The Kansas Jayhawks and Samford Bulldogs face off in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament. This Kansas Jayhawks team has major injury issues and has oddly lost 10 games this season. At their weakest in recent years, they have a tall test against Samford and head coach Bucky McMillan’s style of basketball branded “Bucky Ball.” It’s a brand of basketball that features a large rotation of players constantly subbing in and out to stay fresh. Can this Kansas vs Samford prediction end in an improbable upset?
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, giving a Gonzaga vs McNeese prediction and other March Madness expert picks. Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
Kansas vs Samford Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2024 NCAA Tournament
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks (22-10) vs. No. 13 Samford Bulldogs (29-5)
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 9:55 PM EST
Venue: Delta Center — Salt Lake City, UT
Coverage: TBS
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Kansas vs Samford March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Kansas vs Samford can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: KU: (-320) | SAM: (+255)
Point Spread: KU: -7.5 (-110) | SAM: +7.5 (-110)
Total: 153 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Kansas | 22 | 113.4 (65) | 94.2 (10) | 68.9 (92) |
| Samford | 81 | 113.1 (69) | 103.3 (116) | 72.5 (14) |
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Kansas vs Samford College Basketball Trends
- Kansas is 12-2 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- Samford is 14-2 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- The UNDER is 17-15 in Kansas basketball games this season.
- The UNDER is 17-15 in Samford basketball games this season.
- Kansas is 9-3 in NCAA Tournament games since 2019.
- Samford is 0-2 in NCAA Tournament games since in school history.
Kansas vs Samford Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
The biggest question in this game is the health of Kansas. Star center Hunter Dickinson missed the entire Big 12 Tournament to a dislocated shoulder while Kevin McCullar Jr. also missed the entire Big 12 Tournament in addition to four of the last five regular season games due to a bone bruise in his knee. Kansas is a heck of a talented team, but those two players account for 48% of Kansas’ offensive output. If even one of the pair can’t play, or aren’t fully healthy, Kansas could be in trouble fast.
Samford’s style of play is the exact reason why Jayhawks fans should be terrified. The “Bucky Ball” brand of basketball that head coach Bucky McMillan has popularized is based on constant substitutions to keep guys fresh and run their opponents into the ground. Samford runs a 10-man rotation with all 10 players averaging 12 or more minutes per game. The Bulldogs also have plenty of scorers with five players scoring nine or more per game.
Even if both Dickinson and McCullar Jr. are both healthy, this game will be very dicey for the normally heavily-favored Jayhawks. It seems like a stretch for both players to not only be ready to go, but to also be at full strength. As the game goes on, Samford will be just as fresh, so Kansas can’t afford for any early rust. With rust likely being present after missing so many games, Samford provides a sneaky upset pick in the first round. For our Kansas vs Samford prediction, we are picking the Samford Bulldogs to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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