Kansas vs. Detroit: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread Info and Predictions

The Kansas Jayhawks are looking to make it to the Final Four for the 14th time in program history, but they'll have to get past the Detroit Titans first.

Detroit is going dancing for the first time since 1999, having earned the right with a 22-13 regular season and a victorious run through the Horizon League tournament.

The Titans will be outgunned against Kansas, but recent Jayhawks history tells us that they're hardly a lock. Kansas has been more upset-prone than most teams in the last couple of tournaments.

Here's a look at what you need to know concerning this game.

Where: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska

When: Friday, March 16th at 9:57 p.m. EST

Watch: TruTV

Listen: See list of Kansas Jayhawks radio affiliates.

Betting Line: Kansas -14.5, according to Sportsbook.

Key Injuries (per the Chicago Tribune)

Kansas has no injuries to report. The Jayhawks are starting their run through the NCAA Tournament at full strength.

Detroit, on the other hand, will be without forwards John Hoskins and Nick Minnerath, both of whom are out with knee injuries.

What's At Stake?

In a word: Survival.

There are no second chances in the NCAA Tournament. To advance, you have to win and keep winning. Both Kansas and Detroit will be looking to do exactly that.

The winner of this game will go on to face the winner of the game between Purdue and Saint Mary's in the Round of 32. 

What They're Saying

Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star has penned a great piece about the heartbreak that both the Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers have suffered in the NCAA Tournament over the years.

The key passage for Kansas is this one: "If Kansas wants to emerge from the Midwest region, and advance to its 14th Final Four, the Jayhawks will likely have to survive another battle with a mid-major program with nothing to lose."

For the record, Detroit is most definitely a mid-major with nothing to lose.

Meanwhile, Detroit is confident that it will be able to compete with Kansas. A big key will be slowing down Thomas Robinson, and senior big man Eli Holman says he's up to the task.

“I’m not scared of him,” said Holman, according to Fox Sports Detroit. “I don’t think he is scared of me either."

Holman added, "But he is a very, very talented player, and he deserves all the respect he gets.”

Most Important Player to Watch: Thomas Robinson

Why is slowing down Robinson so important?

Put simply, because he's a beast. Robinson is a double-double machine, as he averaged nearly 18 points and 12 rebounds per game during the regular season. If he owns the paint against Detroit, the Jayhawks will have no trouble whatsoever advancing to the Round of 32.

Key Matchup: Eli Holman vs. Thomas Robinson

Holman says he's not scared of Robinson, but he'll have to prove that he's capable of matching up with him when these two teams actually step out on the court on Friday night.

Holman is a pretty good player in his own right. He averaged nearly 11 points and seven rebounds per game this season, and he stands tall at 6'10". But against Robinson, one of the top forwards in the country, Holman will have to play the game of his life.

Prediction: Kansas by 20.

This Jayhawks team doesn't have quite as much firepower as last year's Jayhawks team, but they're experienced and more than strong enough to dispatch a team like Detroit.