LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas received a favorable draw in the NCAA tournament after slipping to a No. 2 seed, and will open against No. 15 seed Detroit just a few hours’ drive from its campus.
The Jayhawks (27-6) likely slipped off the top line of the bracket when they lost to Baylor in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. They received quite the consolation prize of playing their first two games in Omaha, Neb., with the following two rounds in St. Louis.
There was little celebration from coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks when their seed was revealed, but there was probably a lot more joy when they took a second glance.
If Kansas gets by Horizon League champion Detroit, it would play the winner of Saint Mary’s and Belmont in the third round of the Midwest Region.
Kansas also avoided overall No. 1 seed Kentucky. Instead, North Carolina and former Jayhawks coach Roy Williams landed on the top line of its region.
