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.”
Kansas has danced with defense during the second half of the season and, for awhile Sunday, it seemed like the Jayhawks had changed partners.
The Wildcats made 11 of 20 shots – including William Scott’s three-of-five from three-point range – and led, 29-27, at halftime.
“I don’t think we were as good defensively in the first half,” Brown said. “But in the second half, we stayed with their people and had great pressure on the ball.”
And eventually the Jayhawks’ clinging man-to-man defense wore the Wildcats down.
“We just hung in there, and when it got tight it was tough for them to make a jump shot because we played defense so well,” Brown pointed out.
That defense resulted in back-to-back steals by Keith Harris and Lincoln Minor with KU trailing, 42-41, and about 14 minutes remaining.
“The turning point in my mind,” Brown said, “was Lincoln and Keith making those steals.”
Mitch was the victim. Harris turned his theft into a dunk to give the Jayhawks a 43-42 lead and, although Minor’s attempted shot was batted out of bounds, Kansas never trailed after that short defensive spurt.
The two steals occurred during a five-minute 10-2 lick that swung the Jayhawks from a 39-42 deficit into a 49-44 lead.
After that, K-State made only four of 19 shots – most from three-point range – in a desperate attempt to prevent the end of its season.
Kansas had offense, too, of course.
Barry, for instance, had his career-high by missing only one shot. He was five of six from the field and four of four from the line.
One of his five field goals was a three-pointer, and it was perhaps the most important basket of all, coming with :02 left before intermission.
“That shot before half was tremendous,” Brown said. “It gave us a lift.”
Barry’s three-pointer doubled his season total. He’d been just one of six from trey-range.
Otherwise, KU’s offense came mostly from Danny Manning, as usual, with 20 points and Milt Newton with 18.
“We know what Danny can do,” Brown said, “but the other kids played so well. Scooter’s been reluctant to shoot and he gets 15…
“We have so many unlikely kids that I wasn’t smart enough to play earlier, and I think that’s been the key.”
Kansas is 13-3 since losing back-to-back home games to Kansas State and Oklahoma, and only one of those three defeats was a washout.
That was the 69-54 loss to Kansas State in the Big Eight Tournament semifinals. Although no one could possibly know at the time the two Sunflower State schools would meet again in the Midwest Regional final, that may have been K-State’s costliest victory of the season.
“We had everything going for us,” Brown pointed out. “I felt there was a lot of pressure on them because they were supposed to beat us. They had beaten us in the Big Eight Tournament easily, and we wanted to redeem ourselves.”
And so the Jayhawks did. They’ll have the worst record of the Final Four teams at 25-11, but they’ll also have the redemption motive against Duke in Saturday’s semis.
Duke posted a 74-70 overtime victory over Kansas on Feb. 20 in Allen Fieldhouse. If that’s not enough, Duke also whipped Kansas in the Final Four semis two years ago.
“We’re just gonna go play,” Brown answered to a question about the Duke rematch. “I want the kids to have fun.
“Duke’s a great team. We were disappointed we lost to ’em at home, and we were devastated losing to them in Dallas.”
Nevertheless, Brown and his players still have time to reflect for a few more days now on what has to be one of the most up-and-down basketball seasons in school history.
“You have highs and lows as a coach,” Brown smiled after the Jayhawks’ ticket to Kansas City was validated, “but I don’t think anybody is experiencing what I am now.
“Even after we lost to K-State at home, I thought we were turning the corner. I thought we’d be good then, but I had NO idea this would happen.”
Box Score
KU2744-71
KSU2929-58
Kansas: Milt Newton 7-10 2-2 18, Chris Piper 3-6 0-2 6, Danny Manning 10-18 0-1 20, Kevin Pritchard 2-7 3-4 8, Jeff Gueldner 0-3 0-0 0, Scooter Barry 5-6 4-4 15, Keith Harris 2-3 0-0 4, Lincoln Minor 0-1 0-0 0, Mike Maddox 0-0 0-0 0, Clint Normore 0-0 0-0 0, Marvin Mattox 0-0 0-1 0, Team 29-54 9-14 71.
Three-point goals: 4-11 (Newton 2-3, Barry 1-1, Pritchard 1-4, Piper 0-1, Manning 0-1, Gueldner 0-1). Assists: 22 (Newton 7, Pritchard 7, Barry 3, Gueldner 2, Piper, Manning, Minor). Turnovers: 10 (Barry 3, Newton 2, Pritchard 2, Piper, Gueldner, Minor). Blocked shots: 1 (Manning). Steals: 6 (Harris 2, Pritchard 2, Newton, Barry).
Kansas State: Mitch Richmond 4-14 2-4 11, Charles Bledsoe 5-6 0-4 10, Ron Meyer 1-3 0-0 2, Steve Henson 2-8 0-0 6, William Scott 6-15 2-2 18, Fred McCoy 3-5 3-4 9, Buster Glover 1-3 0-0 2, Carlos Diggins 0-0 0-0 0, Mark Dobbins 0-0 0-0 0, Toss Stanfield 0-0 0-0 0, Team 22-54 7-14 58.
Three-point goals: 7-22 (Scott 4-10, Henson 2-6, Richmond 1-5, Glover 0-1). Assists: 15 (Richmond 5, Henson 5, Meyer 2, Bledsoe, Scott, Glover). Turnovers: 12 (Richmond 6, Bledsoe 4, Henson 2). Blocked shots: 3 (Bledsoe, Henson, Scott). Steals: 4 (Scott 2, Henson, Meyer).
