Self was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the third time on March 6, both in the coaches' poll and by the Associated Press. The Jayhawks entered the NCAA Tournament as the #1 seed in the Southwest Region, defeating #16 seed Boston and #9 seed Illinois to advance to the Sweet 16 where they beat #12 seed Richmond. Kansas lost to #11 seed VCU, a team many didn't think deserved to be in the tournament, by 10 points in the Elite Eight after never leading during the game.