Kansas basketball: Time for Devonte Graham to shine
By Stan Unruh
Kansas basketball is preparing for their third straight appearance in the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks need a big effort from Devonte Graham against Duke.
The Kansas basketball team won their 30th game of the season Friday night with an 80-76 win over Clemson in the Sweet 16. After a couple of disappointing losses in early December and the January 2, setback to Texas Tech, this Jayhawk team is back in the NCAA Tournament Regional Finals. Getting to a regional final is difficult. Playing in three straight unbelievable.
This Jayhawk team has found a way to win without depth and with limited size. They’ve been successful while waiting for Billy Preston. The team won waiting for Silvio De Sousa and while the freshman learned what Bill Self wanted. In early March, the Jayhawks did what nobody expected. They found a way to win without Udoka Azubuike.
Hall of Fame coach Bill Self always pushes the right buttons and this team responds. Now they are finding ways to win with a struggling Devonte Graham. The senior All American, Big 12 Player of the Year hit just one shot from the field in the win over Seton Hall. It was encouraging to see him hit a couple of shots from beyond the arc in the second half against Clemson.
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This is Graham’s chance to reach a Final 4
Despite Graham’s 4-12 shooting performance, he scored 16 points and hustled for 5 rebounds. Nobody should underestimate the importance of Malik Newman, Lagerald Vick and Dok in the Sweet 16 victory. They need to step up big Sunday against Duke. More importantly, the Jayhawks need to see the Graham we saw in the Big 12 Tournament title game. His 18 points and 13 assists that night were the difference. Sunday is Graham’s time to shine.
Graham has had so many amazing games this season and throughout his 4-years in Lawrence. Fans have favorite Graham games. His back to back 35-point games this season were spectacular. He led the rally to top the Mountaineers in Morgantown and at Allen Fieldhouse. His clutch performance over the final minutes in Lubbock earned him conference player of the year honors. He will be ready to excel against the Devils in Omaha.