Kansas Basketball: Ranking the last 29 NCAA Tournament teams

9. 2016-17 (31-5) (16-2 Big 12)

The 2016-17 season had experienced senior Frank Mason and freshman sensation Josh Jackson leading the charge with Devonte Graham and Svi Mykhailuik filling in where needed. Mason led the Jayhawks in scoring and assists per game with 20.9 points, 5.2 assists along with 4.2 rebounds per game. Jackson produced 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game as their future lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The Jayhawks used their offensive prowess to start the season 18-1 entering the last week of January 2017. They went 16-2 in Big 12 action, winning their 13th straight regular-season conference title. In a shocking turn of events, they lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament championship to the TCU Horned Frogs.

When the season concluded, Mason took home both Big 12 Player of the Year honors, as well as the Naismith and Wooden Award for his accolades during the season. They earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Much like in season’s past, they ran through the competition.

Kansas won by 20 or more in their three victories during the tournament. They put up 90 points or more, averaging 96.0 points in the first three rounds. In the Elite Eight, the Oregon Ducks were a surprise at the No. 3 seed.

The Ducks beat the Jayhawks 74-60 on 11-of-25 shooting from behind the arc. Tyler Dorsey had a coming out party, as he went for 27 points on 6-of-10 shooting from behind the arc. The Jayhawks didn’t make it to the Final Four, but it was their only failure in an otherwise successful season. It wasn’t the only time they struggled to get to the Final Four as the No. 1 seed, either.