“I told him, I said ‘Och, there’s only one player that’s had as good a senior year as you’” - Kansas coach Bill Self on Ochai Agbaji reaching the Final Four, says he’s proud to play a part in the journey
The Kansas Jayhawks look like they could win the school's first national championship since 2008. Meanwhile, senior wing Ochai Agbaji, one of the country's top players, is a potential lottery pick in the NBA draft.
It's been a heck of a year for Agbaji, a consistent force throughout his four-year career.
Kansas (31-6), ranked third in the final poll of the regular season, faces Villanova (30-7), ranked sixth, in the first national semifinal Saturday in New Orleans, Louisiana.
For a player who has been apart of a number of talented Kansas teams, Agbaji will now have the opportunity to lead his team to a spot in the national championship game.
After the Jayhawks' 76-50 Elite Eight win over Miami on Sunday, KU coach Bill Self praised his senior star:
“I said ‘Och, there’s only one player that’s had as good a senior year as you.’”
Self then detailed how special it's been to coach Agbaji. He's gotten the chance to see the versatile wing grow into one of college basketball's top players.
"It's been an unbelievable journey for him and one that I'm so proud that I was able to play a small part of it," Self said.
The Jayhawks are heading to their 16th #MFinalFour in program history 👏
@TheAndyKatz spoke with @CoachBillSelf on @KUHoops' journey to NOLA https://t.co/BR81U9kpKH
Ochai Agbaji and the Kansas Jayhawks prepare for Final Four
The Kansas Jayhawks are the final No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament and are getting ready to play the Villanova Wildcats, a No. 2 seed.
Each school has three national titles. Both are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2018, when Villanova topped KU 95-79 in San Antonio, Texas, en route to winning the national championship.
If the Jayhawks are going to find a way to get to the national championship game, then senior Ochai Agbaji is going to be a major reason why. Agbaji was one of college basketball's most impressive players this season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound wing stands out with his lethal outside shooting ability and two-way impact.
"We're not done. We're actually still motivated to do more." 😤
Ochai Agbaji (@youngoch) caught up with @TheAndyKatz after @KUHoops' #Elite8 victory https://t.co/pSATPlsz2C
After averaging 14.1 points per game as a junior, Agbaji saw his production across the board jump this season. He's averaging 18.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1%, including 39.7% from 3-point range.
If Kansas can pull off a victory against Villanova, it will give Agbaji one final chance to put a stamp on his illustrious career.