Kansas and Creighton were two of the nation’s hottest power conference teams last March as the NCAA Tournament approached. The Jays had won 11 of their last 13 to clinch the Big East title, and the Jayhawks had won 16 straight to end the year to win the Big XII. They might have been on course for a meeting somewhere deep in the tourney, but…alas.
As such, their matchup in the second annual Big XII / Big East Battle has figuratively been the centerpiece of Creighton’s non-conference schedule since it was announced in the spring; after they had to pull out of the Crossover Classic, that was literally the case.