Despite a 22-9 (12-6 Big 12) record, Kansas remains a strong March Madness contender, led by five-star recruit and top scorer Darryn Peterson. He played in 20 of the Jayhawks’ 31 games despite injuries. Wins over Arizona, Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston have kept them in the AP Top 25 as the regular season nears its end.
This unpredictability has even seasoned analysts, including two-time ACC Coach of the Year Seth Greenberg, cautious about betting against Bill Self’s team in the tournament. The Jayhawks’ potential to surprise makes them a team to watch during the stretch run.
Seth Greenberg Believes Kansas Is Capable of Working Out a Big Surge in March Madness
Greenberg joined the College Gameday team broadcasting live on Saturday from Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, for the rematch of the Duke-North Carolina ACC regular-season game.
Alongside Rece Davis, Jay Williams, and Jay Bilas, he shared his thoughts on Joe Lunardi’s Projected Top 16 Seeds, which included Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and UConn as the No. 1 seeds in the regional tournaments.
Within this context, Kansas was projected to rank No. 14, earning a No. 4 seed in the tournament alongside Alabama, Texas Tech, and Virginia. When asked which team — considering its history of deep runs in the knockout stages — was most likely to surprise this year, Greenberg named the Jayhawks.
The 69-year-old analyst also pointed out Kansas as a threat because of Peterson’s ability to control games.
“Kansas is the most dangerous team way outside the box because they have a guy on any given night who can just take over the game against anyone,” Greenberg said of Peterson.
Building on his earlier points, he believes the Jayhawks could go far in the tournament if Self develops a strategy that effectively involves the shooting guard. Peterson’s ability to lead the team to victories against Top 5 teams in the AP Poll was a key reason for Greenberg’s optimism.
Greenberg elaborated, “If they learn to play with Darryn Peterson, and that’s a big if … not through or to Darryn Peterson. Kansas has size in its frontcourt. They can defend and score easy baskets.”
He added, “Kansas could make a run, but they got to find a way to be inclusive and play with him, not through him.”
Despite Peterson’s various injuries and health challenges, Kansas has managed to beat the Big 12’s top teams during the regular season.
Self has effectively utilized their frontcourt advantage, with Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller making significant contributions, keeping opponents cautious about leaving them open in the paint.
Looking ahead, the Big 12 Championship will further test the Jayhawks’ readiness for March Madness. With Kansas seeded No. 3 and not playing until the quarterfinals on March 12, Self and his coaching staff will have five days to plan and try to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big 12 Championship.
