Kansas entered the NCAA Tournament ranked #2 in the the national polls after winning their fifth Big 12 Tournament in the last six years, and much like previous years they became a favorite to win the Big Dance.
The Jayhawks make it back to the Sweet 16 after being upset by Northern Iowa in the second round in 2010. Kansas has what some would consider the easiest path the the Final Four considering the 10, 11, and 12 seeds are the teams still left in their bracket.
The 12 seed, Richmond, has returned to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998, defeating Vanderbilt and Morehead State to get there. The Spiders have won 16 of their last 18 games with the only loses coming against Temple and Xavier, who both made the NCAA Tournament.
This sets up Kansas and Richmond in the Southwest semifinal. Game information is below.
Sweet 16: Kansas-Richmond Game Info
- Date: Friday, March 25
- Location: Alamo Dome in San Antonio, TX
- Tip Time: 7:27 ET
- TV: TBS
- Announcers: Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Craig Sager
- Point Spread: Kansas -10.5
- Over-Under: 138
Kansas Jayhawks and Richmond Spiders by the Numbers
Here is the statistical breakdown of the two teams, via the ESPN Bracket Predictor.
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What the Numbers Mean
Statistically, Kansas has almost every advantage. The only areas that Richmond holds over Kansas are Opponents Free Throw Attempts per Field Goal Attempts and Turnover Percentage. Kansas ranks fifth in the nation in points per game (82.4) compared to Richmond ranking 129th (70.2). Kansas also leads the nation in field goal percentage and grabs almost seven more rebounds per game than Richmond.
Fortunately for Richmond, the game of basketball isn’t played on paper, especially in March.
Richmond has thrived late in the season on their overall athleticism. They can match up athletically with any team in the nation, and that will definitely help them against Kansas. Both Morris twins can step out to the three point line and knock down open shots, which can be extremely difficult to cover.
Richmond has superb athletes, including Darrius Garrett who has contributed some fantastic blocks so far this tournament. If Richmond is able to cover the Morris brothers on the perimeter and force the ball out of their hands, they will force Kansas to rely on their guards to win, a position the Jayhawks have had problems with this year.
Part of that guard play has been indecision, which shows in the turnover percentage, one of the few statistics that is in Richmond’s favor. If Richmond can get their guards and athletes up and down the court, it might not be in their favor, but it may force Kansas’ guards to also push the tempo and create turnovers.
For Kansas to win this game, it is simple: come out to play early. A staple of Bill Self and this Kansas team is that they start slow and sometimes take too long to adjust and take over. That’s what we saw last year against Northern Iowa and at times in the first round against Boston. The Jayhawks need to control the boards as they have all year, make sure the Morris twins get involved early and often, and limit mistake from their guards.
Kansas-Richmond Prediction
This could end up being one of the better Sweet 16 games. Richmond is an extremely underrated team athletically and can hang with any team in the nation. They match up well against this Kansas team. Unfortunately, they don’t have the experience or a player like Marcus Morris to carry them through a full game.
Richmond will keep this game too close for too long, and if Kansas doesn’t show up early, we could have our second #1 seed fall. I don’t see that happening, but you can bet it will an exciting game.
- Kansas-Richmond Prediction: Kansas 76, Richmond 66
- Kansas-Richmond Spread Pick: Richmond +10.5
- Kansas-Richmond Over-Under Pick: Over
About Drew Lange
