No one expected this. The preseason pundits picked Kansas second or third in the Big 12. Bill Self acknowledged that he thought the Ohio State win, in Lawrence, was big as it would help on KU's tournament resume, meaning he was concerned about the Jayhawks getting into the NCAA Tournament. And, now, Self's team is in the Final Four as the improbable run continues.
Here is a final edition of "the view from the Dome" after this past weekend's Midwest Regional in St. Louis.
- Roy Williams may have been using a throwaway expression but his acknowledgment that the triangle-and-two defense hadn't been used by Kansas was flat-out wrong. KU used this defense several times during the season so it was surprising to hear Williams admit his surprise at the Jayhawks' use of this defensive strategy.
- At the end of the first half, Kansas had a lineup which featured Justin Wesley on John Henson and Conner Teahan on Reggie Bullock during North Carolina's last offensive possession. The Tarheels did not score and the teams went into halftime with the score tied at 47.
- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback was in the crowd, three rows up from midcourt.
- The total announced attendance was 24,107. It appeared that the Kansas contingent doubled in size, from Friday's game, and comprised about 70-75% of the crowd.
- Williams got visibly upset with assistant coach C.B. McGrath when KU employed the triangle-and-two late in the second half. McGrath and fellow assistant, Jerod Haase, scouted KU during their game with North Carolina State on Friday night.
- The coolest moment yesterday occurred at the end of the game, when Carolina was fouling and it was obvious that Kansas would win. Thomas Robinson walked down the court, caught Self's eye, and winked. It was a great moment between player and coach and emblematic of the special bond between these two.
- Self hugged KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray Little on the court after the game amidst the postgame celebration.
- The drive back to Kansas from St. Louis was a steady stream of thousands of cars headed west.
Second or third? Wasn't KU picked to win the Big 12 along with Texas A&M?
ReplyDeleteIt depends upon which poll you use, which is why I used the term "pundits." As an example, The Sporting News picked Kansas second. Many other publications had them second and one third. The Associated Press poll, most notably, had KU and A&M picked to tie for the league crown.
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