WASHINGTON (March 12, 2023) - The NCAA Men's Basketball Committee rolled out its 68-team bracket and the Howard University men's basketball team drew No. 3 Kansas in the First Round. The announcement came Sunday night during the Selection Sunday show on CBS.
 
Howard battles the Jayhawks Thursday (March 16) at the Wells Fargo Arena. Tip is set for 2 p.m. (ET) / 1 p.m. (CT), live on TBS.
 
HU takes on the Jayhawks (27-7, 13-5 Big 12) in a rematch of the 1992 NCAA Tournament First Round. In that bout, the Jayhawks defeated HU, 100-67.
 
Kansas, who won the 2022-23 Big 12 regular season title in what most would consider the nation's toughest conference, in its last outing, lost in the Big 12 Title Game to Texas, 76-56.
 
Kansas is led by Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Semifinalist Jalen Wilson. Jayhawks' head coach Bill Self is in his 20^th season, guiding the program to four Final Four appearances and a pair of National Championships (2008 & 2022).
 
Saturday (March 11), HU won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title for the first time since 1992 against the Norfolk State Spartans, 65-64, at Norfolk Scope Arena. It is the fourth-ever conference tournament win in Howard's history and the program's third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, first since 1992.
 
Howard is led by All-MEAC First Team selection Elijah Hawkins (Washington), All-MEAC Second Team honoree Steve Settle, III (Glenarden, Md.), All-MEAC Third Team recipient Jelani Williams (Washington) and MEAC Rookie of the Year Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.).
 
MEAC Coach of the Year Kenneth Blakeney is in his fourth season at the helm, receiving numerous nominations for major awards, including a finalist for the CollegeInsider.com Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and Hugh Durham Award.
 
Badi Cross, Journalism major, c/o '24, contributed to this story
 
For more information, visit meacsports.com or the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.