If the defending champs can’t fix their defensive issues, I worry about their chances. That’s not the form Kansas should be taking into the tournament. In their last 11 games prior to the Big 12 tournament, Kansas allowed 69.6 points, which was up from the 67.45 they allowed in their opening 20 games. The Jayhawks gave up 76 points in a lopsided 76-56 loss. And while that defense held up against West Virginia and Iowa State in the first two legs of the tournament, allowing 59.5 points on average, it collapsed against Texas in the conference title game.
It hasn’t been great this year and it was getting worse. I worried about Kansas’ defense leading into the Big 12 tournament. That’s because Kansas was drawn in a really tough West Region, where seeds 2 through 6 are (in order): UCLA, Gonzaga, UConn, Saint Mary’s and TCU. The Jayhawks took a tumble on the oddsboard after Selection Sunday, dipping from second on the board at +800 to fifth at +1200.
It’s why he’s the favorite for the Most Outstanding Player before March Madness even begins. The senior guard is vital to the Cougars’ chances to go deep in this tournament and win it. His 17.1 points per game are six points better than the next Cougar (Jarace Walker). Sasser leads Houston in scoring by a pretty healthy margin. We saw what the absence of Sasser does to the Cougars as they lost by 10 points to the Memphis Tigers in the AAC title game. The Cougars’ odds moved slightly with a favorable placement in the Midwest Region. Houston features the country’s second-ranked defense and an offense rated in the top 100, but when the quality of competition ramps up during March Madness, can they rise to the occasion? College Basketball Odds Favorite: Houston Cougars (+450)
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