ESPN: Duke, KU are top programs of century

By Gary Bedore     Apr 29, 2016

Basketball notes …

ESPN.com on Thursday crowned Kansas University and Duke the two most successful NCAA Tournament teams of the 21st Century.

The Jayhawks during the past 17 NCAA tourneys (13 coached by Bill Self; four by Roy Williams) have won 42 games, same as Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils.

The tiebreaker, however, goes to Duke, which has won three national titles this century to KU’s one.

“The last time we did this list,” wrote ESPN’s John Gassaway, “Duke was in a first-place tie with Michigan State. Now the Blue Devils sit atop this list alongside Kansas. That being said, the Jayhawks, Spartans and every other team might need to step up their game to keep up with Krzyzewski, who has what appears to be a pretty strong team ready to go next season. It’s possible Duke could be adding four, five or even six tournament wins to its total for the century in short order.”

Of KU, Gassaway wrote: “Michigan State had its Middle Tennessee episode; Duke’s ghosts wear uniforms from Lehigh and Mercer; and North Carolina missed the tournament entirely as recently as 2010. But the last time Kansas failed to win at least one game was the 2006 tournament. No team in the country can match Bill Self’s 10-tournament-and-counting streak in this respect. Gonzaga, with wins in eight consecutive tournaments, comes closest.”

Yes, KU has won at least one tourney game since falling to Bradley in the 2006 tourney in Auburn Hills, Mich.

North Carolina is third in NCAA tourney success this century with 41 wins, followed by Michigan State (40), Kentucky (37), UConn (33), Florida (33), Wisconsin (31), Syracuse (28) and Arizona (28).

UNC and Florida have won two tourney titles this century, with one going to Michigan State, Kentucky and Syracuse. UConn has three.

The article concluded with this gem. “If you’re keeping track, the only major-conference programs yet to win a tournament game this century are: Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon State, Rutgers, South Carolina and TCU. Keep the faith, Cornhuskers, Wildcats, Beavers, Scarlet Knights, Gamecocks and Horned Frogs. Providence was on this same list a year ago, and the Friars made the leap into the 21st century win column. You can too.”

To read ESPN Insider’s article go to the Web address: http://es.pn/23bGOgC.

Rush has big Game Five: Former KU guard Brandon Rush may yet be a big factor in determining whether Golden State can survive the loss of Stephen Curry as the playoffs progress.

Rush, a starter on KU’s 2008 NCAA title team who won a ring with the Warriors in limited duty last season, on Wednesday scored 15 points off 6-of-8 shooting while playing 18 minutes in a first-round series clinching victory over Houston.

“It’s very nice as a coaching staff to put in a guy like Brandon Rush, who hasn’t played much in the series, and be able to count on him or (Anderson) Varejao,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told sfgate.com. “Barbosa came in and played well. So we’ve got a lot of people who can play.”

Rush, by the way, is one of those players great for team chemistry. He is the one who created a popular nickname for reserve forward-center Marreese Speights

“Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems … then I came up with Mo’ Buckets,” Rush told sfgate.com. “We ran with that, and I never get any credit but that’s OK. He loves it.”

Businesses were quick to make Mo’ Buckets T-shirts and caps.

“I didn’t even get a shirt, but that’s OK,” Rush told the website. “Now the whole world loves Mo’ Buckets. I am glad to have done my part.”

“B-Rush started saying it and I liked it,” Speights told sfgate.com. “Everybody started saying it and it became the real deal. Now fans are wearing my hat.”

KU offers player: Derek Culver, a 6-10 junior power forward from Harding High in Warren, Ohio, has received a scholarship offer from KU. His high school coach Tweeted that Culver has also been offered by Arizona, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, N.C. State, Pitt, Purdue, West Virginia and Xavier. He’s ranked No. 44 in the Class of 2017 by Rivals.com.

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