The Jayhawks are familiar with the Sprint Center where they will play their first game of the tournament. The team is 6-0 in that building this season. They enter as the top see out of the South Region, playing just 30 minutes from their home court when they won the Big 12 regular season title. They have beaten the likes of St. Louis, Oregon State and Washington State in the Kansas City arena. The Jayhawks hope that streak continues as they face No. 16 seed Western Kentucky on Friday.
This game will have a home game feel for Kansas, while Western Kentucky comes in as unknowns. The Hilltoppers are no stranger to the tournament. This is their fourth trip in six years. They advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2008 and won opening-round games in 2009 and 2012. This is their first time being ranked as a No. 16 seed. They won four games in four days to earn the Sun Belt tournament title and an automatic bid into March Madness.
Kansas is in the tournament for the 24th consecutive year. That is the second longest streak. North Carolina currently holds the record for the most tournament appearances. This is their fifth time in the past seven tournaments earning a No. 1 overall seed. If they win tonight, it will be their 30th win for the fourth straight season. That is something no other Division 1 school has done since Memphis was forced to vacate their entire season in 2008.
The Jayhawks have the deepest team in the tournament, with four senior starters; three of them are fifth-year guys. They were all key components to last year's run to the Final Four. Kansas freshman Ben McLemore is projected as a top draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He averages 16.4 points a game. T.J. Price will lead Western Kentucky, averaging 15.4 points per game.