Kansas Coasts Past Miami to the Final Four

CHICAGO — The No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks overcame inconsistent capturing and a halftime deficit towards Miami on Sunday to grab a 76-50 victory, successful the Midwest area and advancing to the Remaining 4.

For a time, an upset had appeared inside attain for Tenth-seeded Miami, which had already ventured deeper into the bracket than any prior Hurricanes crew. Going through a proficient however slump-prone Kansas lineup, it held Ochai Agbaji,a nationwide participant of the yr finalist, to six first-half factors. The Jayhawks missed each 3-point shot they tried earlier than halftime and transformed solely one-third of their first-half free throws.

However instantly after the intermission, Kansas regained its footing.

Agbaji, who completed the sport because the Jayhawks’ main scorer with 18 factors, nabbed a steal from a Miami attacker, then launched a protracted go to Christian Braun, who slammed the ball by way of the ring to tie the sport at 40 and enliven the pro-Jayhawk crowd at Chicago’s United Middle. On the following Kansas possession, Braun, a junior guard, hit a 3-pointer, his crew’s first of the night time, giving the Jayhawks a lead they by no means relinquished.

“I feel we wanted some power greater than something,” mentioned Braun, who scored 12 factors and pulled down 6 rebounds. “After I hit that 3, it was a giant confidence booster for me and I’m positive for the remainder of the crew. We simply wanted some power. I assumed we had been flat within the first half.”

Kansas, the Large 12 match champions and the one No. 1 seed to advance previous the spherical of 16, confirmed flashes of greatness that sustained it by way of its early bouts of pained capturing.

Late within the first half, Remy Martin, an Arizona State switch who emerged as a number one scorer for Kansas within the match, hit a protracted soar shot that narrowed Miami’s result in 2 factors. However the Hurricanes countered with a Kameron McGusty basket, a compelled turnover and a length-of-the-floor drive by Isaiah Wong. When Martin appeared to have a lane to the basket for Kansas on the opposite finish, McGusty swooped in for a block, sealing a 6-point halftime lead for Miami. McGusty completed the sport with 18 factors, main the Hurricanes, and Wong with 15.

“I assumed we did a darned good job within the first half enjoying the best way we wished to play, getting again defensively and scoring the ball,” Miami Coach Jim Larrañaga mentioned.

However within the second half, it appeared, Kansas may do no unsuitable.

After Braun stuffed a Miami shot, Agbaji missed a layup on the opposite finish. However Jalen Wilson stored the ball in bounds for the Jayhawks, dealing it outdoors to Agbaji, who made amends with a 3-pointer that wanted no help from the rim and that prolonged Kansas’ result in 12.

“We weren’t superb the primary half and performed tight somewhat bit and couldn’t guard McGusty,” Kansas Coach Invoice Self mentioned. “And for no matter cause, the lid got here off the second half and the depth picked up defensively after which we had about two good performs flip into 4, flip into eight, which became 16. That was about in addition to we may play the second half.”

All through the match, Miami gamers had adopted the relaxed persona of Larrañaga, a septuagenarian identified for his locker room dance strikes and for main George Mason to an unlikely Remaining 4 look in 2006. Earlier than tipoff, maybe in homage to Miami’s fame as a soccer college, the Hurricanes lined up for a simulated subject aim.

“A very powerful factor — and I inform them this day by day, and have because the match started — smile and keep free,” Larrañaga mentioned on the eve of the sport. “Benefit from the second. This ought to be a heck of numerous enjoyable.”

After the sport, Miami gamers expressed a mixture of pleasure in what they completed and disappointment that their journey had ended.

“Simply with the ability to accomplish the issues we did this yr, to lose, it simply hurts,” McGusty mentioned. “We’ve achieved lots,” he added. “We’ve gotten so shut.”

Kansas, which can play Villanova subsequent weekend in New Orleans, is a daily within the late rounds of the match.

The Jayhawks have performed in 15 earlier Remaining Fours, together with three throughout Self’s tenure, and personal the longest lively streak of N.C.A.A. match appearances, with 32 straight. On Friday, Kansas surpassed Kentucky as this system with probably the most wins. However for a crew with excessive expectations for itself, nationwide titles have been elusive, with just one, in 2008, since Self took over as coach in 2003.

In a match that had been unfriendly to top-seeded groups, Kansas stored successful, although not dominating, at the very least not till late within the Miami sport. The Jayhawks endured a closer-than-expected problem from No. 9 Creighton within the spherical of 32 and outlasted No. 4 Windfall on Friday even with out a lot offense from Agbaji.

“He has labored offensively, I feel largely due to how folks have defended him,” Self mentioned of Agbaji after the sport on Sunday. “And possibly we haven’t achieved a great job getting him the ball. However I do know now after the best way we performed the second half, he’ll be filled with confidence shifting ahead.”

This system nonetheless feels the sting of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, when the Jayhawks had been ranked first within the ultimate Related Press ballot. Many in Lawrence, Kan., the place revelers poured onto Massachusetts Road to have a good time on Sunday, believed a championship that yr had been attainable.

“I by no means felt like this crew was the most effective crew within the nation this yr,” Self mentioned earlier than the sport with Miami. “I felt like in ’20, that was the most effective crew within the nation.”

However this yr’s crew, whose youngest starters are redshirt sophomores, has proved resourceful and skilled. The latest emergence of Martin, a postseason bench scoring menace who handled accidents earlier within the season, has added to a way that successful a championship is feasible.

“This yr’s crew is totally different, completely,” Self mentioned. “However I do assume that this yr’s crew has the identical probability to do as nicely simply because they’ve a robust perception that they will accomplish something. And it’s been spectacular for me to look at them develop in that perception this yr.”

Kansas’ subsequent opponent, Villanova, was dealt a blow nicely earlier than tip-off. The college introduced Sunday that Justin Moore, the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, tore his proper Achilles’ tendon on Saturday towards Houston and would have surgical procedure this week.

Kansas and Villanova might be joined within the Remaining 4 by Duke, a two seed, and by eighth-seeded North Carolina, which beat Fifteenth-seeded St. Peter’s, 69-49, Sunday in Philadelphia.