No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Texas Southern preview for March Madness first-round matchup

The NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 15th with the First Four, and then moves on to the first round on Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18. No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks will face No. 16 seed Texas Southern Tigers in the first round on Thursday. Here’s an early look at what we can expect from the Jayhawks and Tigers/Islanders in this year’s March Madness Tournament.

Once the odds from DraftKings Sportsbook are made available for this game, we’ll add that information below. We’ll also add the game time and TV channel once it’s settled.

Game date: Thursday, March 17th
Game time: 9:57 a.m. ET
TV channel: truTV
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Odds: Kansas -21.5
Total: 143
Moneyline: Kansas -4500, Texas Southern +1800

No. 1 Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks extended their NCAA Tournament streak to 32 in a row, which is the most in college basketball history. This year’s version of the Jayhawks are Final Four contenders once again under Bill Self with one of the best offenses in the entire country.

Ochai Agbaji is Kansas’ leading scorer, and the Jayhawks do an excellent job rebounding with David McCormack and Jalen Wilson, both of whom average more than seven boards per game. Kansas can beat teams in a lot of different ways, making them a tough out in the NCAA Tournament once again.

Record: 28-6, 14-4 Big 12
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: 6
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: 29
Against The Spread: 17-17
Over Total: 18-14-2
Odds to win NCAA Championship: +1400

No. 16 Texas Southern

The SWAC conference tournament champions enter March Madness but are unlikely to make much noise. The Tigers don’t really excel on either end of the floor, and don’t have a true star on the team. There’s some balance, with four players averaging close to double figures scoring, but it’s hard to see how this team does any significant damage in the bracket.

Record: 18-12, 13-5 SWAC
KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency: 270
KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency: 107
Against The Spread: 16-13-1
Over Total: 13-17
Odds to win NCAA Championship: +100000