wilson something that is going to be a problem in today's game? Our crew gets together to tell you what to expect.

Disagree with anything you see here? Leave your own prediction in the comments below!

dnoll5: I have no idea. I’m going to say KU overcomes their recent setbacks and wins this one. Hoping for a big game from Ochai, Garrett, and Braun. Kansas 70, Eastern Washington 65.

Kyle_Davis21: It will be good to have David McCormack back in the lineup to go up against Tanner Groves, even though it’s unclear how productive he’ll be and if he’ll still be feeling the effects of COVID. Eastern Washington is pretty solid offensively but doesn’t grab offensive rebounds well or get to the line often. I think the line of KU -10.5 is pretty accurate and will take the Jayhawks to cover slightly. Kansas 72, Eastern Washington 60

David: Between McCormack’s expected limited role and Wilson’s absence, there’s some cause for concern in this game. That said, Bill Self is still the coach, and we’ll still likely have the 4 or 5 best athletes on the floor at all times. Tanner Groves could cause the Jayhawks some problems, but I don’t think he’s winning this game singlehandedly for the Eagles. This may be one that stays uncomfortably close for a while, but I think we’ll ultimately overwhelm EW with length and athleticism, and move onto the round of 32. Kansas 79, Eastern Washington 70

Fizzle406: I think we win but not comfortably. I think we will be sweating this one out. Kansas 77, Eastern Washington 71

Mike.Plank: I’m already on record as saying that I think KU wins this one fairly comfortably, and I think I’ll stick by it. They’ve struggled offensively in their last five games, and if anyone can figure out why and continue to exploit it, it’s Bill Self. EWU may not even hit 60 today, but they’ve got good enough shooters that I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Kansas 79, EWU 65.

Brendan: Eastern Washington’s ability to score is the biggest on-court reason to be concerned for KU. But even with the Covid recovery level up in the air for McCormack and no Wilson, KU’s athletes are enough to win this one. EWU hasn’t seen defense like this. Jayhawks get it done with guard play. Kansas 80, EWU 65

Andy Mitts: It’s March, which means it’s time for insanity. The one thing I like about playing on the second day of the tournament is that if Day 1 is absolutely bonkers than Day 2 usually isn’t. So I’m not super concerned about a Kansas upset. Plus, this defense is so good that I think Eastern Washington is going to have trouble scoring. If it stays close, it’s because Kansas does too. Kansas 71, Eastern Washington 58