March Madness First Round upset prediction: Which team will win between No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Samford?
March Madness has officially gotten underway as the First Four kicked things off on Tuesday with the first round set to begin on Thursday. The No.4 seeded Kansas Jayhawks will take on the No.13 seeded Samford Bulldogs as they look to become just the seventh program with at least five NCAA titles.
The Jayhawks are 22-10, however, they struggled in Big 12 play after starting the season 12-1 in nonconference play. After finishing just 10-8 in conference play during the regular season, Kansas was bounced in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 29-5 and were 15-3 in Southern Conference play during the regular season. They also won three straight games to win the Southern Conference Tournament and the conference's automatic March Madness bid.
Kansas vs. Samford game details
Matchup: Kansas Jayhawks vs. Samford Bulldogs
Date and Time: Thursday, March 21st, 9:55 p.m. EST
Venue: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
How to Watch: Max/TBS
Kansas vs. Samford betting odds and spread
Kansas vs. Samford key stats
The Kansas Jayhawks have averaged 75.2 points per game entering March Madness. They rank 126th out of 362 teams in the nation in points per game and 153rd in offensive rating. The Jayhawks have allowed 68.7 ppg, ranking 79th in scoring defense and 43rd in defensive rating.
Kansas is led by Bill Self, who is in his 21st season leading the program. The team is 602-142 during his tenure, winning the NCAA title in both 2008 and 2022. Self spent the previous three seasons leading the Illinois Fighting Illini to a 78-24 record, which was preceded by a three-year stint leading the Tulsa Golden Hurricane to a 74-27 record. His first head coaching gig came with the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, who he led to 55-54 record in four seasons.
The Samford Bulldogs, meanwhile, have averaged 86.0 ppg, ranking fifth in the nation in scoring offense and 22nd in offensive rating. The Bulldogs have not have the same success on the less flashy end of the ball, allowing 73.9 ppg, ranking 247th in scoring defense and 75th in defensive rating.
Samford is led by coach Bucky McMillan, who is in his first head coaching gig. In four seasons leading the program, he has compiled a 77-40 record.
Who will advance in March Madness?
The Kansas Jayhawks had a disappointing regular season. After entering the season as the top-ranked team in the nation, they will enter March Madness ranked just 17th in the nation. They will be without Kevin McCullar during the NCAA Tournament as the first-team All-Big 12 guard has been ruled out due to a bone bruise on his knee.
McCullar's absence will sting as he averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 80.5% from the free-throw line. Additionally, he has been an elite perimeter defender.
While his absence will hinder the Jayhawks later in March Madness, they should be able to escape the first round. As strong as the Samford Bulldogs have played this season, Kansas will represent a huge step up in competition for them. The only time they faced a ranked opponent throughout the year, they were blown out by the Purdue Boilermakers, losing 98-45.