In a stunning turn of events, Cincinnati ended one of college basketball’s most impressive streaks by defeating Kansas 84-68. The Jayhawks, ranked eighth, were projected as a 3-seed in the East by the NCAA Tournament selection committee just hours before this unexpected setback.
Kansas hadn’t lost to an unranked team at home by 10 or more points since 1993, a streak that spanned 425 games. But Cincinnati's Moustapha Thiam had other plans. The towering 7-footer delivered a career-high 28 points, sealing the game with a crucial 3-pointer as Kansas tried to rally late in the game.
Kansas coach Bill Self didn’t hold back in his assessment. "We were just awful today defensively," he remarked.
"Their bigs dominated. Their guards got what they wanted.
It was a combination of defensive rebounding and their guards getting to where they want to go. But their bigs, they destroyed us."
This loss was particularly tough for Kansas, who had been on a roll, winning nine of their last ten games after a shaky start in Big 12 play. They’d recently secured victories over BYU, Texas Tech, and Utah, setting high expectations for their performance. However, the Bearcats, now even in conference play, had other ideas.
The 16-point loss was Kansas' largest at home to an unranked opponent since 1973, surpassing a 15-point loss to Long Beach State in 1993 when they were ranked No. 1.
Under Self, this marks the fourth-largest home loss, with the others coming against ranked teams. Cincinnati’s sharpshooting, hitting 12 of 21 from beyond the arc, sent Jayhawks fans home early, with a looming showdown against Houston on the horizon.
Kansas had previously suffered notable defeats: a 25-point loss to No. 8 Texas in 2021, a 23-point setback to No.
14 TCU in 2023, and an 18-point loss to No. 12 Kentucky in 2022.
Despite being one of five Big 12 teams to earn a top-16 seed in Saturday’s NCAA March Madness bracket preview, Kansas faces a critical week ahead. They'll need to regroup quickly for pivotal matchups against the conference's elite.
Self candidly pointed out his team’s shortcomings, saying they played "soft" and lacked energy, particularly on the boards, as they were out-rebounded 40-29. "We respected the opponent, but we didn’t bring it as a unit from an energy standpoint," Self admitted.
"We played an NCAA Tournament team today. They’ve been inconsistent this season, but they were great today."
With these challenges ahead, Kansas will need to rediscover their form to maintain their standing in the competitive landscape of college basketball.