2022 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 4 Providence Friars
How to Watch:
- Date: Friday, March 25
- Time: 7:29 p.m. ET
- Location: United Center in Chicago, IL
- TV: TBS
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 1 KU | STAT | No. 4 PROV |
| Big 12 | Conference | Big East |
| 30-6 | Record | 27-5 |
| 78.6 (28th) | Points Per Game | 71.8 (172nd) |
| 68.1 | Points Allowed Per Game | 67.0 |
| 0.6607 (1st) | RPI | 0.6233 (13th) |
| 3rd | Strength of Schedule | 56th |
| Automatic Bid | Bid | At-Large Bid |
Can’t Miss Offer From Caesars
Kansas leaders:
- Ochai Agbaji, G, SR: 19.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 40.5% 3PT
- Christian Braun, G, JR: 14.6 points, 6.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 50.3 FG%
Providence leaders:
- Nate Watson C, SR: 13.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 55.8% FG
- Jared Bynum, G, JR: 12.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 41.7% 3PT
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- KU Moneyline: -320
- PROV Moneyline: +250
- Spread: KU -7.5
- Over/Under: 145
- ATS Record: KU 18-17-1, PROV 19-13
- Over/Under Record: KU 21-15, PROV 17-15
Odds courtesy of Draftkings. For the latest odds, click here.
The Pick:
- The Jayhawks are ranked 6th by KenPom, with the 6th most efficient offense and 28th-most efficient defense. Providence is ranked 33rd by KenPom, the 4th-worst-ranked team remaining in the field. The Friars are also the luckiest team in the country according to KenPom, which means they’ve survived a lot of close games on grit and, perhaps, luck that metrics suggest they should have lost.
- The Jayhawks play at the 68th fastest pace by adjusted tempo, so they are going to let their star guards try to get out and run. Meanwhile, the Friars want to play slow, with the 273rd ranked adjusted tempo. It will be a clash of styles and the overall pace of the game should be a good indicator of who is in control and more likely to come out on top.
- The Jayhawks are also 57th in the nation from behind the arc, shooting 36%, but the Friars are a pretty good defense against the three, ranking 58th in the country, allowing just 31.2% from beyond the arc. If they can keep the Jayhawks from getting hot from deep, they improve their chances dramatically.
- The Friars are 105th in three-point percentage at 35%, but just 149th in total field goal percentage, so there is a key gap there and is one of the major reasons that the Jayhawks are a more efficient and explosive offense.
- The Jayhawks have also been beasts on the boards so far this tournament, outrebounding Creighton 47-31 in round two and outrebounding Texas Southern 44-31 in round one, so the Friars will have their work cut out for them in the paint as well.
