By taking care of West Virginia, 81-71, in the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas all but assured itself of being the first team to hear its name called on Selection Sunday.
Kansas wins 10th Big 12 Tournament title, makes case for No. 1 overall seed
You can pretty much write in the Jayhawks as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The No. 1 team in the country according to both major polls, the Jayhawks seem like a surefire bet to be the top overall seed in the big dance for the first time since 2010. Bill Self and company hope things go a little bit better this March than they did six years ago, when Ali Farokhmanesh and ninth-seeded Northern Iowa stunned KU in the second round.
Devonte' Graham is one of the biggest reasons why Kansas fans are confident that history won't repeat itself in 2016, and he showed why on Saturday night. The sophomore guard poured in a team-high 27 points to go along with four steals and five rebounds. Wayne Selden added 21 points, while first team All-Big 12 performer Perry Ellis chipped in 17 points and five boards.
For West Virginia, the story was Devin Williams. The junior forward almost single-handedly kept the Mountaineers in the game, scoring a game-high 31 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. No other WVU player scored in double figures.
Saturday’s victory gave Kansas its 10th Big 12 Tournament championship. West Virginia, which joined the Big 12 in 2012-13, was playing in the championship game for the first time.
* * *
Greatest Cinderella: Was it the NC State Wolfpack or Butler Bulldogs?
Be sure to subscribe to SB Nation’s YouTube channel for highlight videos, features, analysis and more
See More:
