The Kansas Jayhawks, the Southwest Region's top seed, will look to put last year's stunning second round loss behind them later today when they face the Boston University Terriers. This evening's contest is scheduled to get underway at 6:50pm ET at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma; coverage of the event will be provided by TBS. College Basketball Lines are favoring Kansas, a +500 college basketball picks favorite to win the 2011 National Championship, at -24 against the spread. This evening's game total is set at 136.
At 33-3 Kansas earned a top seed in last year's NCAA's, but Bill Self's squad stumbled in the second round, losing to 
Northern Iowa 67-69. The current group of Jayhawks seems dead set on avoiding any early pitfalls, which does not bode well for the Terriers tonight.
Kansas, which comes into tonight's dust with a 32-2 record (14-2 Big 12), has numerous offensive options as six players average at least eight points per game. Marcus Morris, the Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the team at 17.3 per outing. Morris' twin brother, Markieff, who is averaging 13.6 points, is the top rebounder for the Jayhawks, pulling down an average of 8.2 boards per game.
Kansas, which has won eight games in a row, ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 82.4 points per contest. The Jayhawks are 15-6 in NCAA Tournament play under Self.
Boston University finished second to Vermont in the America East regular season conference standings, but the Terriers earned an automatic tournament bid after beating Stony Brook 56-54 in the conference tournament final.
Boston (21-13 overall, 12-4 conference), a winner of 11 straight, got 27 points, 11 boards, and three steals out of its leading scorer, John Holland, in the narrow win over the Sea Wolves.
Today's game marks the first meeting between these two schools, but a lack of history has not detered the public from backing Kansas. The Jayhawks are getting 84 percent of the action against the spread while the Over is getting 81 percent.
Boston vs Kansas 2011 NCAA Bracket Predictions:
Boston Terriers +22.5 (-110), Over 136 (-110)
Kansas Jayhawks -22.5 (-110), Under 136 (-110)
