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The 2016 NCAA tournament Round of 64 kicks off on Thursday afternoon, and we couldn’t be more excited. The next two days are the best 36 hours of the entire year in sports, as there are 32 games to be played and every one is on television.
At 4 p.m. ET Thursday, one of those 32 games will feature the No. 1 overall seed, the Kansas Jayhawks taking on the No. 16 seed in the South Region, the Austin Peay Governors.
The Jayhawks are coming off of their 12th straight Big 12 championship as they won both the regular season and tournament titles. The team is led by guards Frank Mason III, Devonte’ Graham and Wayne Selden Jr., along with forward Perry Ellis. Those four guys helped the Jayhawks to a 30-4 overall record and the No. 1 ranking in the end of season Top 25 polls.
Kansas doesn’t necessarily do one thing extremely well, but the team is solid in every aspect of the game. Bill Self‘s club is 16th in the nation as they average 81.6 points per game, 34th in assists with 15.9 per game and 74th in points allowed with 67.7 per contest. The Jayhawks are the most well-rounded team in the nation hence why they’re the favorites to win it all.
Austin Peay is coming off of a surprise run through the Ohio Valley conference tournament. The 18-17 Governors are led by senior center Chris Horton, who averages 18.9 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, and sophomore guard Josh Robinson, who averages 16.7 points per outing.
If the Governors are going to pull the monumental upset, it’s going to have to be on the back of Horton. While the Jayhawks certainly aren’t weak inside with Landen Lucas and Ellis, it’s not their strength. Austin Peay has to slow the pace and feed the ball inside to their horse.
Although that should be the Governors’ gameplan, it’s easier said than done. Keep in mind that a No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Outside of some sort of miracle, the Jayhawks will be moving on to the Round of 32.
Prediction: Kansas 84, Austin Peay 66
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