Kansas Jayhawks’ Ochai Agbaji returns home for his final Big 12 Tournament in KC
A positive COVID-19 test within Kansas’ men’s basketball program forced the Jayhawks to drop out of the Big 12 Tournament after one game, a victory over Oklahoma, a year ago.
That was exactly a year after the event’s quarterfinals, semifinals and finals were canceled — Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma State and Iowa State each played one first-round game in the 2020 event — because of fears that the coronavirus pandemic could spread if games were contested in Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center.
“Always something in Kansas City the past two years,” KU senior guard Ochai Agbaji said with a smile Tuesday. “It’s exciting to go into this tournament knowing everything has been going well this season as far as mask mandates and all that stuff.”
The 6-foot-5 Oak Park High School graduate, who has participated in just four Big 12 Tournament games at T-Mobile Center in his first three seasons at KU, is hoping this one is played without any problems. Agbaji and the top-seeded Jayhawks (25-6) will take on ninth-seeded West Virginia (16-16) in a 2 p.m. quarterfinal on Thursday.
“I know everyone is going to be excited no matter how many people are in there or not in there. We’ve been in both environments,” Agbaji said. “It’s just going to be fun to go out there and play basketball.”
KU is 6-1 in T-Mobile Center during Agbaji’s KU career.
He did not play in a 63-60 victory over New Mexico State his freshman season because at that time, early in the 2018-19 campaign, he was being redshirted. The redshirt was pulled by coach Bill Self early in the Big 12 season thus Agbaji was part of conference tournament wins over Texas (65-57) and West Virginia (88-74). KU lost to Iowa State in the 2019 title game, 78-66.
During his sophomore season (2019-20), KU beat UMKC, 98-57, in KU’s only game in T-Mobile Center. KU didn’t play a regular-season game in T-Mobile during Agbaji’s junior year (2020-21). The Jayhawks downed Oklahoma, 69-62, in a Big 12 quarterfinal, then pulled out of the tourney because of the COVID positive test in the program.
Earlier this season, KU slugged UTEP, 78-52, in T-Mobile Center.
“It means a lot,” Agbaji said of playing in Kansas City. “I was asked in an interview if I’d gone to any Big 12 games prior to being in college or going to Kansas. Four or five years ago I went to see Texas Tech and Texas play at the Big 12 tournament. My sister (Orie) was at Texas at the time (playing for UT volleyball team). I was kind of rooting for them (Longhorns) a little bit. It was a good game,” Agbaji added of Texas’ 61-52 win over Tech on March 8, 2017, in a Big 12 tourney first-round game.
“I was watching (Texas’) Andrew Jones play out there which is crazy enough because obviously I ended up playing against him. Being on that court now, where everyone has that buzz, seeing all the fans ... I feel it’s crazy to have my last go-round here.”
It’s been a busy couple of days for Agbaji.
On Sunday, he was named Big 12 player of the year and first-team all-conference in a unanimous vote of league coaches. On Tuesday, the Associated Press awarded the Big 12’s leading scorer (19.8 points per game) the same two honors. The Sporting News tabbed Agbaji a first-team All-American on Monday.
“It’s definitely sunk in by now,” Agbaji said of being named the league’s player of the year. “When coach talked to me before it got released (Sunday) and called my family, it went from surreal to believable. It’s just an honor to be up for that award. The best part was not only me achieving that but the other guys got their accolades too,” Agbaji added.
All of KU’s starters have received some type of recognition so far this postseason.
Christian Braun was named second-team all-league by the coaches and AP. David McCormack and Jalen Wilson were named third team all-conference by the coaches. And Dajuan Harris received honorable mention from the coaches and also was on the league’s all-defense team as selected by the coaches.
“It’s a product of us winning, being successful this season,” Agbaji said of the Jayhawks, who at 25-6 overall (14-4 in league) are in contention for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“All the work they (teammates) have done and the coaching staff, too, to help those guys,” Agbaji added.
Agbaji said he had an idea he might be up for some postseason awards after he scored 37-points in KU’s 94-91 double-overtime win over Texas Tech on Jan. 24 at Allen Fieldhouse.
“There’s always that moment. There’s a lot of moments I’d say this year,” Agbaji said. “That was early on when we had a lot of other games and a tough schedule ahead of us. That was a good moment, a defining moment you could say. But in my mind there was work to be done.”
KU coach Self says it’s been a magical season for Agbaji.
“I’m happy for him,” Self said. “He deserves all that, the accolades he’s getting but he also doesn’t need to put pressure on himself because he’s getting all the accolades. Sometimes when you don’t win things like that, it puts a little chip on your shoulder. It drives you. Sometimes you do win things like that and it drives you even more. He has to find a happy medium. He’s as turned up as he’s ever been. Against Texas (Saturday when he hit 1 of 11 shots and scored eight points in 70-63 OT win) he was too excited for Senior Day. That’s a good lesson for him to learn.
“He is incredibly bright, caring,” Self continued. “He’s worked too hard to not try to process everything that gives us the best chance to win moving forward.”
Agbaji said he’s ready physically and mentally for the postseason, starting with the Big 12 tourney.
“Staying on top of my body and top of my recovery is something I’ve learned to take more special care of this year because I’m playing all these minutes and producing,” said Agbaji. He averages 35.2 minutes a game.
He said the Jayhawks are intent on winning the upcoming league tournament and are not concerned about the possibility of playing three high-octane games in three days in KC, his hometown.
“This is another chance to get better, another chance to practice for the March Madness tournament where the stakes are the most high,” Agbaji said. “The stakes are still high here. Obviously we shared the conference (title with Baylor) so we have something to prove going into this trying to be on top of the conference and show that we are the best team.
“We’ve had a good season that’s now gone to great (after winning regular-season title). What we do from now moving forward is (go from being) great to special. All that stuff can’t be taken away from us, can’t be taken away from me now. All we can do is add to it.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 8:27 AM.
