No loud music blared in Kansas University’s locker room after Saturday’s 94-61 massacre of Marquette in the Final Four semifinals at the Superdome.
No players bumped, grinded, high-fived or played practical jokes in front of the media after a victory that pushed the Jayhawks (30-7) into Monday’s 8:22 p.m. national final against Syracuse.
“It’s a businesslike approach,” KU senior forward Nick Collison said. “It’s a situation where we came out with great focus and determination and want to keep that one more game.
“We’re just ready for Monday night to get here.”
Collison, Kirk Hinrich and the rest of the Jayhawks who received a taste of the Final Four last year are intent on “finishing it” with a national title this year.
“Finish it” are the words beneath pictures of the Superdome hanging in each of the Jayhawks’ lockers at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Before I said experience didn’t matter in the Final Four,” sophomore Keith Langford said after his 23-point, five-rebound, four-assist performance. “I’ve changed my mind. For the first time I believe experience has played a part for us.”
“Nobody is excited. Nobody is happy. All the jitters and first-time things are gone, out the window, because we were here last year. Everybody that was here last year has the focus. Nobody wants to come in second place.”
“We realize this means nothing come Monday,” said senior Hinrich, who scored 18 points off 6-of-13 shooting with three assists and two steals.
Sophomore point guard Aaron Miles, who had 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two turnovers, also was not satisfied.
“We feel really confident,” Miles said. “We’re ready for Monday. To put it in perspective, this game did not win us a national championship. All it did was get us to the championship game.”
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Hinrich dandy on ‘D’: A key Saturday was stopping Marquette’s Dwyane Wade, who had a triple-double in a 14-point Elite Eight victory over Kentucky. Hinrich opened defensively on Wade, who finished with 19 points off 7-of-15 shooting and just 10 points the first half as KU raced to a 59-30 halftime lead.
“I was surprised I had any energy on offense,” Hinrich said, “because I gave everything I had defensively on Wade. He’s a great player and it takes a lot of energy to try to stop him.”
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Miles devours Diener: Miles was all over Marquette point guard Travis Diener, who bricked 10 of 11 shots and made one of five threes.
“I feel pretty good. I tried to make some of things he did tough,” Miles said. “He missed some open shots on his own. He’s still a good player.”
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Distractions?: Some critics of KU basketball suggested North Carolina’s basketball opening and the Tar Heels’ interest in KU coach Roy Williams would distract the KU players.
Some distraction.
“We did not let anything distract us,” KU sophomore guard Michael Lee said after scoring 13 points, grabbing six boards and dishing four assists with two steals in 18 minutes. “We know coach is with us. He’s told us he’s with us. There are no distractions. This team is focused like it’s been all year.
“We are out to prove our critics wrong. We had a slow start this year. We were 3-3 and people doubted us. We lost Wayne (Simien to injury) and we doubted ourselves some,” said Lee, who hit three threes in three tries Saturday.
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Easy buckets on the break: Williams was elated the Jayhawks’ fastbreak was good for 22 layups and four dunks. In all, 26 of 38 baskets were dunks or layups. KU scored within 10 seconds of a Marquette hoop six times in the first half.
Of Langford’s 11 hoops, one was from 17 feet and two were from three to five feet. He also had three dunks and five layups.
“If we can make them really work to score and then we can get out and run back while they are still feeling really good about themselves, I think it does bother them,” Williams said. “I hope it has a psychological impact.
“Some of these two-on-ones and three-on-ones were off turnovers. But we do work every day trying to get it out of the net, trying to get it off the board, trying to push it the other end. A hundred years ago when I played, I loved to play that way.
“All I could do was shoot layups and pass. For me, I like that. Kids love to play that way. Fans love to watch it. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
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Stats, facts: Collison moved into sole possession of second place on KU’s all-time scoring list with 2,078 points. Danny Manning is No. 1 with 2,951 points. … Collison has 160 rebounds in NCAA play and is tied for seventh on the all-time boards list. … KU has won 12 straight NCAA games against a lower seed. The Jayhawks, a No. 2 seed to Marquette’s No. 3, last lost to a lower seed in 1998 when Rhode Island stopped the Jayhawks. … Williams is the 14th coach in history to take his team to four Final Fours. His 14 straight NCAA Tournament appearances rank tied for fourth all-time and second among active coaches. … KU is 3-4 in the Superdome. … The attendance of 54,432 is fourth-largest in Final Four history but the smallest of the four Final Fours played in the Superdome. The previous three Final Fours here attracted over 61,000 for the semis. The dome was configured differently this year. …Michael Lee’s 13 points marked a career high. … KU’s 59 points in the first half marked the third-highest points by KU in an NCAA Tournament game. KU’s 29-point halftime lead was its biggest-ever in a Final Four game. … KU’s 94 points was most scored by KU in a Final Four game.
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Lions’ Davis here: Lawrence High basketball coach Chris Davis is working the Final Four for CBS. He generates on-air game graphics.
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Jersey to hang forever: Collison’s No. 4 jersey will hang in Allen Fieldhouse. Collison was named first-team All-America by the NABC this week to go with his first-team AP honors. As a consensus All-American, he has qualified for jersey retirement.
