🏀 Jayhawks to Face Red Raiders in Big 12 Championship Title Game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-seeded Kansas (27-6) advanced to its 15th Big 12 Conference Tournament title game and 23rd conference tournament title game all-time, with a 75-62 win against TCU, March 11, in the semifinals of the 2022 Big 12 Championship.
KU will take on No. 3 seed Texas Tech (25-8) Saturday, March 12, at 5 p.m. (CT) on ESPN at T-Mobile Center. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma, 56-55, on March 11 to reach the championship game.
KU has won 15 postseason league tourney titles and 11 in the Big 12 era. Since the Big 12’s inception in 1996-97, Kansas is 49-12 in the league tournament. KU is 1-0 in opening round games, 22-3 in the quarterfinals, 15-6 in semifinals and 11-3 in finals.
Kansas leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 40-7, and KU is 3-0 versus TTU in Big 12 Championship meetings – 90-50 in the 2002 semifinals, 80-68 in the 2010 quarterfinals and 91-63 in the 2013 quarterfinals.
In two Big 12 Tournament contests, Kansas has posted a plus-18.5 scoring margin with an 81.0 ppg. The Jayhawks are shooting 51.2% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range making 6.0 threes per game. KU is making 85.7% of its free throws and pulling down 37.0 rebounds per game with a plus-5.0 rebound margin. KU has also averaged 17.5 assists, 6.5 steals and 6.5 blocked shots.
Individually, senior Ochai Agbaji leads KU with a 20.0 ppg in two tournament victories. Junior Christian Braun leads the team with a 10.0 rebound average to go along with his 10.0 ppg. Mitch Lightfoot is 11-14 FGs (78.6%), averaging 12.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg. He also has a team-best seven block shots. Redshirt-sophomore Jalen Wilson is scoring 12.0 ppg, while redshirt-sophomore Dajuan Harris Jr. is scoring 7.0 ppg and leads the team with 12 assists and four steals.
Up Next
Should Kansas win its Big 12 title game contest, Kansas would receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with selection Sunday on March 13. It would be KU’s 50th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. Since 1990, Kansas has made 31-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances which is the longest active streak in the nation and best all-time.
