March Madness 2021: Sleeper teams poised for a potential deep run

Kansas Jayhawks

In what world can Bill Self and Kansas be labeled as a sleeper team? In this unprecedented pandemic season, blueblood programs have been, quite frankly, horrible. There won’t be a Duke, Kentucky, or Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament, so that leaves North Carolina and Kansas. I don’t think UNC can put it all together, so that leaves the Jayhawks.

Kansas is on a four-game winning streak, granted three of those wins were against Iowa State and Kansas State. Their next three games will be telling. Texas Tech, Texas, and Baylor are on the docket, and this stretch will be as difficult as any. Winning one of these games would solidify some hope for me, but an 0-3 stretch would prove they’re on a tier below.

They for sure haven’t been horrible with a record of 16-7, but playing in the Big 12 will only help them later on. This definitely isn’t your prototypical Kansas team, but they have multiple options. Five guys score in double figures and they can play inside out. David McCormack isn’t going to create the same attention as previous big men Kansas has put on the floor, but he has had a remarkable last month or so.

Furthermore, the combination of Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji provides leadership, tenacity, and experience. Marcus Garrett has Final Four experience and does more than the box score says. His defense and control on the floor can withstand any adversity. Agbaji, on the other hand, makes shots and scores the ball. Outside of one bad game, Agbaji has scored at least nine points in every game this season. Add Jalen Wilson and Christian Braun to the fold, you have a roster that is capable to prove doubters wrong.