No. 1 Kansas Cruises Previous Texas Southern in 1st Spherical of NCAA Match | Bleacher Report

Remy Martin led the way with 15 points off the bench as Kansas improved to 29-6. It’s the 15th straight win in the round of 64 for the Jayhawks. With the victory, Kansas head coach Bill Self earned his 50th career NCAA tournament win.

The Tigers finish their season at 19-13. After winning the SWAC conference tournament, Texas Southern defeated Texas A&M-CC in the First Four on Tuesday. John Walker III led the team with 13 points in the loss.

Notable Stats

Remy Martin, Kansas: 15 points

Christian Braun, Kansas: 14 points

John Walker III, Texas Southern: 13 points

Remy Martin Sparks Furious Kansas Attack

The Jayhawks got off to a solid start, but the tone of the game changed when Remy Martin entered in the first half. Martin, who missed nearly a month of action this season with a knee injury, brought high energy on both ends of the floor and spearheaded an early avalanche that helped Kansas put the game away by halftime.

Martin made his first four shots from the field and also dished out four assists in the first half. He got his teammates involved often and ignited the crowd with his activity and passion.

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Kansas with the throw down 💪

The Jayhawks kept their foot on the gas and jumped out to a 47-19 lead at the end of the first half. Kansas punished Texas Southern inside with 24 points in the paint. It was the largest halftime lead in program history for the Jayhawks in the NCAA tournament.

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Kansas ends the first half in style 😎

Kansas kept it going in the second half, opening up a lead of as many as 34. Texas Southern just couldn’t keep up with the veteran-laden Jayhawks. Even when the Tigers put together a bit of a run, Kansas head coach Bill Self reinserted his starters and the avalanche continued. The Tigers never got within 20 points of the lead in the second half.

In addition to Martin, four other players scored in double figures for Kansas. Christian Braun added 14 points, Dajuan Harris Jr. had 12 and Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson chipped in 11 points apiece.

When Martin transferred to Kansas from Arizona State this offseason, this is exactly what he was brought in to do. His experience and energy give the Jayhawks another player who can run the offense successfully. Kansas’ depth makes it a dangerous team in the Big Dance.

what’s next

The Jayhawks will face the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays in the round of 32 on Saturday. Kansas’ tournament run ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year.