KU center Eric Chenowith appeared to be on a mission Sunday. He had a big game, hitting two of three floor shots and all eight free throws with five boards in 18 minutes off the bench.
| Syracuse | 34 | 24 | 58 |
| Kansas | 39 | 48 | 87 |
“I had to do something. Coach (Joe) Holladay said I’m the ‘X-factor’ on the team. If I play well it’s amazing how much better we play,” Chenowith said.
Of his free throws, he said: “It’s time to step up. I was making my free throws. It’s something I should do.”
KU seniors Chenowith and Gregory were especially happy after reaching their first Sweet 16 in four years.
They went one-win-and-out their first three years of college.
“I’ve never smiled like that at Kenny before,” said Chenowith, who hugged Gregory and had his arm around assistant Holladay while seated on the bench in the closing moments. “It’s great to be playing. The worst feeling in the world is to be home for spring break and see all your friends on TV. In the past, we’ve had some tough second round matchups. I knew this was my last chance in my college career.”
Chenowith was so giddy after the game, he went to the interview room to watch Williams and selected players hold a press conference, even though he wasn’t on the list of players invited to attend the 15-minute session.
Gregory, meanwhile, slapped five with Williams, then hugged his coach after exiting the court late in the blowout win.
“It was so great to come home and play these games in front of my family and friends,” said Gregory, a native of Columbus, Ohio, which is 70 miles from Dayton “It’s better to advance to the Sweet 16. It’s just a great accomplishment. But we know we have not played our best yet and feel we have more things to accomplish. We feel we’re not done yet.”
The Jayhawk underclassmen rallied for their seniors.
“I wanted it for Kenny, Eric, coach and myself,” Gooden said with a grin. “This is a tight team.”
KU coach Roy Williams asked his wife, Wanda, to buy a stuffed monkey for him to use as a prop at a team meeting Saturday. The Jayhawk players took turns knocking the toy monkey off Williams’ back.
KU’s three female managers named KU’s monkey Stank ‘Em.
“It’s something (ex-Jayhawk) Billy Thomas used to say whenever he made a shot. It was one of Billy’s Louisiana expressions,” Chenowith said.
The Jayhawks’ 17-point lead dipped to five at halftime.
“We didn’t play very well and let them back in the game. Preston Shumpert made some threes and the next thing you know they were in it,” Boschee said. “The big thing is to keep your poise and we did that the second half.
Point guard Kirk Hinrich suffered a bruised thigh in the first half. He iced it after the game.
“I got kneed in the thigh. I didn’t have a lot of strength in my leg early. It did bother me a little bit. I’ll get treatment and it’ll be fine,” Hinrich said.
The fire alarm at KU’s Holiday Inn hotel went off at 5:40 a.m. and rang for 10 minutes. It was a false alarm.
The Jayhawks immediately remembered winning against Texas at Allen Fieldhouse the day after a false alarm awakened everybody at Jayhawker Towers at 3 a.m.
“I don’t need any more omens like that,” KU coach Williams quipped.
Illinois, KU’s foe next Friday in San Antonio, is in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 12 years. “We got the monkey off our back, We’ve been going for it three years,” forward Sergio McClain said after the Illini’s 79-61 victory over UNC Charlotte.
Kansas, which has been to Dayton four times since 1986, could be back in 2006 and 2007. The University of Dayton Arena has bid for the tourney in those years.
Dayton Arena has played host to 61 tourney games, fourth most of any building. Only Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium, New York’s Madison Square Garden and Salt Lake City’s Huntsman Center have held more NCAA games.
“I didn’t want my career to end in Dayton, Ohio,” Chenowith quipped. “No offense to the people of Dayton, Ohio.”
Three-point goals: 5-27 (Shumpert 3-11, Williams 2-9, Brown 0-1, McClanaghan 0-1, Griffin 0-5). Assists: 12 (Shumpert 3, Griffin 3, Williams 3, Duany, Thues, Celuck). Turnovers: 6 (Williams 2, Shumpert, Brown, Griffin, Duany). Blocked shots: 4 (Celuck 3, McNeil). Steals: 10 (Williams 4, Shumpert 3, Brown, Griffin, Thues). |
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Three-point goals: 7-14 (Boschee 4-9, Ballard 1-1, Harrison 1-1, Hinrich 1-2, Gregory 0-1). Assists: 17 (Hinrich 6, Gooden 4, Collison 3, Gregory, Boschee, Ballard, Kappelmann). Turnovers: 20 (Collison 6, Hinrich 4, Gooden 3, Boschee 3, Chenowith 2, Gregory, Ballard). Blocked shots: 5 (Gooden 3, Hinrich, Chenowith). Steals: 0 |
