College basketball diehards likely remember the NCAA Tournament expectation Lute Olson established at Arizona. As Olson guided the Wildcats, once an afterthought nationally in basketball, to tournament after tournament year after year, Arizona became known as college basketball’s most reliable regular-season team.
From the 1980s until well past the turn of the century, Arizona rode the longest active NCAA Tournament appearance streak. Remember how that was a little storyline every March? Arizona’s run ended in 2009. The Wildcats danced every season before then since ’85. The post-Olson transition was rocky, and so Arizona came up two years short on North Carolina’s record of 27 straight appearances, which lasted from 1975-2001.
But now, on this year’s Selection Sunday, Kansas will set the new standard. The Jayhawks, on pace to be a No. 1 seed, will make the Big Dance for the 28th consecutive season. Had Larry Brown not broken the rules, this record could’ve been Kansas’ six seasons ago. The streak would likely be well north of 30 at this point if not for a postseason ban from the NCAA during Brown’s tenure. The year after Kansas won the 1988 title, the team wasn’t allowed to play in the 1989 tournament. Kansas went 19-12 that season.
Before that, the last time an NCAA Tournament didn’t have the Jayhawks in the field was 1983.
The 13 straight Big 12 titles is inconceivable, but this run isn’t that far behind. Notice that Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, Indiana, Louisville, UConn, Syracuse -- all of those power programs have down years. Sometimes, you just can’t push through. It’s OK. It happens to everyone.
Except Kansas.
And mostly UNC. The Matt Doherty era chopped the Tar Heels’ streak, but since Roy Williams took over, he’s doing the same as he did in Lawrence. Tournament every year, really high seeds at that. And not only are the Jayhawks good to make the tournament every season, but they’re getting a terrific seed almost annually. Since 1990, KU has been seeded No. 2 on average. Kansas has been seeded worse than fourth just twice! Jayhawks fans talk in hushed tones about the dark ages: 1998-2000. A No. 8 seed. Shudder.
If KU can win five games in the tournament this year it will make for the fifth title-game appearance for the program during this streak. And given how good Bill Self is, this run is far from done. So long as Self is there, it’s basically impossible to see KU not playing in the tournament. This run could hit 40 straight years if Self opts to stay in Lawrence for another 10-plus seasons. Here’s how almost three decades have panned out in tournament play for the Jayhawks.
SEASON | RECORD | SEED | FINISH |
1989-90 | 30-5 | 2 | Second round |
1990-91 | 27-8 | 3 | Lost in title game |
1991-92 | 27-5 | 1 | Second round |
1992-93 | 29-7 | 2 | Final Four |
1993-94 | 27-8 | 4 | Sweet 16 |
1994-95 | 25-6 | 1 | Sweet 16 |
1995-96 | 29-6 | 2 | Elite Eight |
1996-97 | 34-2 | 1 | Sweet 16 |
1997-98 | 35-4 | 1 | Second round |
1998-99 | 23-10 | 6 | Second round |
1999-00 | 24-10 | 8 | Second round |
2000-01 | 26-7 | 4 | Sweet 16 |
2001-02 | 33-4 | 1 | Final Four |
2002-03 | 30-8 | 2 | Lost in title game |
2003-04 | 24-9 | 4 | Elite Eight |
2004-05 | 23-7 | 3 | First round |
2005-06 | 25-8 | 4 | First round |
2006-07 | 33-5 | 1 | Elite Eight |
2007-08 | 37-3 | 1 | Won the title |
2008-09 | 27-8 | 3 | Sweet 16 |
2009-10 | 33-3 | 1 | Second round |
2010-11 | 35-3 | 1 | Elite Eight |
2011-12 | 32-7 | 2 | Lost in title game |
2012-13 | 31-6 | 1 | Sweet 16 |
2013-14 | 25-10 | 2 | Second round |
2014-15 | 27-9 | 2 | Second round |
2015-16 | 33-5 | 1 | Elite Eight |
2016-17 | ??? | ??? | ??? |
