Kansas Appears Headed for Early Exit in NCAA Tournament After Loss to Arizona State

The Kansas Jayhawks (11-6, 21-9) are quickly seeing their postseason chances look less and less favorable after suffering an inexcusable loss to Arizona State on Tuesday night.

The unranked Sun Devils upset the No. 14 ranked Jayhawks by a score of 70-60 for just their second win against a ranked team this season after Kansas head coach Bill Self was ejected in the first half by referee Doug Sirmons with about six minutes remaining. Self received the questionable double-technical after arguing against a bad foul call on Darryn Peterson.

It’s just the second time Self has ever been ejected as head coach at Kansas – the other time coming in February 2024 when the Jayhawks lost by 29 to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.

Even when Self in the game, the Jayhawks struggled heavily on offense. The team missed shot after shot (particularly at short range) and finished the first half just 8-of-37 from the field and 2-of-12 from 3-point range to make it 20-40 in favor of Arizona State at the break.

The team found some life in the second half, but there was plenty more sloppy play on both offense and defense that ultimately led to the Jayhawks’ defeat – a loss which now seriously dampens the team’s postseason expectations.

Will Kansas Reach the Second Weekend?

The loss to Arizona State has moved KU to a projected No. 4 seed in the East region (Washington D.C.) in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. The loss also likely means that KU won’t have the luxury of playing close to home in the first two rounds in either Oklahoma City or St. Louis.

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— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 4, 2026

What’s even more concerning than KU’s potential unfavorable placement in the bracket, is the fact that they all of a sudden look like a lost team destined for an early exit, a fate their predecessors suffered each of the past three seasons.

The offense can’t find its rhythm since Peterson has returned to the lineup full time, they have no reliable contributions off the bench except for the occasional 3-pointer from Jamari McDowell, and they often get outworked on the glass.

And they have little time to fix it with just one Big 12 game remaining against a bad Kansas State team and the Big 12 Tournament starting next week.

The best teams in the country year in and year out are typically the ones who are peaking at this point in the season. But for KU, they unfortunately appear headed in the opposite direction.