After its first-round flop a year ago, Kansas is back in the championship game of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament.
The Jayhawks (26-7), who have won the league’s regular-season crown 14 years in a row, downed shorthanded Kansas State 83-67 in Friday’s semifinals at the Sprint Center and advanced to Saturday’s 5 p.m. title game for the ninth time in the 15-year Bill Self era.
KU has won the tourney title seven times under Self, the last attained in 2015-16.
Malik Newman scored 22 points with six rebounds and four assists, Devonté Graham had 15 points and eight assists and Svi Mykhailiuk added 12 points as KU won its second straight game without sophomore center Udoka Azubuike, who sprained the MCL in his left knee at practice on Tuesday.