Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoSt. Louis ? Paul Gregory is getting used to this.
His Jayhawks lifted the Kansas University junior to within 40 minutes of a third consecutive Final Four by shredding the University of Alabama-Birmingham, 100-74, Friday night in the NCAA regionals at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
It marks the first time in Kansas’ storied basketball history that the Jayhawks have made it to the Elite Eight three years in a row.
“This is awesome,” said Gregory, in town for the game with his father, Lewis Gregory, a member of the steering committee for the $600 million KU First fund-raising campaign. “I’ve been to the Final Four the last two years, and it’s been awesome, but I want to go all four years, man — all four of my years at KU.
“This is the coolest thing, ever.”
Thad Allender/Journal-World PhotoThe Jayhawks earned a spot in Sunday’s regional final against Georgia Tech by dismantling a UAB defense billed as “the fastest 40 minutes in basketball,” an attack modeled after the meddlesome “40 minutes of hell” Arkansas squads of the 1990s that were led by then-Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson, now a UAB mentor.
But Friday it was the Blazers who found themselves in Hades, elevating KU fans to within reach of Nirvana.
“We weren’t expecting to be here, but now we’ve got a legitimate shot at a Final Four and a national championship,” said Dwight Jepson, a 1976 KU graduate who owns Sunflower Motors in Topeka.
Jepson and his wife, Kathy — also a ’76 grad — figure that the Jayhawks’ run remains eerily similar to the 1988 tournament. That’s the one that ended with the Jayhawks’ cutting down the nets at Kemper Arena, winners of the school’s second NCAA basketball title.
Like this year’s team, Kathy Jepson said, the ’88 Jayhawks slipped into the tournament without much fanfare, then raced through a bracket loosened up by the loss of a top seed. Back then it was Purdue; this time it was Kentucky.
Thad Allender/Journal-World Photo“In the end, they had the talent to do it,” she said of Danny and the Miracles. “People didn’t expect them to win. …
“Now, this team has totally evolved. They’ve been through so much, and (Coach Bill) Self is doing a fabulous job. He’s got them playing together. They seem to be so focused on the tournament. It’s great to see.”
Cindy Self also likes the view.
The coach’s wife cheered Friday along with many of the 30,801 spectators in the dome — many of them clad in crimson and blue and looking ahead to Sunday’s shot at the Final Four.
Bill Self, of course, was the first coach ever to take Tulsa to a regional final, a loss in 2000 to North Carolina. And a year later he took Illinois to the brink of the Final Four, losing to Arizona in a regional final.
Cindy Self likes the looks of her husband’s latest squad.
“These players act like they’ve been there, because they have,” she said after Friday’s game. “Some players are a little intimidated when they get this far, but these guys aren’t. …
“I like our chances. They’re starting to gel at the right time.”
She also knows that plenty of KU’s most faithful followers will be pulling for at least one more victory, perhaps another three.
“Kansas fans expect it every year,” she said. “I’m just happy to be here.”
Paul Gregory is, too. The accounting major from Leawood intends to wrap up his spring break in style by watching the Jayhawks cut down the nets at the dome Sunday, then jet to San Antonio for the next chapter in KU’s basketball history.
It would be yet another entry in his own personal record book.
“I think we have the experience to win it all. I really do,” said Gregory, who likens the Final Four to the Super Bowl when it comes to festivities. “Experience is what this tournament is all about.”
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoMADISON, WIS. ? So much for the perception that Illinois has a tougher, more physical, meaner basketball team than Kansas.
“You thought we were tougher than Illinois? You did? Yeah! That was our goal tonight, to be the tougher team and win that game,” KU junior Drew Gooden said.
Gooden then pumping his right fist hard for emphasis after the Jayhawks purged the memory of last year’s NCAA Midwest Regional Sweet 16 loss to Illinois by outlasting the Illini, 73-69, Friday in an intense Sweet 16 rematch at Kohl Center.
The hard-earned, emotional victory KU outrebounded the Illini 41-34 after getting outrebounded by 15 in last year’s 80-64 loss to U of I propels KU into Sunday’s 1:40 p.m. regional final against Pac-10 champ Oregon, a 72-70 winner over Texas.
“The difference had to be our freshmen. How ’bout our freshmen, especially ‘Keith Freeze,”’ Gooden said of Keith Langford, who scored 15 points in 27 minutes and hit two free throws with 2.8 seconds left to boost a two-point lead to an insurmountable 73-69.
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoLangford’s free throws came after Jeff Boschee’s miss of the front end of a one-and-one with 19.4 seconds left and Frank Williams missed a potential game-tying 15-foot jumper with :04 to play.
Langford rebounded the miss, drew the immediate foul and hit the charities.
”Keith Freeze” nicknamed because he has “ice in his veins,” according to Nick Collison stepped to the forefront with fellow freshmen Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien.
Miles had 13 points and seven rebounds; 11 of his points came in the first half when he picked up the slack for foul-plagued Kirk Hinrich. Simien had seven points and six boards.
“They won the game for us,” said Collison, who scored 11 points, all the second half, in 20 foul-plagued minutes.
“Me, Boschee and Kirk we didn’t play well. We got in foul trouble and if we had normal freshmen, guys who hadn’t been in that situation, we probably would have lost,” Collison gushed. “We have freshmen with a lot of heart and a lot of courage who stepped up.”
Miles pestered Illini guard Williams, who missed 12 of 18 shots en route to 15 points with six turnovers against four assists.
“Aaron his matchup was so tough with Frank Williams. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen on TV Frank would try to take over a game. He tried again tonight,” Collison said, “but Aaron was there for us.
“To have three upperclassmen not show up, not play well, whatever you call it, you feel as lucky as you can. We’re still playing because of those guys.”
Langford had so many big plays on offense his driving layin and 17-footer gave KU a 53-47 lead with 13 minutes left and his layin, Collison’s layin and Simien’s bucket and foul shot gave KU a 61-53 advantage at 8:31 saved perhaps his best moment for last.
He iced the first of two free throws at 2.8 seconds, then swished the second, shortly after Gooden gave him a pep talk during a time out called by Illinois’ Bill Self to ice the rookie.
“Drew said, ‘Just think of it like you are in high school,”’ Langford said. “He calmed me down, and I really wanted to step up there and make the shots.”
Gooden admits he played the role of cheerleader.
“I said, ‘If you were at home watching a game on TV and a team was up by two with 2.8 seconds on the clock and the team that had the lead was shooting free throws, you’d think the game was over, right?”’ Gooden said. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘That’s it. Even if you miss, they’ve only got 2.8 seconds. It’ll be tough to tie.’ So I said, ‘At least hit the first one.’
“It was funny watching him hit the free throw and hold his hand up like this,”’ Gooden added, showing a flick of the wrist. “I remember I did that my freshman year against Missouri. I held my hand up like that after making a big free throw.
“Those were big. The veteran missed one and another freshman is there to pick us older guys up.”
KU’s win didn’t come without a major scare. The No. 1 seeded Jayhawks led No. 4 seed Illinois, 69-59, at 5:11.
Yet Robert Archibald hit two free throws and Sean Harrington a three at 3:42 to cut the gap to 69-64. Williams hit a shot at 2:54 to cut the gap to three, a shot answered by a Collison basket off a Miles feed at 2:29, KU upping the lead to 71-66.
Archibald hit a tip-in at 2:01, slicing the gap to three. He also hit one of two free throws at 1:15, reducing the margin to two at 71-69.
KU’s Hinrich and Boschee missed shots at :44, Illinois rebounding and calling time out. Harrington missed a deep three at :21, Gooden rebounding and dishing to Boschee, who was fouled and missed the free throw at :19.4.
On the ensuing possession in which Williams missed his pivotal baseline jumper, Harrington turned down a three and Cook passed on a shot, too.
“It’s like they were tossing it around seeing who would take the big shot,” Gooden said. “Cook was wide open. Frank missed a wide-open look from the corner. Fortunately we got the rebound.”
That rebound went to Langford, who wrapped up the win with his free throws.
“I thought all three guys (freshmen) grew up tonight,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “Keith several times was fatigued and fought it off.”
Especially on his final free throws.
“I told him to make ’em,” Roy Williams said with a grin. “I said, ‘Make these’ and this is the defense (to play).”’
The coach was asked if he felt the last minute was torture as KU tried to hold off the Illini.
“It was torture more because ‘Bosch’ stepped up and missed. He was so ticked off at himself,” Williams said. “But he went back and defended well. I kept telling ’em we’ve got to have one stop.”’
KU had enough stops the Illini hit 38.1 percent of their shots (11 of 18 threes) to KU’s 46.6 percent to move on the Elite Eight for the first time since 1996.
“I wrote ‘Eight’ on the board (in locker room) because that’s what is left eight teams,” Roy Williams said. “Drew said, ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen that,’ and that feels good, too.”
The Jayhawks led, 40-34, at halftime despite Hinrich and Collison combining for three points while playing eight and six minutes respectively because of severe foul problems.
The Jayhawks were able to grab such a lead thanks in large part to their frosh, who combined for 10 straight points right after Collison picked up his third foul with 5:35 left in the half, KU down, 27-26.
Miles he was sensational in scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbing four boards the first half led a strong KU defensive effort which held Illinois to just 11-33 shooting for 33.3 percent the first half.
Miles was the main reason U of I junior Williams missed eight of 12 first-half shots. He did swish two of five threes as Illinois’ six of 15 three-point shooting kept the Illini in the game.
Hinrich, who hit one of two shots the first half, a three to open the scoring, picked up his second foul at 14:30, fouling Williams after Williams stole the ball from Hinrich. His third foul came at 12:02 Williams didn’t yank Hinrich from the lineup after foul No. 2 at 12:02, Hinrich fouling Williams as the Illini guard drove.
At that point, KU led, 12:11.
Collison picked up his second foul at 17:37, attempting to grab a defensive rebound after a Williams miss. His third came at 5:35 as he banged into Damir Krupalija as Collison chased a rare Miles miss.
KU put together an impressive 8-2 run that closed the first half and busted a 32-32 tie. Simien tipped in a Miles miss, then hit a 12-footer off a pass from Gooden.
Next, Gooden iced two free throws and Miles drained an acrobatic 14-footer in the lane as the half expired.
UAB’s ‘hell’ hath no fury
6Sports video: Jayhawks blaze past UAB
Hear Bill: KU-UAB postgame comments
See the photos: KU-UAB photo gallery