KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas basketball brand is strong for both men’s and women’s teams.

The men will most likely be one of the top number-one seeds in the NCAA tournament and the women are a virtual lock for the tournament projected to be as high as an eight or nine seed.

The men are also regular-season Big 12 champs which makes them a number one seed in the Big 12 tournament.

“I actually don’t think we played as well of late,” head coach Bill Self said. “Because games are close at home doesn’t mean you played poorly, it means that the league is pretty good and all the games are hard.”

“I think we need to get on an uptick going into the (NCAA) tournament and I’m glad that we’re actually playing before next week to give us an opportunity to do that.”

“Just playing with more urgency,” guard Kevin McCullar Jr. said. “Just knowing if you don’t win, you’re going home. So just coming out with energy and leave it all on the line every time you’re out there.”

On the women’s side, they are a seven-seed in the conference tournament. After some lulls throughout the bottom half of the schedule, the Jayhawks ended the season with three straight wins including their last win over their opponent on Thursday, tenth-seeded TCU.

Women’s head coach Brandon Schneider recently picked up his 500th career win as a college head coach and he and the team set some lofty goals at the beginning of the season that they believe are still in reach.

“There’s a Big 12 tournament championship still to compete for, there’s NCAA tournament aspirations we feel really good about,” Schneider said. “Look forward to the chance to compete.”

“Anything is possible in March,” junior guard Chandler Prater said.

The North Kansas City alum is already hearing support from people in the community and is urging people to support the great women’s tournament that is happening just a hop and a skip away from the men’s tournament.

“I feel like we just celebrated the Title IX 50th Anniversary not too long ago. So I feel like it’s the perfect time to put women on the platform that we deserve and I’m excited to give them a show.”

KU men will play West Virginia at approximately 2 p.m. on Thursday.

KU women will play TCU at 5 p.m. Thursday.