Kansas Basketball: Ranking the last 29 NCAA Tournament teams
3. 2011-12 (32-7) (16-2 Big 12)
The Kansas Jayhawks had quite the experienced rotation in Thomas Robinson, Jeff Withey and Tyshawn Taylor entering the 2011-12 season. It took them a while to turn heads and crack the Top 10 ranks. But when they did, they began to peak at the right time.
The Jayhawks won their first six contests in conference play and after losing two of three won their final eight contests entering the Big 12 Conference Tournament. They finished the regular season 16-2 in league play and won the regular season title as a result.
In the conference tournament, they lost in the semifinals to the Baylor Bears, 81-72. Their record and resume were still strong enough to earn them a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They won their opening round game with ease over The Detroit Mercy Titans, 65-50. In the second round, Robbie Hummel’s 26-points were nearly enough, as the Purdue Boilermakers led 36-30 at halftime before falling 63-60 in the end.
In the Sweet 16, the No. 11 seed North Carolina State Wolfpack gave the Jayhawks a run for their money, but 18 points and 15 rebounds from Thomas Robinson in a bounce-back game gave them a 60-57 win.
The North Carolina Tar Heels were up next in the Elite Eight. Despite a tie at halftime, Kansas pulled away 80-67 in the end off of 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals from Tyshawn Taylor.
In the Final Four, Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger and the Ohio State Buckeyes were up next. They jumped out to a big lead at halftime, leading 34-25 at the break. Once again, Kansas flipped the switch in the second half, pulling out a 64-62 victory.
In the national title game, they faced off against the Kentucky Wildcats in a rematch of their Nov. 15 meeting. In a game that saw Anthony Davis score just six points, the Wildcats triumphed once again 67-59 over the Jayhawks.
It was head coach Bill Self’s second appearance in the national title game. They didn’t get the victory in this one, but keep in mind Self does have a national title under his belt.