That ends our time in Omaha. I won’t be going to Detroit, but I hope someone who is will carry the barely-burning torch I lit with this.
K-State: Good effort. You got a win not many expected you to get. Very likely Michael Beasley’s college career ended on the Qwest Center floor. Bill Walker’s, too…maybe. Frank Martin proved himself as a coach throughout this season. If he and Dalonte Hill can keep the talent coming to Manhattan, K-State in the NCAA Tourney will be a traditional thing.
KU: Fine effort. You killed Portland State, like you should, and you woke up for the second half against UNLV. You weren’t overly impressive, but you are supremely talented, and that will carry you a long way, at least past Villanova or Siena next week. After that, you’ll probably need to combine that talent with the effort you showed against Texas. Bill Self needs this Final Four. Russell Robinson clearly wants it. Not many excuses out there, looking ahead in this part of the bracket.
Eagle staff in Omaha: Fantastic effort, but I’m biased.
What’s your take on K-State and KU in Omaha — and us, too? Comment to the right. Have a great week.
Rush fouls out on what he thought was a clean block. Fans boo. He sits. Adams shoots and makes two free throws. Well, KU had to fight a little bit for this one but will get it done. The 1998 team is jealous. Uh oh, Chalmers finishes off a nice and-1 play on a layup, but he face plants into the floor underneath the basket. He stays down holding his face. Self kneels next to him. Looks like he’s all right. No blood.Â
He’s smiling, ready to shoot a free throw, which he misses. Three by Terry is off. Rock Chalk Chant starts up at Qwest. Chalmers spots up and drains a three. He’s got 17. Credit Wink Adams’ effort today. He’s got 25, but KU’s got a win. Tyrel Reed, Conner Teahan, Cole Aldrich and Matt Kleinmann in to finish this one off for KU. Case dribbles out the clock, and KU rolls into the Sweet 16.
Adams gets a friendly roll on the free throw. UNLV’s still got a lot of work to do. Wow. Mario Chalmers was an inch away from having the highlight of his life. He drove into the lane and took off tryng to dunk on Rougeau. The dunk fired hard off the back of the rim, but he got a foul called. He makes one of two free throws, and KU is up 61-47.
More fouls. This off a rebound against Rougeau who pushed Rush to the floor. He joins Darger on the bench for the night with five fouls. Rush will shoot one and the bonus. It’s short. Ball back to the Rebels. Rougeau misses a trey after one pass on the possession. Nice take by Rush, but the reverse layup won’t go. Rougeau misses another three. Chalmers drives and kicks to Collins, who misses a three. KU not wasting time trying to run clock, still working on increasing this lead.
Robinson picks up his third foul. Timeout UNLV. 61-47 Hawks, 5:09 to go. Adams makes a pair of free throws after the 30-second timeout. Never fear. More free throws on the way, in case you haven’t had enough like I have. Chalmers makes two, KU up 63-49. Wallace misses an easy look underneath after getting Chalmers in the air on a pump fake. Collins makes him pay on the other end with another great take. Robinson thought he had a block, but the wrist smack could be heard all the way over hear on the other end of the court. Curtis Terry makes two free throws, and it’s 65-51 Jayhawks.
Arthur with a fancy spin move inside and he gets his ninth point. Jackson rebounds a three-point attempt by the Rebels, and KU is well in control, now. Rush a pull-up and a three. What a sweet-looking stroke. He’s got 12 points. Terry answers with a three of his own. Rush is called for a charge after giving the ball up to Jackson on an ally-oop.
Russ Rob makes both free throws out of the break, and KU leads by seven with under 12 to go. A foul away from the ball is called on Rush — that’s three on him, and Chalmers comes in for him — and that puts UNLV in the bonus. Corey Bailey misses the free throw. Robinson looses the ball, but the fourth foul on Matt Shaw is called in the process. Collins knocks down a 14-footer coming off a screen from Arthur, and KU is again up nine, 50-41. Â
Refs are a little whistle-happy right now on both ends. This one on Kaun, his fourth, and Rush comes back in replacing Sasha. More Wink Adams’ free throws on the way. Makes one of two. Chalmers misfires on a three, and the ball goes back to the Rebels. Another foul away from the ball, this on Darger, also his fourth. Robinson coming up big for KU, that’s a three, and KU has its biggest lead of 11.
Tough shot by Adams doesn’t go, and KU’s on the break off the rebound. Collins misses a layup, but Robinson, following closely behind, gets the rebound and his fouled hard by Darger. That’s five. He’s gone. Russell back to the line for two. Misses the first and makes the second. He’s got 11. KU up 54-42.
Fouls are ridiculous now. This one goes on Arthur for KU’s ninth team foul of the half. Bailey makes one of two. Collins with another tough take. He’s got six for the Jayhawks after not scoring in the first. A series of shots won’t go for UNLV, but guess what? A foul. It goes to Chalmers, and the Rebels are in the double bonus. Shaw makes only the second of two. Look at Robinson, another driving layup for his 13th point. A miss by Rougeau lands in the hands of Jackson. Sherron Collins with a sick crossover and layup. Timeout UNLV.
Wink Adams gets UNLV’s first field goal since about the 16-minute mark and gets an and-1 to go with it.
Completely packed house here at Qwest, and the crowd is much more involved than in KU’s win against Portland State on Thursday. Â
Adams makes both free throws. KU having trouble running the offense, so the Jayhawks call timeout to regroup. Sherron Collins doing only what Sherron Collins can do, a beautiful take to the bucket with the shot clock waning. Kaun picks up another foul. That’s three. Adams gets the ball down low and works against Chalmers like a couple of post players. Adams gets a foul call on an attempted shot and makes both free throws. He’s go 14, but his team trails 46-39.
Rush misses a three, and Arthur can’t convert a tip-in off the miss. The ball goes out of bounds but stays with KU. Arthur misses a shot that bounces around the rim three times, and UNLV takes possession. Adams playing tough, right now. He goes to the hoop hard and gets another foul to go his way, this one on Jackson. He adds two more free throws to his total, and the KU lead is down to five.
Robinson playing like his career is on the line — it is — will go to the line and shoot two after a drive to the hole draws contact.
Rush with a take to the hoop and spectacular ally-oop feed to Darrell Arthur, but Wink Adams answers with a driving lay-up. There’s a Rush three-pointer. He’s got nine, tying Mario Chalmers for the team lead. Joe Darger picks up his first foul on the offensive end. Arthur will go to the line to shoot two as Darnell Jackson steps away quickly and holds his head. Arthur makes both, and KU’s up 40-31 — it’s biggest lead.
No offense on either end right now. Adams tries his luck at a take to the hoop. He draws a foul from Jackson and will go to the line. Makes the first, misses the second. Robinson with his second nice driving layup of the afternoon, beating Adams off the dribble. Adams’ kick out to Darger ends in a three. Robinson tries to answer but misses. Arthur picks up his second foul trying to grab the board. Collins and Kaun make the first substitutions of the half. Arthur and Robinson take a seat for the Jayhawks.
UNLV brings back its press but relaxes it after the inbounds pass. Kaun scores his fourth point, and KU back up nine, 44-35. The Rebels not looking near as oiled to begin the second half. Collins up ahead of the pack but throws it away. A steal by Chalmers, but Rush’s three-pointer misses in transition. Adams goes across Rush on a drive to the hoop and draws the foul.
Sorry to miss out on the first half. K-State’s postgame went a little long, and I’ve been doing newspaper work. We’re good now, so let’s go ahead and do this.
The Jayhawks played the first 16 minutes half asleep. Incredible that UNLV shot 29 percent to KU’s 56 and the Rebels are only down five. UNLV did get itself into foul trouble — three players have two — so that’s something to keep an eye on. Brandon Rush hasn’t attempted a three, for one reason or another. Interesting.
Shoot over to K-Stated for J-Mart’s in-game blogging.
Starters
Kansas State
G Blake Young, Sr.
G Clent Stewart, Sr.
F Bill Walker, Fr.
F Dominique Sutton, Fr.
F. Michael Beasley, Fr.
Wisconsin
G Trevon Hughes, So.
G Michael Flowers, Sr.
F Marcus Landry, Jr.
F Joe Krabbenhoft, Jr.
C Brian Butch, Sr.
K-State in the road blacks with white and purple trim. Wisconsin in white with red trim. Beasley vs Landry on the tip.
A nice gathering of K-State fans already, and we’re still 25 minutes from tip. Ms. Fatima Smith just took her seat a few rows in front of Ms. Stephanie Harwell, future bride of Clent Stewart. Straight up behind me about 10 rows is Bill Snyder and his wife and daughter.
Across the way is a big section of Wisconsin red, right next to some KU blue.
