OKLAHOMA CITY ? The Jayhawks love to fly. And if the Aggies can’t hold ’em down, they’ll be flying home Friday morning.
“The biggest key is stopping their transition game,” Utah State forward Desmond Penigar said of sixth-ranked Kansas. “They try and get up the floor fast. If we can slow down their transition game, we’ve got a good chance.”
Fifteenth-seeded Utah State (24-8) will face the second-seeded Jayhawks (25-7) today at approximately 8:40 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Ford Center.
The winner of tonight’s contest will face the victor of the earlier game between Arizona State (19-11) and Memphis (23-6) on Saturday.
As a 16-point favorite, that certainly figures to be the Jayhawks. But the Aggies didn’t read that here.
“If you read the newspaper and watch TV, we’re nothing but a sacrificial lamb for Kansas, and we’ve got no chance,” USU head coach Stew Morrill said. “And if that’s the way we view it, we’ve got no chance.”
Morrill said he’s reminded his team that on four occasions, a No. 15 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed in the first round. And he also pointed out that early in the 1999-2000 season, the Aggies took fourth-ranked Florida right down to the wire at the Maui Invitational before losing by two points.
“Basketball’s funny that way,” Morrill said. “If you get into all the numbers games that you’re not supposed to compete, then you won’t. If you believe you can, you can.”
After winning the Big West Tournament last weekend and five straight games overall, the Aggies are certainly the most confident that they’ve been all season long. But then, Utah State came into the NCAA Tournament in 2000 with 19 straight victories and succumbed to Connecticut, 75-67.
And Morrill admitted the challenge of the Jayhawks is much greater than that of either the Huskies or the Ohio State Buckeyes, who the Aggies shocked in the first round in 2001.
“In terms of the level of the team we’re playing, there’s no question that we’ve taken a drastic step up,” Morrill said.
Led by a pair of potential All-America selections in senior forward Nick Collison and senior guard Kirk Hinrich, the Jayhawks have designs on reaching the Final Four early next month. Although it’s been widely publicized throughout the season that Kansas lacks overall depth, its starting five (now minus the injured Wayne Simien) might be the most talented in the nation.
The Jayhawks shoot the ball very well (49.2 percent as a team), rebound well (+7.9 rpg) and score a lot. Kansas is averaging 82.8 points per game and has scored 90 or more points on nine occasions.
Conversely, the Aggies’ success has been based around defense. While USU is averaging just 66.8 points per game, the Ags have won 24 games by holding their opponents to an average of 59.8 points per night.
“I’ve said for 15 years that our team can win games in the 50s and 60s,” KU head coach Roy Williams said. “But it’s just that we like to do it in the 80s and 90s. It’s more fun for us that way, and that’s the way I like to coach.
“Stew coaches that way because he feels by controlling the tempo it gives his team its best chance to win.”
While their three-quarter-court press might help slow the Jayhawks down, the Aggies’ best hope is making some baskets. Although Kansas will press the attack on either makes or misses, it will be a lot easier for USU to get back on defense after made shots.
“And when they force a turnover, they get layups – time after time after time,” Morrill noted. “So we’ve got to execute on the offensive end, or we’re going to be giving them easy baskets.”
But do the Aggies have what it takes to knock off one of the country’s most hallowed programs while on college basketball’s biggest stage? As Penigar noted, “Anything is possible in this tournament.”
“A lot of dreams and miracles have come true in this tournament,” Penigar added. “Who knows what’s going to happen? We’re just planning on going out there and playing our hardest, and hopefully something good comes our way.”
Notes: Utah State is 2-4 all-time against Kansas. The two teams last met on Dec. 20, 1968 in Logan, Utah, with the Jayhawks winning, 67-61. … USU and Kansas were at the same first round site in 1988 (at Lincoln, Neb.), and the Jayhawks ended up winning the national title that year. … Only three current Aggies have participated in an NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Toraino Johnson and junior forward Chad Evans saw limited time in 2001, while senior center Mike Puzey played in the tournament in 2000 as a Utah Ute.
