Thad Allender/Journal-World PhotoSt. Louis ? Kansas University’s first 100-point game of the 2003-04 men’s basketball season doubles as the Jayhawks’ best game of the entire year.
“I think that’s obvious,” KU guard Keith Langford said, asked if the Jayhawks played their best ball in a 100-74 Sweet 16 victory over UAB on Friday night at Edward Jones Dome.
“I’m glad we’re playing like this now. I’ll take a loss against Richmond for an Elite Eight win any day.”
Indeed, all the criticism the fourth-seeded Jayhawks received back on Jan. 22 after losing at home to Richmond seems silly in retrospect after KU pounded UAB and stormed into the Elite Eight for the third straight year, a first for KU’s storied program.
“We’re happy, but nobody is really celebrating,” Langford said. “We’ve still got to play again on Sunday.”
That would be at 1:40 p.m. against third-seed Georgia Tech, a 72-67 winner over Nevada in the other Sweet 16 game Friday in St. Louis. It could be a costly victory since Tech’s B.J. Elder hurt his ankle early in the game.
“I think everybody would rather play Nevada since they beat us,” KU freshman David Padgett said after collecting seven points and six boards in 24 minutes. “But it really doesn’t matter. Both teams are very talented. I think it might be a game like this. Georgia Tech likes to get up and down. We’ll focus because we want to get to San Antonio (for Final Four).”
KU coach Bill Self said the Jayhawks believed they had a lot of work still to do.
“Our guys are happy they won, but there’s not a great deal of celebrating going on,” Self said. “These guys know what they want.”
“I spent the whole season saying, ‘It’s time to turn it on.’ They said, ‘Don’t worry, coach, we’re OK.’ I said, ‘I don’t see OK.’ We’ve not punched our ticket yet.”
“It’s amazing,” Self said. “Keith needs surgery the day the season is over, and he hasn’t practiced. He tried on Tuesday, reinjured his knee and didn’t practice before the game at all. Wayne (Simien, groin strain) tried to practice yesterday and was half speed. But when the drilling gets flowing, it makes a world of difference. We were fortunate it (KU’s health) wasn’t a factor tonight.”
Anderson shook hands with KU coach Self as he was escorted past the KU bench and out an Edward Jones Dome tunnel by a police officer. Self gave Anderson a pat on the backside as he walked by.
“That was a bad deal. I didn’t see what happened. They said he was trying to call timeout (instead of complaining about a foul),” Self said. “It’s unfortunate what happened. People should remember he’s done a great job with his team, not what happened tonight. Watching him from afar, he’s done as good a job as any coach in America.”
“I thought we’d already hit 100,” Wilkes said. “When the crowd went crazy, I assumed it was for me.”
He took pride in the fact J.R. Giddens said the red team — KU’s reserves — was the key to the victory. The red team had eight players on the court against the five regulars during the week, simulating UAB’s pressure.
“Hey, J.R., I appreciate that, man,” Wilkes bellowed toward Giddens’ locker. “It was a great strategy of coach Self to use eight defenders to simulate the press. I think all week long they did a great job against the press.”
“I came from the inner-city league, and we played a running game,” he said. “You got a lot of dunks, and it kind of felt like I was back in the mix.”
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