# 2021–22 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, which was the Jayhawks' 124th basketball season. The Jayhawks, members of the Big 12 Conference, played their home games at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. They were led by 19th year Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks finished the season 34–6 and won their 4th NCAA Tournament National Championship, their first since 2008, and their 6th National Championship overall.

## Season notes

The Jayhawks experienced massive roster turnover in the offseason having lost eight players to transfers, graduation, and entering the draft, but added a recruiting class ranked in the top 15 of every major recruiting website, and 4 transfers. They had more new players on their roster than returning players. Despite the turnover, the Jayhawks entered the season with high expectations. Joe Lunardi of ESPN projected them as a 1 seed in his initial 2022 NCAA tournament bracketology. The Jayhawks renewed their rivalry with Missouri on December 11. The Jayhawks defeated Missouri 102–65.
On April 2, 2021, Kansas signed Self to a lifetime contract. The contract will automatically add an extra year to every year he coaches until his retirement or death.
On October 14, 2021, when the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll was published, Kansas was projected to finish first in conference standings, which is the 19th time in 26 seasons of the Big 12's existence that the Jayhawks have been selected as the preseason favorite. They received 8 first-place votes and 80 total points.
The Associated Press (AP) released their preseason poll on October 18, 2021. The Jayhawks were ranked 3rd in the preseason poll. It was the 10th consecutive, 16th under Bill Self, and 24th time since the 1992–93 season KU was ranked 7th or higher in the preseason AP poll. It was also the 16th consecutive season KU was ranked in the preseason poll. It also marked KU being ranked in the preseason poll 31 of the previous 32 seasons.
After losing to Baylor on February 26 and TCU on March 1, the Jayhawks lost back-to-back games, which is only the 12th losing streak of any length under Self.
The Jayhawks defeated Texas on March 5 to clinch their 63rd regular season conference title, extending their NCAA record. It was also their 20th Big 12 title. It was also the 16th Big 12 title in the previous 18 seasons. The Jayhawks would also win the 2022 Big 12 tournament to earn their 50th NCAA Tournament appearance and their NCAA record extending 32nd consecutive. The tournament title was the Jayhawks 12th Big 12 Tournament title and their 16th overall.
After defeating Providence in the NCAA tournament, Kansas passed Kentucky to be the winningest program in the nation. The Jayhawks defeated North Carolina in the National Championship game 72–69 after trailing 25–40 at halftime. They trailed by as much as 16 completing the largest comeback in National Championship game history.

## Roster changes
### Coaching staff changes

| Name | New school | Replacement |
| Jerrance Howard | Texas | Jeremy Case |

### Entered draft

Below are players who declared for the NBA draft. The class given is what their class was for the 2020–21 season. Seniors from the previous season, due to receiving an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA, had to declare to intention to enter the draft. If a player goes undrafted, they are eligible to return.
| Name | Position | Class | Returned |
| Ochai Agbaji | G | Junior | Yes |
| Jalen Wilson | F | RS Freshman | Yes |
| Marcus Garrett | G | Senior | No |

### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| K. J. Adams Jr. F | Austin, TX | Westlake | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jul 7, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 ||||||
| Zach Clemence F | San Antonio, TX | Sunrise Christian | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | May 11, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87 ||||||
| Bobby Pettiford G | Durham, NC | South Granville | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Mar 30, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Kyle Cuffe Jr.* G | New York, NY | Blair Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | Dec 19, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: 247 Sports: 11 Rivals: 13 ESPN: 6 ||||||
*Originally class of 2022, but reclassified to 2021.

### Transfers
#### Incoming

| Name | Position | Class | Old School |
| Cam Martin | C | Super Senior | Missouri Southern |
| Joseph Yesufu | G | Sophomore | Drake |
| Remy Martin | G | Super Senior | Arizona State |
| Jalen Coleman-Lands | G | Super Senior | Iowa State |

#### Outgoing

| Name | Position | Class | New School |
| Tyon Grant-Foster | G | Senior | DePaul |
| Tristan Enaruna | G/F | Junior | Iowa State |
| Gethro Muscadin | C | Sophomore | New Mexico |
| Latrell Jossell | G | Sophomore | Stephen F. Austin |
| Bryce Thompson | G | Sophomore | Oklahoma State |

#### Walk-ons

| Name | Position |
| Charlie McCarthy | Guard |
| Dillon Wilhite | Forward |

## Roster

Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA granted 2021 seniors an extra year of eligibility. Mitch Lightfoot and Chris Teahan both returned for an extra year. Additionally, transfer Remy Martin took advantage of the extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.

## Schedule
### COVID-19 impact

Unlike the previous year, Kansas allowed full capacity crowds. The Jayhawks finished their non-conference schedule without any positive tests for COVID-19. They did, however, cancel two non-conference games and postpone a third conference game due to COVID-19 issues with their opponents. The non-conference games that were canceled were replaced with new opponents. The Jayhawks had their first confirmed case of COVID-19 on February 1, 2022, when Ochai Agbaji tested positive for the virus.

### Results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 3, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 3 | Emporia State | W 86–60 | – | 17 – Agbaji | 8 – McCormack | 4 – R. Martin | Allen Fieldhouse (16,200) Lawrence, KS |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | vs. Michigan State Champions Classic | W 87–74 | 1–0 | 29 – Agbaji | 8 – Braun | 4 – Harris | Madison Square Garden (18,132) New York, NY |
| November 12, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 3 | Tarleton State | W 88–62 | 2–0 | 25 – Agbaji | 8 – Tied | 6 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| November 18, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 3 | Stony Brook | W 88–59 | 3–0 | 25 – Agbaji | 8 – McCormack | 6 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| November 25, 2021* 1:30 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | vs. North Texas ESPN Events Invitational quarterfinals | W 71–59 | 4–0 | 18 – Agbaji | 8 – R. Martin | 4 – Tied | HP Field House (3,514) Bay Lake, FL |
| November 26, 2021* 12:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 4 | vs. Dayton ESPN Events Invitational semifinals | L 73–74 | 4–1 | 21 – Agbaji | 10 – Braun | 5 – Braun | HP Field House (3,859) Bay Lake, FL |
| November 28, 2021* 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 4 | vs. Iona ESPN Events Invitational 3rd place game | W 96–83 | 5–1 | 20 – Braun | 7 – Braun | 5 – R. Martin | HP Field House (3,252) Bay Lake, FL |
| December 3, 2021* 6:00 pm, FS1 | No. 8 | at St. John's Big East–Big 12 Battle | W 95–75 | 6–1 | 31 – Braun | 13 – McCormack | 5 – R. Martin | UBS Arena (9,769) Elmont, NY |
| December 7, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 8 | UTEP | W 78–52 | 7–1 | 23 – Agbaji | 7 – Wilson | 6 – Harris | T-Mobile Center (15,500) Kansas City, MO |
| December 11, 2021* 2:15 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | Missouri Border War | W 102–65 | 8–1 | 21 – Agbaji | 7 – McCormack | 5 – R. Martin | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 18, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 7 | Stephen F. Austin | W 80–72 | 9–1 | 21 – Braun | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| December 21, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | at Colorado | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Colorado. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Colorado. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Colorado. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Colorado. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Colorado. | CU Events Center Boulder, CO |
| December 29, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | Harvard | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Harvard. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Harvard. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Harvard. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Harvard. | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues with Harvard. | Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS |
| December 29, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | Nevada | W 88–61 | 10–1 | 22 – Braun | 9 – Wilson | 5 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 1, 2022 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | TCU | Postponed due to COVID-19 issues with TCU. Rescheduled for March 3. | Postponed due to COVID-19 issues with TCU. Rescheduled for March 3. | Postponed due to COVID-19 issues with TCU. Rescheduled for March 3. | Postponed due to COVID-19 issues with TCU. Rescheduled for March 3. | Postponed due to COVID-19 issues with TCU. Rescheduled for March 3. | Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, KS |
| January 1, 2022* 4:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | George Mason | W 76–67 | 11–1 | 20 – Coleman–Lands | 7 – Wilson | 6 – Braun | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 4, 2022 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | at Oklahoma State | W 74–63 | 12–1 (1–0) | 17 – McCormack | 15 – Tied | 6 – Braun | Gallagher-Iba Arena (8,246) Stillwater, OK |
| January 8, 2022 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 6 | at No. 25 Texas Tech | L 67–75 | 12–2 (1–1) | 24 – Agbaji | 6 – Tied | 3 – Tied | United Supermarkets Arena (14,320) Lubbock, TX |
| January 11, 2022 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 9 | No. 15 Iowa State | W 62–61 | 13–2 (2–1) | 22 – Agbaji | 7 – Tied | 5 – Wilson | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 15, 2022 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 9 | West Virginia | W 85–59 | 14–2 (3–1) | 23 – Wilson | 15 – McCormack | 5 – Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 18, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 7 | at Oklahoma | W 67–64 | 15–2 (4–1) | 16 – Wilson | 8 – Wilson | 4 – Harris | Lloyd Noble Center (9,296) Norman, OK |
| January 22, 2022 3:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 7 | at Kansas State Sunflower Showdown | W 78–75 | 16–2 (5–1) | 29 – Agbaji | 15 – McCormack | 5 – Braun | Bramlage Coliseum (9,737) Manhattan, KS |
| January 24, 2022 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | No. 13 Texas Tech | W 94–91 $^{2OT}$ | 17–2 (6–1) | 37 – Agbaji | 11 – Wilson | 6 – Braun | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| January 29, 2022* 5:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | No. 12 Kentucky Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 62–80 | 17–3 | 13 – Tied | 8 – Wilson | 4 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 1, 2022 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 10 | at No. 20 Iowa State | W 70–61 | 18–3 (7–1) | 14 – Tied | 13 – McCormack | 8 – Harris | Hilton Coliseum (13,587) Ames, IA |
| February 5, 2022 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 10 | No. 8 Baylor | W 83–59 | 19–3 (8–1) | 18 – Tied | 10 – Braun | 7 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 7, 2022 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at No. 20 Texas | L 76–79 | 19–4 (8–2) | 18 – Wilson | 11 – Wilson | 6 – Harris | Frank Erwin Center (14,688) Austin, TX |
| February 12, 2022 12:00 pm, CBS | No. 8 | Oklahoma | W 71–69 | 20–4 (9–2) | 22 – Wilson | 9 – Wilson | 3 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 14, 2022 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | Oklahoma State | W 76–62 | 21–4 (10–2) | 20 – Agbaji | 12 – McCormack | 5 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 19, 2022 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at West Virginia | W 71–58 | 22–4 (11–2) | 23 – Agbaji | 11 – Tied | 4 – Harris | WVU Coliseum (14,012) Morgantown, WV |
| February 22, 2022 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | Kansas State Sunflower Showdown | W 102–83 | 23–4 (12–2) | 23 – Agbaji | 7 – Tied | 7 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| February 26, 2022 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | at No. 10 Baylor | L 70–80 | 23–5 (12–3) | 27 – Agbaji | 13 – McCormack | 7 – Harris | Paul J. Meyer Arena at the Ferrell Center (10,628) Waco, TX |
| March 1, 2022 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | at TCU | L 64–74 | 23–6 (12–4) | 13 – Tied | 8 – Tied | 7 – Harris | Schollmaier Arena (6,566) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 3, 2022 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | No. 6 | TCU | W 72–68 | 24–6 (13–4) | 22 – Agbaji | 10 – Wilson | 3 – Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| March 5, 2022 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | No. 21 Texas | W 70–63 $^{OT}$ | 25–6 (14–4) | 22 – McCormack | 13 – Wilson | 4 – Harris | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Big 12 Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 2:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 6 | vs. (9) West Virginia Quarterfinals | W 87–63 | 26–6 | 18 – Agbaji | 14 – Braun | 7 – Harris | T-Mobile Center (15,845) Kansas City, MO |
| March 11, 2022 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | (1) No. 6 | vs. (5) TCU Semifinals | W 75–62 | 27–6 | 22 – Agbaji | 6 – Braun | 5 – Tied | T-Mobile Center (16,557) Kansas City, MO |
| March 12, 2022 5:00 pm, ESPN | (1) No. 6 | vs. (3) No. 14 Texas Tech Championship | W 74–65 | 28–6 | 18 – McCormack | 11 – McCormack | 4 – R. Martin | T-Mobile Center (16,344) Kansas City, MO |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2022* 8:57 pm, truTV | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (16 MW) Texas Southern First Round | W 83–56 | 29–6 | 14 – Braun | 7 – McCormack | 4 – Tied | Dickies Arena (10,560) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 19, 2022* 1:40 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (9 MW) Creighton Second Round | W 79–72 | 30–6 | 20 – R. Martin | 14 – Wilson | 7 – R. Martin | Dickies Arena (12,976) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 25, 2022* 6:29 p.m., TBS | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (4 MW) No. 13 Providence Sweet Sixteen | W 66–61 | 31–6 | 23 – R. Martin | 11 – Wilson | 3 – R. Martin | United Center (20,857) Chicago, IL |
| March 27, 2022* 1:20 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (10 MW) Miami (FL) Elite Eight | W 76–50 | 32–6 | 18 – Agbaji | 11 – Wilson | 4 – Tied | United Center (20,241) Chicago, IL |
| April 2, 2022* 5:09 pm, TBS | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (2 S) No. 6 Villanova Final Four | W 81–65 | 33–6 | 25 – McCormack | 11 – Wilson | 5 – Tied | Caesars Superdome (70,602) New Orleans, LA |
| April 4, 2022* 8:20 pm, TBS | (1 MW) No. 3 | vs. (8 E) North Carolina National Championship | W 72–69 | 34–6 | 15 – Tied | 12 – Braun | 3 – Tied | Caesars Superdome (69,423) New Orleans, LA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | Not released |
| Coaches | 3 | 3* | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 (32) |
*No poll released