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The KU Jayhawks are going into this year’s March Madness with a little bit of sheen taken off. The Jayhawks are set to open their NCAA championship bid seeded No. 4 after earning the No. 1 seed for two consecutive years.
Bill Self’s men finished the regular season with a 10-8 record in conference play and a 22-10 overall record. Let us explore the times they earned the top seed in the tournament's history.
How many times has KU been a No.1 seed?
KU has been a 1 seed a total of 16 times in the program’s history. The practice of seeding teams for the NCAA tournament started in 1978, and the current seeding format was adopted in 1979. In 1981, Kansas was seeded for the tournament for the first time, and over the years, they have maintained an impressive run of appearances in the tournament.
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The Jayhawks were a 1 seed for the first time in 1986 under legendary coach Larry Brown. He led the Jayhawks to a 35-4 overall record that season, ending their conference campaign at 13-1. However, the team bowed out of the NCAA tournament in the final four.
The next time they were seeded numero uno was under Roy Williams in 1992. They achieved it for the second time under Williams in 1995, going all the way to the Sweet Sixteen. In total, Williams earned the No. 1 seed for Kansas five times.
Following Williams’ exit in 2003, the Jayhawks employed Bill Self to take over the reins. By 2007, he had become the third straight coach to earn the top seed for Kansas. In Self’s 20 years in charge, Kansas has been seeded No. 1 a staggering ten times, emerging champions twice as the top seed in 2008 and 2022.
One thing Self has been able to do since taking over at Kansas is elevate the program to higher levels. His incredible record includes leading the Jayhawks to 17 regular-season conference championships. 14 of the 17 championships were won consecutively, setting an NCAA record.
The Jayhawks begin their NCAA tournament campaign tonight against Samford. Kansas will have the sole aim of putting a disappointing Big 12 season behind them. The NCAA championship crown is theirs for the taking if they play to potential.
Read more: KU coach Bill Self praises Colorado to Big 12 move and reveals his ambitious plans for the 2023 season: "We are going to get to 16"; "Kansas against the world!" - Jayhawks HC Lance Leipold's wife sends a message to fans as KU breaks bowl game penalty yards record
