Advertisement
With Manning covered, Barry knew to shoot
PONTIAC, Mich. - Scooter Barry didn’t want to skip anybody. “Who haven’t I hugged?” the Kansas University junior bellowed in a jubilant locker room, after the Jayhawks’ 71-58 Midwest Regional championship win over Kansas State on Sunday at the Silverdome. “Keith, I haven’t hugged you,” exclaimed Barry, who proceeded to bearhug Keith Harris - the fellow whose steal and dunk gave Kansas a 43-42 lead with 13:41 left. That’s a lead the Jayhawks would not relinquish.
Final Four: KU whips ‘Cats, 71-58, for berth
PONTIAC, Mich. - Everybody will remember Scooter Barry’s career-high 15 points helping send Kansas to the NCAA Final Four. But it was defense, pure and simple, that enabled Kansas to defeat Kansas State, 71-58, in the Midwest Regional final on Sunday afternoon in the Silverdome. Case in point: Kansas State made only four of its last 22 shots as Kansas turned a one-point game into a runaway in the last 10 minutes. “I don’t think K-State had a good shooting night,” KU coach larry Brown said afterward. “Those things happen … but I like to think our defense had a lot to do with it.”
‘Cats’ fans cheered for Kansas, vice versa
PONTIAC, Mich. - Mitch Richmond heard the cheers on Friday night. Cheers from Kansas and Kansas State fans alike. “When we came on the court for warmups,” said the K-State standout, who scored 27 points in the Wildcats’ 73-70 Midwest Regional semifinal win over Purdue, “KU’s fans and cheerleaders were out there yelling for us. It made me feel good. We’re all part of Kansas. Even though our schools have a rivalry, the fans backed each other tonight. Our fans cheered for them, too.” Indeed, KSU’s fans rooted for the Jayhawks in KU’s 77-64 win over Vanderbilt. The Sunflower State spectators’ fondest dreams have come true, with KU and KSU meeting at 1:58 p.m. Sunday at the Silverdome with a Final Four berth on the line.
Kansas’ Manning had the ‘feeling’
PONTIAC, Mich. - Chris Piper stuck the proverbial needle into Danny Manning on Friday night in a jubilant winner’s dressing room. “Geez, Danny,” said a grinning Piper, staring at the stat sheet he’d been handed following Kansas’ 77-64 Midwest Regional semifinal win over Vanderbilt at the Silverdome. “What’s with all the shots?” “Hey, you all kept giving me the ball,” chuckled Manning, who cashed 16 of 29 attempts, good for a whopping 38 points.
KU, K-State to play for Final Four
Jayhawks oust Vanderbilt from Regional, 77-64
PONTIAC, Mich. - One game away from goin’ to Kansas City…who would have thunk it? “There were a lot of times I even wondered if we’d make the NCAA,” conceded Kansas senior Chris Piper. “Now we’re one game from the Final Four. It’s unbelievable.” Unbelievable. That was the buzzword of the NCAA Midwest Regional here Friday night. Not only was Kansas State’s 73-70 victory over No. 1 seed Purdue unbelievable, so was Danny Manning. It was Manning’s 38-point performance - particularly a 25-point first half - that carried Kansas to a 77-64 victory over teh Commodores in the first semifinal.
Brown hopes to face ‘Cats
To assure one Kansas team in Final Four
Kansas versus Kansas State. For a berth in the NCAA’s Final Four. Gov. Mike Hayden’s wildest dream? Or impending reality? “That would be the greatest thing that could ever happen,” says Kansas basketball coach larry Brown, referring to a possible Sunday Sunflower State confrontation at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.
Manning poised to break record for most games
LINCOLN, Neb. - When Danny Manning steps on the floor against Vanderbilt next Friday night, he’ll have played in more basketball games than any NCAA player in history. It’s just one more record for the 6-10 Kansas All-American, but one he wouldn’t have broken if Murray State had defeated the Jayhawks in an NCAA second-round game here Sunday afternoon.
KU clips Racers, 61-58, for spot in Final 16
LINCOLN, Neb. - No need to dive right into a Vanderbilt scouting report. Kansas’ basketball coaches and players - for one night at least - were to savor Sunday’s narrow 61-58 win over Murray State, a decision that pushes the 23-11 Jayhawks into next Friday’s NCAA Midwest Regional 6:40 p.m. matchup against the 20-10 Commodores. “I know nothing about Vanderbilt. I want to enjoy today and the kids to enjoy it,” said KU coach Larry Brown, after the squeaker at Devaney Center.
KU too much for Musketeers, 85-72
LINCOLN, Neb. - Maybe a magician like David Copperfield could pull off an illusion of turning Devaney Center into Allen Fieldhouse, but why bother? It’s already been done. Xavier’s basketball players did it with their mouths and a couple of Cincinnati sports writers did it with their pens. Spurred on by a pro-Kansas and anti-Xavier crowd, the Jayhawks plunked the Musketeers, 85-72, in the first-round of the NCAA Midwest Regional here Friday night.
Jayhawks find Lincoln to their liking
LINCOLN, Neb. - Seems there’s a reason Nebraska’s fans rooted for Kansas on Friday night at Devaney Center. “We were at a restaurant last night and several people came up to us and said they were on our side all the way,” said Kansas forward Milt Newton, who scored 21 points in the Jayhawks 85-72 first-round NCAA Midwest Regional win over Xavier.
