The Parallels Between Kansas’ 2022 and 2012 Final Four Teams

Kansas will attempt to close out the last leg of its national championship run in New Orleans beginning Saturday. It will be the 10-year anniversary of when Bill Self led another group of Jayhawks to that same southern city on a quest for a title. And on closer inspection, that’s not the only parallel between the two occurrences.

Let’s start with the macro view. Much has been said about this not being one of Self’s most talented — his “best” — teams. Instead, journalists and observers call out 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2020 for starters. The team I have yet to hear mentioned is the one that has gotten the closest to tasting ultimate victory since the 08 team cut down the nets: 2012.

To refresh our collective memories, that 2012 squad went 26-5 during the regular season and lost in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals before earning a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s highest KenPom ranking during the season was No. 2, and while those Jayhawks still had their share of blowouts, they also won close: a three-point win over Texas, six-point win over K-State, four-point win over Georgetown, and of course the OT victory over Missouri. Then in the tournament, Kansas was tested. It won round one by 15, the second round and Sweet 16 by three each, and then pulled away to win the Elite 8 by 13.

The 2022 Jayhawks have a similar looking resume. Its highest KenPom ranking this year was No. 2, it won a number of close games during the regular season, and it was battled and tested in getting to the Final Four.

But the makeup of the team also has parallels. Granted, we know how much the game has evolved over the past decade, so the 2012 Jayhawks’ interior of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey likely won’t be replicated again. Still, 2012 was led by a consensus first-team All-American (Robinson), multiple ball-handling guards (Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson), and lanky wings who could shoot (Travis Releford and Conner Teahan). And each major contributor was either a junior or senior who were part of teams that had struggled in previous tournaments.

Sound familiar? You have a first-team All-American leader (Ochai Agbaji), multiple ball-handlers (Dajuan Harris and Remy Martin), and tall wings who can stretch the floor (Agbaji and Christian Braun). And instead of a 7-foot rim protector, you have a do-it-all four man in Jalen Wilson, with McCormack serving the Robinson role. And outside of redshirt sophomores Harris and Wilson (who are old enough age-wise), they are all juniors and seniors.

In the bucket of random similarities that don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, you also have the Kansas City-area connection (Releford and Teahan in 2012 and Agbaji and Braun today), the Teahan connection (Conner and Chris) and both teams beat Missouri at home in the only two times that game has taken place and lost to Kentucky on the way to the Final Four.

We’ve been told you need great guard play, stars/NBA prospects, and veteran experience to win in March and April. This has been the case both times, and yet they are undervalued when compared to predecessors. The difference? There is no 38-2 Anthony Davis Kentucky team standing on the other side of the bracket.

The 2022 Jayhawks are arriving in New Orleans with a similar makeup and resume as 10 years ago. But a different outcome could change the perception of this team in the history books for the better.

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