Jayhawks keep Niagara coach wide awake

By Ryan Wood     Mar 15, 2007

So much for that celebration.

Stretching out on a charter bus heading to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, Niagara University’s basketball players were sleeping like babies as the bus rolled through Indiana.

But not coach Joe Mihalich. Bless his heart, he could barely shut his eyes.

“I was doing great,” Mihalich said, “until I watched the Kansas tape. Goodness gracious.”

Niagara won the play-in game over Florida A&M, 77-69, Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, to move on. Now the official 16 seed in the West region, the Purple Eagles (23-11) will play top-seeded Kansas University (30-4) at 6:10 p.m. Friday at the United Center.

Niagara’s team boarded a bus in Dayton at midday Wednesday and made the four-hour ride through three states. Once the team arrived in Chicago, the plan was to have a light workout, a hearty dinner and a film session Wednesday evening.

“Our kids are kind of wiped out,” Mihalich said. “We’re going to get onto a basketball court and walk through some stuff and get some of the soreness out.”

Mihalich was tickled at his team’s effort against Florida A&M in the play-in game. The Purple Eagles were led by Clif Brown’s 32 points, while three other players hit double figures. Usually a high-scoring team with many weapons, the Purple Eagles’ balance was there except for Brown’s surge. A 6-foot-7 forward, he hit 10 of 18 shots and six three-pointers to become the dominant scorer Tuesday.

“We’ve been a team where, if one or two guys aren’t getting it done, somebody else steps forward,” Mihalich said. “That’s kind of what happened.”

Sounds a lot like the Jayhawks, who in the three Big 12 tournament games in Oklahoma City last weekend had three different high scorers en route to the championship.

After Wednesday’s victory, Mihalich started right away on the scouting report for Kansas. And, as expected, he’s more than a little impressed.

“They’re tremendous,” Mihalich said. “If they have a weakness, we haven’t found it. The only time they’re not fun to watch is when you have to play against them.”

Niagara will hold an open practice at the United Center today from 5:55 to 6:35 p.m., soon after Kansas wraps up its workout.

If Niagara’s season ends against the Jayhawks on Friday as most expect it to, Mihalich still prefers to put his team in elite company. Not many 16 seeds get an NCAA Tournament victory at all, but the Purple Eagles are counting their play-in triumph as just that.

“We’re really happy to get an NCAA Tournament win,” Mihalich said. “I think we’re a little more relaxed. There was a little anxiousness (Tuesday) night.

“But who would have ever thought that Niagara would win an NCAA Tournament game where it was a must-win situation? We HAD to win that game, and that’s what we did.”

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