Thad Allender/Journal-World PhotoKansas City, Mo ? Kansas University isn’t going to have to face a No. 1 seed after all on the road to the Final Four.
That fact — the alarming news that Kentucky, the top-seeded team in the NCAA Tournament, was ousted by ninth-seeded Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday — didn’t have Jayhawk players jumping for joy after their 78-63 second-round win over Pacific at Kemper Arena.
“Why? You think it’s going to be easy, now?” junior Keith Langford said to reporters. “I wouldn’t say lining up against them is nice, because if Kentucky got knocked off by them, then they could say the same thing about us.”
UAB beat UK, 76-75, thanks to its pressing “40 minutes of Hell” style of play.
“We’ll have to take our time against their press and be patient,” Langford said.
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoKU coach Bill Self, who was thrilled KU polished off Pacific in the second round, was asked about playing UAB.
“I’m drained and basically neutral,” Self said. “To be honest, I thought we matched up pretty well against Kentucky. That’s not to say we’d have beaten them. (The Blazers) have an unconventional style. Nobody in the Big 12 plays like that.”
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Not a lot of pub: Self is happy fourth-seeded KU appears to be “under the radar” nationally this season.
“CBS has not contacted me to do anything. It’s like, ‘There’s Kansas. They’re there, but not the team being talked about.’ It’s OK, it’s kind of nice,” Self said.
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Giddens knows a Blazer: J.R. Giddens, who had 13 points off 5-of-6 shooting, perked up when a reporter told him Kentucky fell to UAB.
“Kentucky lost? That means I get to play against one of my friends, Rich Jones. He went to (Oklahoma City’s) Douglass High,” said Giddens, who went to rival John Marshall High. “He’s a good player. They have a good team.
“Man … I was looking forward to playing against Kentucky. Obviously they (Blazers) have got more heart than Kentucky, so we’ve got to take it to ’em.”
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Wayne’s OK: Power forward Wayne Simien scored 18 points with 12 rebounds in 33 minutes. Not bad for a guy with a strained groin.
“At least I got a full night’s sleep last night,” said Simien, who was up most of the night Friday getting treatment after doing the splits in Friday’s game against Illinois-Chicago. “I told them (doctors) I had to get some rest for this game. I felt fine out there.”
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Pacific didn’t quit: Simien tipped his cap to Pacific, a team that was led by center Guillaume Yango, who had 22 points in 36 minutes.
“We got a double-digit lead (29-18) and got stagnant,” Simien said.
The Tigers had the game tied at 51 when KU exploded on a 26-9 run to put the game away.
“They played us tough,” Simien said. “It’s how we expected the game to be. We got them at the end.”
Of making the Sweet 16 a third straight year, and moving on to St. Louis, he said: “It feels good. We’re expecting to win it all.”
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Max to be back?: Max Falkenstien, who is in his 58th season as a broadcaster for KU sports teams, says he hasn’t decided for sure whether he’ll be back next year.
“I still enjoy the association with the players and coaches,” Falkenstien said Sunday. “I want to talk to some people before I decide what I’m going to do.”
Falkenstien said his health was good and he still enjoyed the work.
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No Vinson, Olson: Walk-ons Stephen Vinson and Brett Olson were in street clothes this weekend, victims of an NCAA Tournament rule that allows for only 17 seats on each bench.
With Self, three assistant coaches, director of basketball operations Ben Miller, trainer Billy Cowgill, manager Danny Manning and all the scholarship players, only one seat remained for KU’s three walk-ons. Freshman Nick Bahe was the lucky recipient. Walk-on Christian Moody has been on scholarship second semester. Vinson and Olson took seats about three rows behind and one section over from KU’s bench.
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Drills scheduled: The Jayhawks will practice from 2:10-3 p.m. Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in preparation for Friday’s game against UAB. The open workout normally normally consists of shooting drills and some dunk drills.
KU stems Pacific tide
6Sports video: Kansas storms into Sweet 16
Hear Bill: KU-Pacific postgame comments
See the photos: KU-Pacific photo gallery