LAWRENCE, Kan. – Selected as a No. 2 seed, the Kansas men’s basketball team will make its 26th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The nation’s longest-active streak in the Big Dance will start against No. 15 seed New Mexico State in the Midwest Region on Friday, March 20, at 11:15 a.m. (Central) on CBS.

Kansas (26-8, 13-5) extended its unprecedented run of 11-straight Big 12 titles to conclude the regular season and, on Sunday, the Jayhawks lengthened their NCAA Tournament streak to 26 seasons in a row – the longest streak in the nation. The unveiled bracket paired Kansas against Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State (23-10, 13-1) in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

This marks the sixth-straight season that the Jayhawks have earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. In head coach Bill Self’s 12 seasons, KU has never been seeded lower than fourth. Kansas has been a two-seed seven times, including each of the last two seasons (1990, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2012, 2014, 2015).

The Jayhawks and Aggies have played twice previously, with the Jayhawks coming away with victories in each (102-51, Dec. 7, 1965; 100-79, Dec. 3, 2008).

ABOUT KANSAS (26-8, 13-5 Big 12)
Overall, the Jayhawks are making their 44th NCAA Tournament appearance. KU is 96-42 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, including 30 Sweet 16 appearances and 14 trips to the Final Four.

The Jayhawks finished the 2014-15 regular season with a 26-8 record against the nation’s toughest schedule, which included a program-best 10 victories against ranked opponents. In conference tournament action, Kansas defeated TCU and Baylor to advance to the Phillips Big 12 Championship finals against Iowa State. The Cyclones won their second-consecutive conference tournament to hand Kansas a 26-8 record to begin postseason play. Against the No. 1 RPI conference and the nation’s toughest strength of schedule, Kansas won the Big 12 Conference regular-season outright on March 3.

Kansas is one of seven Big 12 Conference teams to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, marking just the sixth time in NCAA history that 70 percent of a league was selected. The seven teams tied the Big Ten for the conference with the most teams represented in the tournament. In all, KU faced 10 NCAA Tournament teams in 2014-15.

Led by the Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year, Self guided his Jayhawks through a non-conference schedule that included the No. 1 overall seeded and undefeated Kentucky, as well as, Michigan State, Utah and Georgetown. All-Big 12 First Team junior forward Perry Ellis set the tone for Kansas and is the only player in the Big 12 that ranks in the top-10 in the league in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage. As a team, KU averages 71.2 points per game and outscores opponents by a +6.8 margin.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE (23-10, 13-1 WAC)
The Aggies head to the NCAA Tournament after claiming their fourth-consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament title, an impressive addition to their 2015 WAC regular-season championship. The tourney title, which NMSU won handily over Seattle on Saturday, marked the team’s fifth in the last six years under 2015 WAC Coach of the Year Marvin Menzies.

Redshirt freshman forward Pascal Siakam leads an otherwise veteran Aggie lineup. He shoots 57.7 percent from the floor and averages 13.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, earning himself WAC Freshman of the Year honors. Senior forward Remi Barry leads the team with a 13.3 scoring average and is one of four Aggies to average double-figures. Senior guard Daniel Mullings was named to the All-WAC First Team, while fellow senior Tshilidzi Nephawe earned WAC Tournament MVP honors. Running the floor, sophomore guard Ian Baker leads the team with a 47.2 three-point field goal percentage (58-of-123) and dishes 2.8 assists per game.

Aside from a 13-1 conference slate, New Mexico State will enter postseason play on a 13-game win streak. The Aggies’ last loss came on Jan. 17 at Seattle, which they avenged with an 80-61 win in the WAC Tournament championship game.

UP NEXT
The winner of (2) Kansas vs. (15) New Mexico State will advance to play the winner of (10) Indiana and (7) Wichita State on Sunday, March 22.

— KU Sports Information —