KU debaters Jyleesa Hampton, left, and Quaram Robinson, who finished second overall March 23, 2015, at the Cross Examination Debate Association National Tournament.

The Kansas University men’s basketball team suffered a disappointing loss to Wichita State University last weekend, knocking the Jayhawks out of the running for an NCAA national championship this year. But there’s another KU team with a shot at a national title the weekend of April 4 — in fact, they’re ranked No. 1 in the country.

That’s right, KU’s elite debate team is still in the game.

The debaters just ended their regular season ranked No. 1 in the National Debate Tournament varsity debate rankings, the third time in the past 10 years they’ve landed the top slot, according to a KU announcement. Three KU teams qualified to compete at this year’s National Debate Tournament, set for April 3-6 at the University of Iowa. KU, which has qualified teams for 48 straight years, has won the tournament five times and had 14 teams advance to the Final Four. KU’s last National Debate Tournament championship was in 2009, KU debate director Scott Harris said.

KU is coming off a strong showing at last weekend’s Cross Examination Debate Association National Tournament, held (ironically, at least for basketball fans) at Wichita State.

Late Monday night the KU duo of Jyleesa Hampton and Quaram Robinson finished second place overall, after falling in a split decision to Towson State University in the championship debate, the team’s only loss of the tournament, according to tournament organizers.

Individually, Hampton received the Johnston Award as the National Debater of the Year. Also at the CEDA tournament, KU’s Harris won the Brownlee Award as the National Debate Coach of the Year.