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LAWRENCE — As the reveal of the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament bracket unfolded Sunday, it looked more and more likely that Kansas basketball might end up playing Arkansas.
Potential destinations for the Jayhawks (21-12) kept going to other teams. Potential opponents that people considered possible matchups for coach Bill Self’s squad kept getting paired up with other teams. Time kept ticking, and KU — definitely safe in the field — kept waiting.
Then, as the Selection Sunday show progressed, Kansas learned it would be a No. 7 seed in the West region. It learned it would face No. 10-seed Arkansas (20-13) on Thursday, in Providence, Rhode Island, in the round of 64. And according to Self after the news Sunday, it’s not something that came as much of a surprise at all.
RELATED: Kansas basketball’s March Madness opponent is Arkansas to open 2025 NCAA tournament
“I told my staff a week ago, ‘You watch, 7 versus 10, we’re playing Arkansas,’” Self said. “So, you can ask any of them. I’ve been saying that for a week.”
What Self acknowledged he was surprised by was Louisville being given a No. 8 seed and UCLA being given a No. 7 seed. Before he saw Memphis was awarded a No. 5 seed, he thought there was a chance Kansas would earn a No. 6 seed. But outside of those instances, nothing surprised him much.
The Jayhawks will now start their preparations for an Arkansas team that they faced in an exhibition before the season in October in Fayetteville, Arkansas. So much has changed, for each side, since then, but now both will battle for a chance to reach the round of 32. The winner will go on to face either No. 2-seed St. John’s or No. 15-seed Omaha.
Kansas most recently competed in the Big 12 Conference tournament, and exited in the quarterfinals with a loss. Arkansas most recently competed in the Southeastern Conference tournament, and exited in the second round without reaching the quarterfinals. Neither has had the season many might have expected from them, but should either go on a run after winning this game their seasons will be remembered much differently.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Did Bill Self predict Kansas basketball's NCAA tournament opponent?
Continue reading...
Potential destinations for the Jayhawks (21-12) kept going to other teams. Potential opponents that people considered possible matchups for coach Bill Self’s squad kept getting paired up with other teams. Time kept ticking, and KU — definitely safe in the field — kept waiting.
Then, as the Selection Sunday show progressed, Kansas learned it would be a No. 7 seed in the West region. It learned it would face No. 10-seed Arkansas (20-13) on Thursday, in Providence, Rhode Island, in the round of 64. And according to Self after the news Sunday, it’s not something that came as much of a surprise at all.
RELATED: Kansas basketball’s March Madness opponent is Arkansas to open 2025 NCAA tournament
“I told my staff a week ago, ‘You watch, 7 versus 10, we’re playing Arkansas,’” Self said. “So, you can ask any of them. I’ve been saying that for a week.”
What Self acknowledged he was surprised by was Louisville being given a No. 8 seed and UCLA being given a No. 7 seed. Before he saw Memphis was awarded a No. 5 seed, he thought there was a chance Kansas would earn a No. 6 seed. But outside of those instances, nothing surprised him much.
The Jayhawks will now start their preparations for an Arkansas team that they faced in an exhibition before the season in October in Fayetteville, Arkansas. So much has changed, for each side, since then, but now both will battle for a chance to reach the round of 32. The winner will go on to face either No. 2-seed St. John’s or No. 15-seed Omaha.
Kansas most recently competed in the Big 12 Conference tournament, and exited in the quarterfinals with a loss. Arkansas most recently competed in the Southeastern Conference tournament, and exited in the second round without reaching the quarterfinals. Neither has had the season many might have expected from them, but should either go on a run after winning this game their seasons will be remembered much differently.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Did Bill Self predict Kansas basketball's NCAA tournament opponent?
Continue reading...
