The men’s college basketball season is just under a month away, but now is the time to start prepping if you’re a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas sports betting.
The Jayhawks were listed as the No. 1 team in the preseason Associated Press basketball poll for the first time since 2019, when Bill Self’s team fell in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Fast forward four years and the Jayhawks look to bring another Big 12 regular season title home to Lawrence after going 13-5 in conference play a season ago. Utilizing CollegePoolArchive.com, BetKansas.com looked at how No. 1 teams in the preseason AP Poll fared over the past 10 seasons (2012-13 season). With Kansas grabbing the top spot, how can we expect them to perform?
Kansas sports betting apps list the Jayhawks as the NCAA championship favorite with +1000 odds. Duke is second at +1300.
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Trends of Preseason AP No. 1
| Situation | Result |
| Average Final AP Poll Ranking | 10.4 rank* |
| Average Tournament Seed | 10 seed** |
| Average Winning Percentage | .875 |
| Round of 32 Or Earlier Exit | 3 of 9 (33.3%) |
| Final Four Appearance | 5 of 9 (55.5%) |
| Championship | 0 of 9 |
* — Unranked teams were listed as 26th rank.
** — Teams who didn’t make tournament were listed as 69th rank.
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How Recent Preseason No. 1s Have Fared
No team ranked atop the preseason poll has won a national title since 2013. Five of the nine teams have reached the Final Four, and the nine teams have finished the year with an average ranking of 10.4 in the final AP poll.
The only team to miss the tournament after starting the year ranked atop the poll (aside from the 2020 COVID cancellation) was North Carolina a year ago, which finished 20-13. Conversely, the No. 1 preseason teams that went the farthest in March Madness were 2015 Kentucky, 2016 UNC and 2021 Gonzaga, which all fell in the national championship game. Oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook Kansas list Kansas as the Big 12 favorite at +160. New league member Houston is second at +375. Texas, in its final Big 12 season before moving to the SEC, is third at +550.
The Jayhawks open their season at Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 6 against North Carolina Central, with eight days to get in rhythm before they take on 16th-ranked Kentucky at Chicago’s United Center.
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