Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - 4-Seed Incoming? Where Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Stands Going Into the Weekend and Selection Sunday

Episode Date: March 16, 2024

Where Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball seems to sit headed into the weekend and selection Sunday after losing in the second round of the 2024 Big 12 Tournament and resting up Kevin McCullar and Hunter... Dickinson. Four-seed? Bill Self's history as a three and four seed. Teams KU should hope to avoid in the bracket for the first and possible second round. And locations for the NCAA Tournament path as well.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! RobinhoodRobinhood has the only IRA that gives you a 3% boost on every dollar you contribute when you subscribe to Robinhood Gold. Now through April 30th, Robinhood is even boosting every single dollar you transfer in from other retirement accounts with a 3% match. Available to U.S. customers in good standing. Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer.Amazon Fire TVFire TV recently created Fire TV Channels to deliver a constant supply of the latest videos from your favorite sports brands, all for free. That includes all of us at Locked On and most of the big pro leagues and college conferences as well. To Learn More, visit www.amazon.com/LockedOnFireTVNissanOur friends at Nissan have a lineup of SUV’s with the capabilities to take your adventure to the next level. Take the Nissan Rogue, Nissan Pathfinder, or Nissan Armada and go find your next big adventure. Shop NissanUSA.com.LinkedInThese days every new potential hire can feel like a high stakes wager for your small business. That’s why LinkedIn Jobs helps find the right people for your team, faster and for free. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/lockedoncollege. Terms and conditions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelNew customers, join today and you’ll get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. eBay MotorsWith all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to turn your car into the MVP and bring home that win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Starting point is 00:00:00 On today's Locked on Jayhawks, we take a look where Kansas is at heading into the weekend and Selection Sunday. You are Locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Derek Johnson. Give me a follow on Twitter at DJohnsonRadio. You can find our show here with Locked on Jayhawks anywhere you get your podcast, including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. On today's edition of Locked on Jayhawks,
Starting point is 00:00:38 we're going to be breaking down where Kansas sits going into the weekend, going into Selection Sunday. We're recording this Friday night, so still some things that have to happen around conference tournaments. But where is Kansas at right now in a general, I guess, feeling of where they'll be in Selection Sunday? How Bill Self has done as a three or four seed, which could be the likelihood for KU here,
Starting point is 00:00:57 and how he does compared to other schools that are in that seed range and what that could possibly tell us here. Teams to maybe hope Kansas should avoid in the bracket and possible location discussion for where Kansas is placed. First, this episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. New customers join today and you'll get $200 in bonus bets. If your first bet of $5 or more wins, visit fanduel.com slash locked on to get started.
Starting point is 00:01:24 So let's just start right here. Where is Kansas likely to be seeded coming into the NCAA tournament? As I said, recording this on Friday night, so there's still going to be some games that happen, some teams that win, maybe a crucial win or conference tournament win can hop somebody ahead of Kansas or maybe a bad loss, you know, hop somebody below Kansas. Although at this point, you know, you're late enough in the game that hard to have kind of that, that bad loss. But, you know, Graham Doran, who does great bracketology work, he's a KU grad. I highly recommend giving him a follow on Twitter.
Starting point is 00:01:54 It's at Graham Doran, G-R-A-H-A-M. And then the last name, like Dave Doran, the NC State head coach. I don't know if there's any relation there. But he said something to the tune of he's not ruling out a three seed for Kansas. And the reason why he gave a good explanation on Twitter that basically when you look at like Kansas's strength of record and their resume and everything, it's kind of unmatched that everybody who has done similar things or, I guess, better to what Kansas has done has at least gotten a three seed. And there was one exception to the rule, which was like Oklahoma State a handful plus of years ago. since Nets implementation, only 2021 Oklahoma State missed out on a top three
Starting point is 00:02:47 seed with both KPI and strength of record in the top 12. Cowboys are 29th in net with two quad three losses. Kansas does not have those quad three losses, for instance, but they're in the top 12 in both of those. And they're much higher in the net than what Oklahoma state is. So it's not impossible that happens. It feels like though, because of the injury, that's what's going to drop them off. I think if they didn't have the injuries to Kevin Kohler and Hunter Dickinson,
Starting point is 00:03:12 even though both are supposed to be back for the NCAA tournament, the tournament committee, they can't. And this is something Joe Lenardi talked about. They can't just take his word for it. They have to still be a little bit. Okay. But they didn't play last game. We still have to be cautious of it.
Starting point is 00:03:26 Because of that, I think it'll drop them to a four seed. It's not like they were like the high three seed to begin with. And you look at bracket matrix right now, and Graham Doran also has this right now, that they have Kansas as a four seed bracket matrix. If you're new to that, it's basically a amalgamation of all the different bracketologists out there that basically you get a consensus view, I guess you could say, of where certain teams are. And they're the top four seed at this point in time.
Starting point is 00:03:49 So I think when you're looking at it, the ceiling here is that Kansas can get a three seed. I think the most expected seed at this point is that Kansas gets a four. I think the floor could be as low as maybe a six seed for Kansas based on the injuries with Kevin McCuller and Hunter Dickinson. Like I said, that's going to count against them. And if you don't think it does, like let's just go back to last year. If you remember last year, Bill Self doesn't coach in the Big 12 tournament. And afterwards, Kansas was a little more buttoned up about the situation
Starting point is 00:04:18 with Bill Self, deservedly so. I mean, obviously it was a big health issue. And they weren't very promissory about, well, is going to be back is he not but they definitely didn't rule it out and again you understand why it's not like you know that's a very difficult situation to be like oh he's going to be back in two weeks or whatever but I think what we found out in the aftermath is that probably wasn't going to be a great chance that Bill Self was going to be back for that week and so if Kansas was kind of coy about it, maybe that was something about preserving seed. And, you know, we did hear that in the explanation why Houston got the number two overall one seed,
Starting point is 00:04:51 why Kansas got the number three overall one seed last year. That was like part of it. And so if that was part of it, I still think they're going to hold this against them a little bit. So I would be leaning that the four seed is probably what the ceiling would be here. Like I said, the six seed feels like the absolute floor. I don't think that would be indicative of all of the resume or anything, but what if they do view it as, yeah, when you would know Kevin McCuller and Hunter Dickinson, which is the last time we saw you
Starting point is 00:05:14 and we can't take your word for it, you lost to an 11 seed in your conference tournament by 20 points. So we're going to tank you a big amount, right? I do think that would be on the higher end of outcomes in terms of a negative. I think most likely I'm expecting a four seed. Maybe the real floor is a five seed, but I guess I'm not putting that out. I will say I was a little bit surprised when I saw, oh, they're a three seed possibly or they're a four seed. They have 10 losses.
Starting point is 00:05:40 That feels like a lot. Actually, I was surprised by this. Xavier last year got a three seed with nine losses. Baylor got a three seed last year with 10 losses in the Big 12. But again, you have the injury stuff, which kind of changes it a little bit. So point being, I would expect Kansas to get probably a four or five seed, but three or six seeds are kind of on the outlier there as well. But I mean, in the end, if you do get a four or five or six seed, you're either tied for or do have the worst seed of the Bill Self era, which would only add to the end, if you do get a four or five or six seed, you're either tied for or do have the worst seed of the Bill Self era, which would only add to the idea, is this the worst team of the Bill Self era and everything?
Starting point is 00:06:11 The bad news would be that Bill Self's last two four seeds were both a second and first round exit. Maybe you can kind of rekindle his first team who ended up making the Elite Eight as a four seed. But here's what I found kind of interesting. So I was looking back, what is Bill South's record when he makes it as a three or four seed? Because still, when you view it from like a national perspective, like, okay, I think I made this comparison a week or two ago, and I'm going to bring it back up now. Remember that Tennessee team that had like Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield, that was like one of the better Tennessee teams that they've had in program history. That team was like a two or three seed, you know, and that team made it to the sweet 16.
Starting point is 00:06:48 And I think back to like some schools that have had seasons where they've gotten a three seed or a four seed or a five seed. Like you think of Bruce Weber, they win the big 12 title on what that team was a four or five seed, you know, with Dean Wade and those guys like even where Kansas is going to be at as a four or five, that would be a great season for a lot of other schools. And those schools, some of them obviously didn't happen for Kansas state, but you know, Tennessee made the second weekend.
Starting point is 00:07:13 And there's plenty others you can point to where like they had a career year, I guess the five seat Auburn in 2019, you know, they win the sec tournament, they get a five seat, they go to the final four where you can point to and they had deep runs, but it's felt like with Kansas when they've gotten a three or four seed, it has been more reflective of, yeah, this is one of the, the, the bottom performance teams that Bill South has had. And it's reflected also in the NCAA tournament, whereas with some coaches, it's like, you know, sometimes they'll get a seven seed and they'll make a run to the elite eight. Sometimes they'll get a one seed and
Starting point is 00:07:39 lose in the second round. And sometimes that stuff just balances out in the weirdness of March. Hasn't really been as much the case with Bill Self. He's gone four and two in the first round with three and four seeds. He's gone two and two in the second round. He's gone one and one, the sweet 16, oh, and one in the elite eight. Total it up. Bill Self, when he is a three or four seed is seven and six at Kansas. That is an overall winning percentage of 53.8% when he is a three or four seed in NCAA tournament games.
Starting point is 00:08:07 And so the natural comparison to this is, okay, what does he do when he's a one and two seed? Well, when he's a one and two seed, he is 45 and 16, which is good for a 73.8 winning percentage. That is 20 percentage points better. And that seems to be a dumb moment. Like the teams that are better on average did better in the NCAA tournament. Wow. Thank you, Derek, for the incredible insight. But here's what is really interesting. Since 1985, so that's when the tournament expanded to 64 teams, 1985, three seeds overall, every game played in the NCAA tournament, three seeds have gone 281 and 148. That's a 65.5% winning percentage. Four seeds in that same span have gone 235 and 150 in all NCAA tournament games. That's a 61 winning percentage. So collectively, three and four seeds combined since 1985 tournament expands to 64 have a 63.4 win percentage that means that
Starting point is 00:09:09 when bill self is a three or four seed they're about 10 percentage points below what the national average does now does that mean they're due for a run as a lower seed does that mean there's a reversion to the mean where you know kansas is eventually going to have a run or two as a three or four seed to go back toward the national average if you keep getting them? I don't know. Could it just be a small sample thing? Or does that mean that usually when Kansas, when Bill Self is a three or four seed, it's really only because the schedule is boosting them up. Bill Self's insane ability to win close games and regular season games maybe coaching matters more in the regular season and player talent matters more in the postseason like both still matter in both but maybe i don't know if things tip a little to where you know when kansas is getting a two seed sometimes they really have the talent of a
Starting point is 00:09:58 three seed or when they're getting a three or four seed they really have the talent of a five or six seed and he's just boosting them up And so they're going to be less successful than other three or four seeds. Or again, does go back to a reversion is coming and maybe they're due for a big run when they are a lower seed. I don't know, but I certainly found those numbers very, very interesting and you can take whichever path that you want to go. All right, let's continue on with teams that you want to void in the bracket. I think, if you're Kansas. First, this episode is brought to you by Amazon Fire TV. Fire TV is your destination for sports, from live games to highlights to in-depth analysis.
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Starting point is 00:11:02 Fire TV channels lets you dive into all the game analysis, highlights, and more to keep up to date on all the latest in the world of sports, March Madness, NBA, MLB, and lots more. Not to mention great news, entertainment, gaming, travel, cooking videos. Check out Fire TV channels on Fire TV and Alexa devices. If you haven't checked out Fire TV channels, you should. To learn more, visit amazon.com slash locked on fire TV. Teams I'm looking to avoid for Kansas. This can always be a thing. You can always have
Starting point is 00:11:35 certain matchups that are not great for you that you want to avoid. The best teams in March, the most consistent teams in March are the ones that are probably the most amenable, the most durable to playing different styles of play. And even then that doesn't guarantee that you're going to, you know, do everything, but it gives you your best shot. Like for instance, the 2022 team for Kansas, yes, they, they did get a solid path when you look at it, you know, getting to play a 10 seed in the elite eight and, uh, you know, getting to play a Providence team that was good, but by some of the metric teams was maybe not up to snuff as a four seed. That certainly helped as part of it for Kansas.
Starting point is 00:12:10 But I think what really helped that Kansas team was that they were so amenable to playing different styles. It's like you had a traditional big man in David McCormick that could go toe-to-toe with other big men. You had a bunch of wings that were very switchable, and you had two guards. If you wanted to play two guard with DeJuan Harris and Remy Martin, you could. So like there were a lot of different styles that team could play and they did a lot of things well. So they're like,
Starting point is 00:12:32 you're kind of an amoeba and those are what some of the best teams do typically in March. Like, can you adjust to playing at different styles? Because, you know, you don't know what you're going to get in terms of the different team. Can you score against different styles of play? Can you defend against different styles of play? Unfortunately, this team for Kansas is very rigid in terms of what they can play against and what they struggle against, and they're not really amenable to a bunch of various matchups, which is unfortunate. So this team, I think it becomes even more important to have this conversation of what matchups are you trying to avoid because they aren't as matchup proof. A, because they're just not as good, but B, because, you know, it's not like they're a team that, oh, they shoot three as well and they shoot two as well.
Starting point is 00:13:13 And they, you know, force turnover. Like there's a very set of skills for this Kansas offense. It's like they shoot two as well, although lately they haven't been. If you checked out the CJ Moore article, because teams are just sagging off from three. And, you know, like defensively they have what they do. And so what we have kind of found out over the course of the season, here's the types of teams I wouldn't want to face. Super athletic teams, I think that's a problem.
Starting point is 00:13:38 Kansas isn't a super athletic team. Hunter Dickinson's a bit slower. You know, when you're playing KJ at the four, he's a good athlete, but he's not like the quickest athlete in the world. Dwan isn't like the most athletic player in the world, right? Furphy isn't like super laterally quick. So you don't want to play super athletic teams, teams that can really space it with a bunch of shooters all over the court. We've seen that with like BYU, Kentucky gave Kansas trouble, Kansas state to a certain extent with kind of their one through three, like teams who can space it with a lot of different positions.
Starting point is 00:14:04 If you have an athletic big or a stretch five, we saw the athletic big and kind of both with like the Yale game, for instance, or teams like Baylor, Eves, Meecy had great games against Hunter Dickinson, athletic big, or if you're a stretch five big that can cause problems for Hunter Dickinson in that way too. And then teams that force a lot of turnovers. Kansas is two and four against teams who have a turnover rate on the season of 20% or higher. So those are kind of the things I'm looking to avoid to force a lot of turnovers. Kansas is two and four against teams who have a turnover rate on
Starting point is 00:14:25 the season of 20% or higher. So those are kind of the things I'm looking to avoid when I'm looking in different matchups. Now, if we apply all that to teams who could be on the 12 to 14 seed line, I'm going to look at bracket matrix again for all of this. And obviously a lot of these are going to be dependent on who wins their league. Some of these conferences are still going, you know, some of these could end up, I don't know, maybe being a better seed or a worse seed. And you also don't know, are you going to be a three seed, four seed, five seed, six seed? It kind of depends who you're going to play. Here's some of the 12 seeds though, because if we think most likely they're going to be a three, four or five, more likely a four or
Starting point is 00:14:54 five. You could be playing a 12 seed in the first round. James Madison, Grand Canyon, South Florida VCU. Those are the 12s on bracket matrix. JMU is top 45 in three point percentage and turnover defense. Also a good rebounding team. Once a big games, that would be a very bad matchup, 12s on bracket matrix JMU's top 45 and three point percentage and turnover defense also good rebounding team once a big games that would be a very bad matchup but if you get on the four line don't have to worry about it Grand Canyon possible tie on Grant Foster and Sidney Curry revenge games they're just kind of average three-point shooting team good turnover team top 10 two-point defense this one's not a great matchup it's not like a bad matchup though i would say either especially compared to jmu south florida they shoot a ton of threes at a high rate and they get a lot of turnovers athletic team no thank you but if they're going to make the
Starting point is 00:15:34 tournament i think they have to win the american athletic conference and that could boost them to a much higher seed like they might end up like an eight or a nine seed i don't know uh vcu doesn't force a ton of turnovers which is funny because you think back to like the Havoc years. Not anymore. They are top 40 in taking threes and three-point percentage. So also, no thank you. I'm also watching Drake and Princeton. They're projected 11s. I guess maybe more so Princeton could be a 12. I don't think that'll happen with Drake, but I guess with Princeton, they're top five in the country in three-point attempt rate, and they are 70 spots better on offense this year than last year when they made it to the Sweet 16. So that's also one looking to avoid.
Starting point is 00:16:12 Obviously, if these are 12s, though, and you get a four seed or you get a three seed, you get to avoid these teams at least because this is a very strong group of 12s that kind of match up well against Kansas, which would be certainly important to avoid those. As far as the 13 seeds go, so maybe this is the one that gets your ears up a little more if you think they're going to get a four seed. McNeese State, very interesting team. They're very athletic. Will Wade, the former LSU head coach, he's their head coach. He's done an excellent job. They've won like 30 games. They are top 10 in three-point percentage. Low volume, but they shoot them well. They're also sixth in both turnover rate and steal rate defense. This might be an F matchup for Kansas. Avoid McNeese State. Samford, they play super fast. Top 10 in three-point percentage. Top 20 in turnover and
Starting point is 00:16:56 steal rate. Oof. Again, you don't want to play Samford. UC Irvine, very low volume of threes. They're above average in making them and at turnovers. I'd be okay with that stylistic matchup. Vermont plays slow. They don't force turnovers, not super athletic, and they shoot threes at a low volume. The one caveat is, I'm sorry, volume. They shoot it at a low percentage.
Starting point is 00:17:21 They do take a lot of threes. That is one caveat. But again, don't totally mind that matchup overall. If you do get to a three seed and you're playing a lot of threes. That is one caveat, but again, don't totally mind that matchup overall. If you do get to a three seed and you're playing a 14 or one of these teams, you know, you get a four and they move up to 13. Those on that line for bracket matrix, Charleston, Akron, Oakland, and Moorhead State. Charleston's won 12 straight. They made the tournament last year, their top 20 and three point attempt rate. And they're shooting about 35% from three top 50 offensive rebound rate.
Starting point is 00:17:46 They don't really force turnovers. This wouldn't be a totally ideal matchup, though. Not on the same level of the McNeese State or the Samford matchup for me, but this would also not be a great one. Akron is only 269th in three-point percentage, pretty high volume, below average in forcing turnovers. Fine with that. Oakland shoots threes at a solid rate and volume.
Starting point is 00:18:04 They don't force turnovers. Fine again. Moorhead State, they play very deliberately, and they don't do well with turnovers on either side. They are top 25 in three-point attempt rate at over 35%, so that's not great, though. I don't know how athletic they are. I think I prefer the Akron and the Oakland matchups to McNeese
Starting point is 00:18:22 or to Moorhead State, but I would prefer Moorhead State to like Charleston if we're looking at this 14 line. I also, I guess, would watch the Colgate and South Dakota State ones. They're projected 15s. Maybe if you sneak into a three seed, could either of those sneak into a 14 seed? Yeah. Colgate shoots the lights out of the ball, but they've been in a lot of tournaments lately, and athletically, they just can't match up. They usually compete really well in the first half, and then things just kind of fall apart. So whatever there. South Dakota State, it's been some of the same stuff with like the lack of maybe defense for their side.
Starting point is 00:18:53 Zeke Mayo, though, Lawrence Kidd, you could have that potential storyline, and that would not be great. They did only lose to UCF by like three points, which was less than Kansas did. Now, they did lose by 23 to Kansas State, but that one is certainly interesting. So I guess to summarize on the first round, get a three or four to avoid those deadly 12 seeds, then hope you avoid McNeese State or Samford. Ideally avoid Charleston too. As it pertains to possible second round matchups. So we're going to look at the four, five, and six seeds here,
Starting point is 00:19:24 because if you get a three seed, you'd play six. If you get a four seed, you'd play five. You get a five seed, you'd play four. Fours on bracket matrix besides Kansas, Illinois, Alabama, Auburn, not great on Illinois. We saw that in the exhibition. They have a stretch five, definitely no on Alabama, very fast, shoot a ton of threes. That would not be great for KU. I think Auburn would actually be fine matchup wise like they're a team who I don't know they don't have like great guard play not like an elite three point shooting team they got a really good big man and Joni Broom but also that one's not great because Auburn is ranked like fifth on Ken Palm and so they would be favored by like seven on a neutral court against Kansas so like stylistically it's not a bad matchup but if you're having to
Starting point is 00:20:03 play a team who's number five on Ken Palm in the second round, who got underseeded as like a four or five seed, that would not be ideal. So realistically, you don't want to play any of those in a weird way. The fives, according to bracket matrix, BYU, South Carolina, San Diego state, Utah, obviously won't get paired with BYU. San Diego state is pretty athletic. Jaden Lede match a problem for KU. But outside of that, I don't think it's like a bad matchup per se. Maybe San Diego State would have tough Kansas. I don't know. South Carolina is going to be a popular like five seed to be an upset pick. I feel like they don't force a ton of turnovers. They do shoot a lot of threes, but lower efficiency, but they also want to slow it down, which might actually help KU's lack of depth
Starting point is 00:20:42 and speed. And then for Utah State outside of San Diego State, like the Mountain West usually stinks in the tournament. And Utah State's not a good shooting team, not a good turnover forcing team. I actually don't mind these matchups. Like the fours are like, no, that would not be good. The fives, I actually would be okay with basically all these matchups. I guess San Diego State would probably be the worst of that group. And honestly, the BYU one would be bad, but you can't get matched with them. Sixes per bracket matrix, Clemson, Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Nevada. Clemson's 344th in turnover rate. Okay, that's fine. They play pretty big basketball. They do have a few really good shooters. So I guess kind of interesting. Nevada shoots well from three, but it's low volume.
Starting point is 00:21:24 They force solid turnover numbers and they beat TCU on a neutral court by 13. They've won 10 of their last 12, but also Mountain West again. Steve Alford don't totally trust that. So I don't know. Then Wisconsin has a bunch of shooters, but low volume, middle and turnover defense. And they finished the regular season three and eight. And I wouldn't describe them as a super athletic team. Obviously it won't be tech.
Starting point is 00:21:46 So I don't know that that one's fine, whatever. I do want to add in the bracket matrix as St. Mary's as a seven seed. I don't think it'd be shocking if they got like a three or a six seed, I guess. Dayton is a seven after they lost in the eight, 10. I don't know that that'll happen. Gonzaga is a seven.
Starting point is 00:22:00 Could they get up to a six FAU is a nine. If they won the American, could they get up there? I don't know. Maybe St. Mary's, I don't think would be a great matchup for KU, though they do slow it down. They're not an overly athletic team. I just think they're so tough and smart that it would be problematic. And they're so good on the glass for KU in kind of a different way.
Starting point is 00:22:16 So to summarize, basically in the first round, looking to avoid McNeese State, Samford, and Charleston. And then hypothetically, any of those 12s we listed, if they drop down. Second round, you just want to avoid like Auburn, Alabama, Illinois. Beyond that, I think you feel like, not saying they're going to win these games necessarily, but I think this exercise showed me that there are a lot of flaws in a lot of these other teams in the country. Kansas is obviously very flawed
Starting point is 00:22:45 too. Kansas could lose in the first round. Kansas could win both games. But I think that's the case for a lot of these other teams that maybe there's not as many stylistic matchup problems for the first two rounds as you might have thought, though that still doesn't guarantee Kansas makes it out of the first round or the first weekend. But it certainly makes you feel maybe a little bit better. Then again, I feel like the first round is a bigger tripwire with some of those bad matchups we mentioned than the second round, which might be a little scary too. Let's continue on regions and locations of interest.
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Starting point is 00:23:53 round to score 15 plus points. Have fun with it. Just visit fanduel.com slash locked on and bet on college hoops until they cut down the nets. Regions and locations of importance for KU. Well, so when you're looking at the locations right now, the most ideal would be Kansas getting Omaha, especially with the home road splits for KU this year. For what it's worth, that'd be a Thursday-Saturday pod for Kansas. The other first and second round locations are Brooklyn, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Spokane, and Memphis.
Starting point is 00:24:25 I guess Memphis or Indianapolis would still be like the next closest. So you could say I've seen a lot of brackets, though, that have them in Salt Lake City or Spokane. That would be tough travel-wise. Honestly, though, Omaha is the most preferred, I feel like. That would get the most fans there and everything and support. But if you're not going to get Omaha, are you just better off having a Friday Sunday pod
Starting point is 00:24:45 regardless of the location because I know that's only one extra day but with how injured Kansas has been maybe that one extra day is is an extra tick an extra percentage point an extra five percentage point chance that they can win their game and for a team who has such a tight margin that could be so important so as far as locations of the region, the next round, like there's not one super close either. I guess Dallas would be best if they can get placed in the South there, because that would be best for the alumni base and the distance. The other ones are Boston, Detroit, and LA. If you're not though, I don't think it really matters which of those other three you get, but yeah, I think you're rooting for Omaha in the first round the most. If you don't get that, just root for a Friday, Sunday. And I do think Memphis
Starting point is 00:25:29 and Indianapolis, which like I said, I mean, those are at least driving distance. Those are both Friday, Sunday. So maybe if you're ordering where you're hoping they're getting, maybe one is Omaha, maybe two is Indy, maybe three is Memphis or something like that. All right, that's going to do it for this episode of the show. We'll be back on Sunday to break down whatever happens in the bracket for KU, see if we're totally wrong and see who KU got matched up with. This has been Locked on Jayhawks. Make sure you subscribe to the show and you can find us anywhere you get your podcasts.

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