NEW YORK – Kansas senior Frank Mason III and freshman Josh Jackson have been named to 2017 Associated Press All-America Team, the AP announced Tuesday.

Mason was the only unanimous AP first-team selection, while Jackson is a third-team honoree. Mason received 65 first-team votes from the national media panel that selects the weekly Associated Press poll. Like most All-America teams released this season, Kansas is the only school with two representatives among the first three teams named.

Mason led the Big 12 in scoring with a 20.9 average in 2016-17 and his 21.0 points per game in league play were also tops in the conference. A two-time national and three-time conference player of the week from Petersburg, Virginia, Mason averaged 5.2 assists in 2016-17 and became the only player in KU and Big 12 history to average more than 20 points and five assists in the same season. Mason posted 23 games of 20 or more points in 2016-17, including his final seven contests and 10 of KU’s last 11 outings.

Showing a knack for taking over games which directed Kansas to a 31-5 record and its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title with a 16-2 league mark, Mason led Kansas in scoring in 26 games and also led the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Also in the Big 12, Mason finished fourth in assists (5.2), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), seventh in free throw percentage (79.4), ninth in field goal percentage (49.0) and 14th in steals (1.3). Mason went 103-for-119 (86.6 percent) from the free throw line in his final 15 games, making 6.9 charity shots per contest in that span. Additionally, he made 50.0 percent (43-for-86) from 3-point range and 2.4 treys per game in Big 12 play.

The 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection, Mason concluded his career No. 6 on the Kansas scoring list (1,885 points), No. 6 in assists (576), No. 8 in 3-point field goals (185), No. 13 in steals (165) and tied for third in consecutive starts (110). No Jayhawk in KU history ranked sixth or higher in both points and assists.

Mason has been named to seven All-America first teams in 2016-17 and the national player of the year by four entities. His All-America teams include Sporting News, USA TODAY, USBWA, Basketball Times and NBC Sports with Sporting News, USA TODAY, Bleacher Report and NBC Sports naming Mason their national player of the year.

Also listed on numerous All-America teams and the 2017 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jackson joined Mason on the All-Big 12 First Team. A seven-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2016-17, Jackson finished second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Jackson broke or tied four Kansas freshman records including double-doubles (12), rebounds (tied Danny Manning’s 258 set in 1985), field goals made (220) and field goals attempted (429).

Jackson’s 16.3 scoring average was sixth in the Big 12 and his 7.4 rebounds per game were fifth. The Detroit native led Kansas with 59 steals and 37 blocked shots his freshman campaign.

2017 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA

FIRST TEAM
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Josh Hart, Villanova
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Justin Jackson, North Carolina

SECOND TEAM
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga
Luke Kennard, Duke
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Johnathan Motley, Baylor

THIRD TEAM
JOSH JACKSON, KANSAS
Markelle Fultz, Washington
Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Lauri Markkanen, Arizona

— KU Athletics —

LOS ANGELES – Kansas senior Frank Mason III has been named one of five finalists for the 2017 John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s honoring the most outstanding college basketball player, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Monday on ESPNU. Mason also joins teammate Josh Jackson on the Wooden Award All-American Team.

Finalists for the award include Mason, Lonzo Ball (UCLA, Josh Hart (Villanova), Calen Swanigan (Purdue) and Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga) with one of the five winning the 2017 John R. Wooden Award.

Mason led the Big 12 in scoring with a 20.9 average in 2016-17 and his 21.0 points per game in league play are also tops in the conference. A two-time national and three-time conference player of the week from Petersburg, Virginia, Mason averaged 5.2 assists in 2016-17 and became the only player in KU and Big 12 history to average more than 20 points and five assists in the same season. Mason posted 23 games of 20 or more points in 2016-17, including his final seven games and 10 of KU’s last 11 contests.

Showing a knack for taking over games which led Kansas to a 31-5 record and its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title with a 16-2 league mark, Mason led Kansas in scoring in 26 games and also led the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Also in the Big 12, Mason finished fourth in assists (5.2), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), seventh in free throw percentage (79.4), ninth in field goal percentage (49.0) and 14th in steals (1.3). Mason went 103-for-119 (86.6 percent) from the free throw line in his final 15 games, making 6.9 charity shots per contest in that span. Additionally, he made 50.0 percent (43-for-86) from 3-point range and 2.4 treys per game in Big 12 play.

The 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection, Mason concluded his career No. 6 on the Kansas scoring list (1,885 points), No. 6 in assists (576), No. 8 in 3-point field goals (185), No. 13 in steals (165) and tied for third in consecutive starts (110). No Jayhawk in KU history ranked sixth or higher in both points and assists.

Mason has been named to six All-America first teams in 2016-17 and the national player of the year by three entities. His All-America teams include Sporting News, USA TODAY, USBWA, Basketball Times and NBC Sports with Sporting News, USA TODAY, Bleacher Report and NBC Sports naming Mason their national player of the year.

The 41st annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men’s and women’s most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s on ESPN2 on Friday, April 7, 2017. The men’s and women’s John R. Wooden Award All American Teams will be honored during the ceremony, and the 2017 Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Trophy will be presented to Muffet McGraw, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Notre Dame.

This is Jackson’s fourth All-America honor this season, having earned second-team honors by Sporting News, USA TODAY and NBC Sports in addition to a third-team selection by the NABC. The 2017 Big 12 Freshman of the Year joined Mason on the All-Big 12 First Team and was a seven-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and two-time Big 12 Player of the Week this season. Jackson finished second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game and second on the team in rebounding at 7.4 rebounds per game. The Detroit native recorded 12 double-doubles, including nine in his last 15 outings.
2017 WOODEN AWARD FINALISTS
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Josh Hart, Villanova
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

2017 WOODEN AWARD ALL-AMERICANS
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Josh Hart, Villanova
JOSH JACKSON, KANSAS
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Luke Kennard, Duke
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

— KU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tyler Dorsey poured in 27 points, Dillon Brooks added 17 and plucky Oregon ended Kansas’ romp through the NCAA Tournament with a 74-60 victory Saturday night that gave the Ducks their first Final Four trip in nearly 80 years.

Dylan Ennis added 12 points for the Ducks (33-5), who took the lead with 16 minutes left in the first half and never trailed again, giving coach Dana Altman his first trip to the national semifinals.

They’ll face the winner of Sunday’s game between North Carolina and Kentucky in Glendale, Arizona.

Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III had 21 points in his final game for the Jayhawks (31-5), who had rolled to the Elite Eight by an average margin of 30 points. But their dream season ended with a thud just 40 minutes from campus on a night where very little went right.

Star freshman Josh Jackson was mired in early foul trouble. Sharpshooting guard Devonte Graham never got on track. And the swagger that the Big 12 champs showed in humiliating Purdue in the Sweet 16 quickly became a distant memory on a night that belonged to the Pac-12 champions.

Altman had never been to the Final Four in 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. And the last time the Ducks were on the big stage, it was 1939 and the Tall Firs took home the title.

Jordan Bell added 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks for Oregon, while Jackson was held to 10 points for the Jayhawks in what was almost certainly his final college game.

The bus carrying the Ducks to Sprint Center on Saturday passed right by the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City, where thousands of Jayhawk fans were rallying hours before the tipoff.

In other words, they knew they were facing a de facto road game.

But the torrid shooting of Brooks, Ennis and Dorsey quickly riled up the small section of Oregon fans while deflating the rest of sold-out Sprint Center. And foul trouble that sent Jackson to the bench for much of the first half helped allow the Ducks carve out a comfortable lead.

Dorsey finished the half with back-to-back 3s, including a deep bank shot at the buzzer, as the Ducks pranced to their locker room relishing in a 44-33 advantage.

They kept right on dancing in the second half, beating the Jayhawks at their own game: Getting into transition, passing up good shots for better ones and knocking down 3-pointers.

The Ducks’ lead swelled to 55-37 when Brooks drilled another shot from the perimeter, creating the kind of hole Kansas has rarely faced. And the frustration was on the Jayhawks bench was only compounded every time Jackson or Graham tossed up a shot that clanked hollowly off the iron, their sense of desperation growing with every squandered opportunity.

Jackson didn’t score until midway through the second half. Graham was 0 for 6 beyond the arc.

The Jayhawks eventually began to whittle into the deficit, doing most of the work at the free-throw line, where they were in the bonus with 11 minutes to go. But the Ducks remained poised down the stretch, answering just enough times to keep the crowd from giving Kansas any extra juice.

When Svi Mykhailiuk scored to make it 64-55, Ennis answered with a driving basket. When Mykhailiuk buried a 3 from the corner to make it 66-60 with 2:49 left, Dorsey answered at the other end with another 3-pointer as the shot-clock expired to give Oregon some breathing room.

The Ducks never even bothered with free throws to put the game away.

BIG PICTURE

Oregon wound up shooting 51 percent from the field and hit 11 of 25 from beyond the arc. It’s the kind of torrid shooting that has derailed the Jayhawks several times this season.

Kansas also lost in the regional semifinals a year ago, and the round has quickly become the biggest source of frustration for Jayhawks coach Bill Self. He even alluded to the problems on Friday, saying the round is “probably the hardest” in the entire tournament.

UP NEXT

The Ducks are headed to the desert to play for a spot in the national championship.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III poured in 26 points, Kansas turned on the jets in the second half and the top-seeded Jayhawks soared to a 98-66 blowout of No. 4 seed Purdue on Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Devonte Graham also had 26 points and Josh Jackson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Jayhawks (31-4), who led by 7 at halftime before their up-and-down pace finally wore down the Boilermakers.

Kansas used two big runs, including an 11-0 charge highlighted by Lagerald Vicks’ 360-degree drunk, to coast into a matchup with No. 3 seed Oregon on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.

The Ducks survived a nail-biter against Michigan earlier in the night.

Caleb Swanigan had 18 points and seven boards for the Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound All-America candidate had to work for all of it.

— Associated Press —

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Everything about Josh Jackson’s demeanor screamed this game was personal, from the back-and-forth chirping with childhood friend Miles Bridges to his emphatic late-game dunk and celebration.

Playing against the school he grew up cheering for, Jackson channeled that emotion into a dominating performance to help top-seeded Kansas advance to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year with a 90-70 victory over Michigan State on Sunday.

The standout freshman scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half, finishing 9 of 16 from the field and ousting a Spartans team from the NCAA Tournament that he very nearly joined before signing with the Jayhawks.

“I knew it was going to be a fun game before it even started,” Jackson said. “So, it was just really fun to be able to go out there and play against those guys and I’m really proud to see them here and having success.”

Frank Mason III added 20 points for the top-seeded Jayhawks, who have advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in nine of coach Bill Self’s 14 seasons.

But it was Jackson who shook off misses on his first three shot attempts — including an embarrassing failed dunk attempt — who shined the most in his second straight dominating performance in the tournament.

And he did so while matched up for much of the game against Bridges, his former elementary school friend in Michigan.

“It’s always good when going against Josh,” Bridges said. “It gets a little physical at times. We compete every time we play against each other. He’s a great player, so it’s always good playing against him.”

Bridges finished with 22 points to lead Michigan State, doing so despite leaving the game briefly in the first half with a hip pointer before returning.

Nick Ward also finished in double figures with 13 points and Joshua Langford had 10 for the Spartans, who saw their lower-seeded NCAA Tournament magic fail against the high-powered Jayhawks who shot 53.1 percent (34 of 64) in the win.

“Josh is a hell of a player,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “… We wanted to beat his brains in today. I’m sure the feeling was mutual. But there’s respect, and respect means there will be a friendship when it’s over.”

Michigan State entered Sunday following a dominating win over Miami in the opening round, a victory that improved the school to 14-10 as a lower seed in the NCAA Tournament under Izzo — the most wins by a lower-seeded school in tournament history.

The Spartans certainly played like anything but an underdog well into the second half against the regular-season Big 12 Conference champions, closing Kansas’ lead to 54-53 following a basket by Alvin Ellis.

Jackson took over from there, scoring eight of the next 10 points for the Jayhawks as they pushed their lead back to 64-57. He put the exclamation point on his strong second half with a drive down the middle of the lane and powerful one-handed dunk with 2:05 remaining.

“We’ve got three or four guys that can all do that, you know,” Self said. “And Josh deserves a ton of credit. He was great.”

BIG PICTURE

Michigan State: The Spartans played this NCAA Tournament with only three players who saw action in last year’s opening-round loss to Middle Tennessee State. Despite that lack of experience, their strong showing in Friday’s win over Miami and for much of the game against the favored Jayhawks helped ease the frustration of what had been a largely up-and-down season before the tournament.
Kansas: The Jayhawks put any lingering concerns about their Big 12 Conference Tournament loss to TCU to rest with two convincing wins to open the tournament. In particular, Jackson answered questions about any possible distractions following a one-game suspension in the conference tournament with two of his most efficient games of the season.

TIP-INS

Devonte’ Graham scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half for the Jayhawks, while Landen Lucas finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Graham was 7 of 10 from the field, including 4 of 6 on 3-point attempts.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks advance to next week’s Sweet 16 to face fourth-seeded Purdue in Kansas City.

— Associated Press —

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Josh Jackson insisted a season’s worth of distractions wouldn’t take away from his focus in his first, and likely last, NCAA Tournament.

The standout Kansas freshman proved true to his word in an opening-round 100-62 victory over UC Davis on Friday night, scoring 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting in his return from a one-game suspension for an accumulation of embarrassing incidents.

Jackson scored the first field goal for the Jayhawks (29-5) and 11 of their first 31 points after missing last week’s Big 12 Conference Tournament. His hot start helped Kansas recover from missing its first four shots, and it helped the Jayhawks win their opening game of the tournament for an 11th straight year.

“I’ve been really excited to play for a while now, been itching to play for about a week and a half, so just coming out there today felt really good to get back out there with the guys,” Jackson said. “When I step out there on that court, I’m really not thinking about anything else but basketball, something I’ve been doing for most of my life.”

The win ensures top seeds will remain perfect since the tournament expanded, with the schools now 132-0 against No. 16 seeds.

It also puts an end to a dream run for the Aggies (23-13), who were in their first NCAA Tournament and had advanced to face Kansas after winning a First Four game against North Carolina Central.

Chima Moneke scored 20 points to lead UC Davis, while Brynton Lemar added 17 and Siler Schneider 10 in the loss. However, only two days removed from their victory in Dayton, the Aggies were unable to slow a Kansas team making its 28th straight NCAA Tournament appearance — the longest active streak in the nation.

“We just had as emotional a locker room as I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve been a part of a lot of teams,” UC Davis coach Jim Les said. “They accomplished a lot of wonderful feats, and I don’t want this game to take away from (that). There’s a lot to be grateful for.”

While Jackson’s return boosted the Jayhawks, senior Frank Mason III proved as reliable as ever while scoring 22 points and adding eight assists on Friday.

All five starters finished in double figures for Kansas, with Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte’ Graham adding 16 points each and Landen Lucas 13 points and 11 rebounds. The Jayhawks outrebounded UC Davis 45-27 and shot 56.3 percent (36 of 64) in the win.

The last time Kansas lost an opening-round game of the NCAA Tournament was as a No. 4 seed in 2006 to a Bradley team led by Les.

Despite Les’ experience and past success as a lower seed against the Jayhawks, the weary Aggies began to fade midway through the first half against a rested Kansas team.

The Jayhawks hadn’t played in eight days since losing to TCU in the Big 12 Conference Tournament quarterfinals, and they closed the half on a 29-7 run to lead 50-28.

“We were a little nervous early, anxious early, and they certainly made it very difficult to score early on,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “And then, I thought from about the 12-minute mark of the first half, the lid came off the basket and I thought we executed very well.”

BIG PICTURE

UC Davis: The Aggies had won seven of eight games, including the Big West Conference Tournament to reach Friday’s game. Les and senior Darius Graham provided one of the more emotional moments of the game, however, when the two embraced for nearly a minute after Graham exited the game with 1:45 remaining.
Kansas: Whether Jackson’s suspension played a role or not in the Jayhawks’ early exit from the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas appeared back in top form with its star freshman’s return. The 6-foot-8 guard started and played 23 minutes, putting together a highlight-reel performance that included several impressive finishes at the rim while adding seven rebounds.

TIP-INS

Mason has scored 20 or more points in a game 20 times this season, including in each of his last four games and nine of his last 11. He was 8 of 14 from the field on Friday and hit three 3-pointers while also grabbing five rebounds.

UP NEXT

The Jayhawks advance to face Michigan State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

ATLANTA – Kansas basketball coach Bill Self has been named one of four national finalists for the 2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday. Self won the honor in 2012 and has been a finalist seven times.

Joining Self as finalists are Chris Collins (Northwestern), Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Jay Wright (Villanova).

The final round of voting runs from March 20-30. Fans have a say in the overall voting process. From 9 a.m. CDT on March 20through 10:59 p.m. CDT on March 31 fans can cast their ballot at naismithtrophy.com/vote. One vote per person per category per day. Fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote. The awarding of the 2017 Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year award will be at the Naismith Awards annual Final Four Awards Brunch on Sunday, April 2 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Here are some highlights for Self in 2016-17 as No. 3/3 Kansas is 28-4 overall won the Big 12 regular season with a 16-2 record:

• Currently No. 3/3 in both national polls, Kansas has been ranked in the top five in all but one week by Associated Press and two weeks in the USA TodayCoaches’ polls. The Jayhawks have been No. 3 or higher in every poll since Dec. 5.
• Kansas is 5-0 against teams ranked in the top-10 this season, including a 4-0 record against top-five opponents.
• In his first home contest of the season, a KU 86-65 win against Siena (Nov. 18), Self became the winningest coach in Allen Fieldhouse history. At 220-10, Self has more conference titles (13) than home losses in Allen Fieldhouse.
• From Nov. 15-Jan. 21, Kansas won 18 consecutive games, which was the second longest winning streak in Self’s 14 seasons and marked the 15th time in the Self era the Jayhawks have won 10 consecutive games.
• Kansas won the CBE Hall of Fame Classic (Nov. 21-22), which was the sixth in-season tournament title in Self’s 14 seasons at KU, including each of the last three years.
• Self became the ninth-fastest coach in NCAA history to record 600 career wins with a 105-62 win against UMKC (Dec. 6). Self is currently 620-192 (76.4 percent).
• Self won his 400th game while at Kansas with an 81-70 win at Oklahoma (Jan. 10). He became the fastest KU coach to accomplish the 400-win plateau. Self’s 82.6 (413-87) winning percentage at Kansas is the highest among KU’s eight coaches.
• Self was named a finalist for induction to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
• Self guided Kansas to its NCAA-record-tying 13th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title in 2016-17. The Jayhawks tied UCLA’s 13-straight from 1967-79. UCLA accomplished the feat under three coaches, while Kansas’ current run has been under Self.
• At 28-4, Kansas has won at least 27 games 10 times in the Bill Self
• Four Jayhawks were named to the 2017 Academic All-Big 12 team giving Self a conference-high 35 honorees during his time a Kansas.

Historically, in 2012 Self became the third Kansas coach to be named the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year, which started in 1987. Larry Brown won the honor in 1988 and Roy Williams in 1997. Besides 2017, Self was a finalist in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2012.

2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year National Finalists
Chris Collins, Northwestern
Mark Few, Gonzaga
BILL SELF, KANSAS
Jay Wright, Villanova

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Kansas is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship bracket revealed during today’s Selection Sunday Show on CBS.

The Jayhawks (28-4, 16-2 Big 12) now hold an NCAA-record of 28-straight appearances in the NCAA tourney after finishing the regular season with its 13th-straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title and a 5-0 record against top-10 teams.

KU will face the winner of a First Four matchup between North Carolina Central (25-8) and UC Davis (22-12) on Friday at the Bank of Oklahoma (BOK) Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Should Kansas advance to the second round, the Jayhawks will face No. 8 seed Miami (21-11) or No. 9 seed Michigan State (19-14) on Sunday.

The winner of the Midwest Region’s First and Second Rounds in Tulsa will advance to play at Sprint Center in Kansas City, March 23 and 25, where the Jayhawks have already played four times this season.

The Final Four will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on April 1 and 3.

Kansas has been a No. 1 seed seven times under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks average a 1.9 seed in 14 seasons with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Finalist on the sidelines.

KU is the overall No. 2 seed behind Villanova, in a complete list of all 68 seeds that the NCAA Selection Committee released after the bracket had been announced.

The Jayhawks are making their 46th NCAA Tournament all-time appearance. KU is 100-44 in NCAA postseason games, including 31 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 14 trips to the Final Four.

Kansas is one of six Big 12 Conference teams to earn an NCAA bid, joined by Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Kansas has a 10-1 record against the seven NCAA Tournament teams it has faced this season.

— KU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It didn’t matter to TCU that it was playing just down the road from the Kansas campus in Lawrence, or that the Horned Frogs already had endured a taxing opening-round game in the Big 12 Tournament.

It probably mattered a great deal that the Jayhawks were missing star freshman Josh Jackson.

Regardless, the spunky underdogs from Fort Worth held on after squandering an 11-point second-half lead, and Desmond Bane’s three free throws with 2.5 seconds left gave the Horned Frogs an 85-82 victory over the nation’s top-ranked team in the quarterfinal round Thursday.

TCU will play No. 23 Iowa State, which topped Oklahoma State, in Friday night’s semifinals.

“It took everybody. It took the whole team,” said TCU coach Jamie Dixon, who has quickly turned around his alma mater in his first season. “Great win for our program, our school.”

The eighth-seeded Horned Frogs (19-14) trailed 80-76 with just over a minute remaining, but a parade of free throws knotted it, and Alex Robinson’s driving layup gave TCU the lead.

Frank Mason answered with a pair of free throws for Kansas (28-4), but the Horned Frogs got the ball to Bane in the corner and he was fouled by Svi Mykhailiuk while putting up a shot.

“All of my teammates came up to me, tried to calm me down, make sure everything was cool,” Bane said afterward, “and I stepped up and knocked them down.”

Then, Devonte Graham’s tying 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim, and the Horned Frogs leaped off their benched to celebrate a massive upset of the tournament’s No. 1 seed.

“We tried,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, “we just didn’t quite have it today.”

Kenrich Williams had 18 points, Robinson added 13 and Brandon Parrish had 12 for the Horned Frogs, who caught a break when Self suspended Jackson for the tournament opener.

Jackson was cited last month for hitting a parked car and fleeing the scene, and didn’t inform his coach of the legal trouble until Monday. It was the latest in a series of incidents involving the star freshman that drew Self’s ire and ultimately led to the punishment.

With a shortened bench, Mason wound up playing all 40 minutes and scored 29 points in a virtuoso performance. The other four starters also played at least 35 minutes, with Mykhailiuk scoring 18 points and forward Landen Lucas finishing with 13 points and 14 boards.

“We know that distractions happen and we have to eliminate them, especially in the postseason,” Lucas said. “I think we responded relatively well. We just came up a little bit short.”

The Jayhawks built a 39-27 lead late in the first half, thanks to Mykhailiuk’s hot shooting and Mason’s ability to get to the rim, but it disappeared after Dixon got a technical foul.

TCU’s coach barked across the court at one of the officials after Lagerald Vick’s basket gave the Jayhawks their biggest lead. Mason extended the advantage with two free throws, but it seemed as if the Horned Frogs began to channel Dixon’s intensity down the stretch.

They closed the half on a 16-3 run, highlighted by a trio of 3-pointers, and carried a 43-42 lead into the locker room when Carlton Bragg Jr. air-balled a jumper at the buzzer.

Early in the second half, it was Bill Self’s turn to boil over.

He took umbrage with a goaltending call that gave TCU a basket, and refused to back down even when Mykhailiuk tried to distract the official. But it didn’t have the same effect, at least right away — the Horned Frogs instead stretched their lead to 60-49 with 13:55 left.

The Jayhawks finally went on their run a few minutes later, Mason getting it started with a four-point play and then finishing it with a driving layup that gave Kansas a 71-70 lead.

When Williams fouled out with 3:12 to go, the Jayhawks looked poise to finish it off.

Instead, the Horned Frogs showed remarkable composure in the Jayhawks’ home-away-from-home. And when Graham’s heave from the wing bounced off the rim and the buzzer sounded, the tournament’s top seed was done in the quarterfinals for the first time in seven years.

“This is the win of my career right here, to be completely honest,” Parrish said. “This is the high point of my whole career. I’m just happy to have these guys, my brothers, here with me.”

JACKSON’S OTHER TROUBLE
Jackson also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property after he allegedly kicked the car of McKenzie Calvert, a member of the Kansas women’s basketball team. Her father, Tim Calvert, told The Kansas City Star that Jackson and his attorney “wanted to pay to make it all go away” but that the family refused the offer. Jackson is scheduled to be arraigned April 12.

BIG PICTURE

TCU is two wins away from a remarkable trip to the NCAA Tournament, something that even the uber-positive Dixon would have been hard-pressed to imagine a week ago.

Kansas has to hope its body of work this season, including a 13th straight regular-season title, will be enough to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They Jayhawks were in line for the top seed overall, but their upset loss Thursday may dash those hopes.

UP NEXT

TCU gets the red-hot Cyclones on Friday night.

Kansas gets a short bus ride home.

— Associated Press —