The Kansas basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for a third straight season. Here are three reasons to smile after the win over Seton Hall.
This team is tougher than you thought
In early January, Hall of Fame coach Bill Self criticized this Jayhawk team. After the loss to Texas Tech, Self described them emphatically as soft. The coach is a master motivator and was absolutely correct. The Jayhawks allowed Tech to absolutely dominate the glass 44-29 in that Allen Fieldhouse setback. Tech also scored 26 points on 15 Jayhawk turnovers.
On February 24, the Jayhawks turned the table on Tech to clinch another Big 12 title. This team stepped up when Udoka Azubuike hurt his knee and won the tournament title. They needed the same grit to earn a win Saturday against the Pirates and their monster rebounder. No team left in the NCAA Tournament is as battle tested as the Jayhawks.
This team can play without Devonte Graham
How did you feel when All American, Big 12 Player of the Year Devonte Graham ran into Azubuike and crashed to the floor? Thank goodness Graham returned to action in the second half. Thank goodness the Jayhawk players didn’t let the situation rattle them.
Freshman Marcus Garrett played just 15 minutes Saturday. The final minute of the first half filling in for Graham was the most important. The veteran of 36 games this season calmly took control of the Jayhawk offense. He faked on a drive into the lane and found a wide open Malik Newman for three-pointer to put an exclamation point on the first half.
Mitch Lighfoot never gives up
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I’m sure nobody reading this yelled at Mitch Lightfoot during Saturday’s Intrust Bank Arena battle. There were times I wondered why the coach didn’t put Silvo De Sousa in the game. The coach knows what he is doing. Lightfoot is a fighter. He had to fight against the bigger Pirates. He wasn’t perfect but is as enthusiastic and energetic on or off the court. He grabbed a crucial rebound in the final minute. Devonte also found him wide open on a fast break dunk with 23 seconds to play. It’s hard not to like Lightfoot.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk does it all
Jayhawk fans love to scream “Svi for 3!” But Svi has grown into so much more than a deadly three-point assassin. Svi was struggling in the first half of Saturday’s game. Instead of continuing to fire from beyond the arc, the 6-foot-8 senior decided to attack the basket. With the Jayhawks trailing late in the first half, Svi drove to the basket and made finger rolls on two straight possessions. The second put the Jayhawks back in front 25-24. They never trailed again.