What becomes of the Jayhawks this postseason remains to be seen, but here are five reasons KU fans can be optimistic about their team’s chances to make a run.

1: Dedric Lawson and Devon Dotson.

KU’s two all-Big 12 selections — Lawson first team and newcomer of the year and Dotson third team — provide the Jayhawks exactly what they need to navigate the crazy waters of postseason basketball.

In Lawson, the Jayhawks have a go-to scorer who also happens to be a terrific passer with a high basketball IQ. If teams double- or triple-team him, Lawson is happy to create for others. If not, his lengthy offensive repertoire gives him the ability to score one-on-one against just about any defender, inside and out.

In Dotson, the Jayhawks have a tenacious playmaker who is willing to set the pace of the game by pushing the tempo or picking up defensively on every possession.

2: The pressure’s off.

As something other than a 1 or 2 seed, the Jayhawks enter the tournament with a chance to fly under the radar.

And that should be music to any KU fan’s ears. The reason? The Jayhawks still have elite-level athletes, many of whom were McDonald’s All-Americans, and they’ll move forward playing with very little to lose.

Few analysts believe this team will make it out of the first weekend or past the Sweet 16. Not only can that provide motivation to prove people wrong, but it also can be a rallying force that brings this team together.

3: Kansas is battle tested.

This fact is certainly true most seasons, but it seems particularly true this season, with KU’s strength of schedule ranking near the toughest in the nation by multiple measurements.

KU’s double-digit number of quadrant 1 wins is among the highest in the country, and more than half of KU’s games this season came against quadrant 1 opponents.

The KenPom.com rankings indicate that KU has faced the toughest schedule in the country this season, facing the most difficult offenses in the nation on a nightly basis — ranking No. 1 in opponents’ adjusted offensive efficiency rating — and the No. 8-ranked defenses.

4: Bill Self’s on the bench.

Just six NCAA programs are led by men currently in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and Kansas is one of them.

Whether you’re talking about his one trip at Tulsa, his one trip at Illinois or the eight times he’s done it at Kansas, coach Bill Self has led his team to the Elite Eight or beyond nine times.

Self is willing to adjust on the fly, he inspires his teams to find a way to grind it out and he emphasizes team defense and balanced offense. That puts Kansas in great shape to make a run year after year.

5: There could be more in the tank.

While this season’s record and struggles away from Allen Fieldhouse left more than a little to be desired, Self has said throughout the season that he still thinks there’s another level this team can reach.

And if the Jayhawks truly are saving their best for last, here are a few areas that could go a long way toward keeping KU’s arrow pointed up:

• Freshman Quentin Grimes has all of the tools required to be a difference maker. If he plays his best basketball of the season this month, that could give Kansas a major lift.

• Freshman Ochai Agbaji jumped out of the cannon like a madman but has leveled off after three consecutive double-digit outings in mid-February. If the postseason brings out the beast in Agbaji, KU’s offense could benefit tremendously.

• If freshman big man David McCormack continues to assert himself physically, the Jayhawks could really benefit from his size and ability to score down low.

Those potential bonuses could make Kansas a more dangerous team than its seed suggests.