KANSAS CITY, Mo. — University of Kansas men’s basketball team players expressed confidence Thursday as the team prepares to face Villanova Saturday in the Final Four.
While last year’s tournament did not end how the team had hoped for with them being eliminated early, returning players Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson noted the summer was a turning point for training and realigning expectations.
"I think everybody just had on their mind to prove people wrong because we’re all confident in what we can do,” Wilson said during a news conference Thursday.
Even after critics called for big changes to be made to the team, Braun said their confidence was never broken.
“We all believe in ourselves and we believe in each other … we’re all confident in our abilities,” Braun said.
Teammates echoed his confidence, with Ochai Agbaji speaking on the team’s “battle-tested” experience.
As the team continues to find success and eyes the national championship, Kansas City-area natives Agbaji and Braun said support from KC means even more being locals.
“We do take a lot of pride — just in a couple Kansas City guys just doing what we’re doing, and doing it for Kansas. Being from Kansas, it means a lot to do it in a Kansas jersey,” said Braun, a Blue Valley Northwest High School graduate.
Preparing for Saturday’s game, Self said the team, which he described as an “excited bunch,” is playing connected on both ends, offensively and defensively.
And unlike the 2018 team that last took Self to the Final Four, he says the 2022 team is more consistent, although he admitted he would not have said so back in January.
KU faces Villanova at 5:09 p.m. Saturday. The game can be viewed on TBS.
—
