Will the Kansas Jayhawks get a rude introduction to Bucky Ball or will the Jayhawks overcome an injury to a top player? Kansas is still a big favorite, but they will be without leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr., who will miss the entire NCAA Tournament with a bone bruise on his knee.
Kansas should get Hunter Dickinson back in the lineup after he injured his shoulder in the regular-season finale and missed the Big 12 tournament. Kansas lost to No. 11-seed Cincinnati 72-52 in its first Big 12 tournament game.
Samford will bring its full-court press to the NCAA Tournament, which could also play a factor for the Jayhawks due to the elevation of Salt Lake City in what should be an up-tempo game.
No. 13 Samford Bulldogs
Outlook: Four years ago, coach Bucky McMillan was wrapping up his 12th season at Mountain Brook High School, just outside Birmingham, Ala. Now? He turned the Bulldogs into a Southern Conference powerhouse. They won the last two regular-season titles with Bucky Ball, his playing style that features full-court pressure defense, lots of 3-pointers, and a deep rotation so fresh legs can continually hound opponents.
Samford ranks among the top 20 teams in defensive turnover rate (21.8 percent) and 3-point shooting (39.3 percent), both of which should make them a dark-horse Sweet 16 candidate, but Bucky Ball tends to overwhelm overmatched teams. Via Evanmiya.com’s relative ratings, they’re akin to UMass, Richmond and Syracuse.
Forward Achor Achor made first-team All-Southern Conference, while McMillan was named coach of the year. Guard A.J. Staton-McCray is a great defensive player who also made the all-defensive team.
—Mike Miller
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks
Strengths: Kansas shares the ball (it leads all teams in assist rate), it makes a ton of its 2-point attempts (54.8 percent) and has one of the game’s elite five-man units. The Jayhawks aren’t elite defensively, but are solid inside the paint and in passing lanes. They’re also underrated as an up-tempo team. Kansas outgunned Kentucky earlier this season. When they’re hitting from the perimeter — or if point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. is able to attract attention — Kansas can play with anyone.
Weaknesses: The bench gets most of the attention — only a handful of high-major teams play their starters more than Kansas — but that’s not what derails KU. It’s the shot volume. Between pitiful offensive rebounding (291st in the country) and turnover propensity, Kansas is well below the national average at creating opportunities to score. The Jayhawks shoot 33 percent beyond the arc, but fewer than 30 percent of their shots come from deep, 333rd nationally.
Outlook: The Jayhawks were No. 1 in the AP preseason poll. They feature two All-Big 12 players in Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar Jr. They beat UConn, Tennessee and Houston. But McCullar, the Big 12’s leading scorer (18.3 ppg), has missed five games since Jan. 30 due to a bone bruise. Dickinson, the league’s second-leading scorer (18.0 ppg) and top rebounder (10.8 rpg), dislocated his shoulder and missed the Big 12 Tournament. Their health will dictate how far Kansas goes. It could be the second straight season Kansas exits before the second week.
—Mike Miller
How to watch Kansas vs. Samford
What: Midwest Region, First Round
Tipoff time: 9:55 p.m. ET Thursday
TV: TBS
Location: Salt Lake City
Kansas vs. Samford odds
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.
Expert picks
Model projection: Kansas by 5 points, total: 151 points
See Austin Mock’s best futures bets
Players to watch
Kansas
- Dajuan Harris, All-Big 12 defensive team
Samford
- Achor Achor, first-team All-Southern
More NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage
(Photo of Dajuan Harris: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
