Wichita native Perry Ellis fueled Kansas’ offense with a team high 21 points.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Not long ago, Kansas coach Bill Self had an official who calls games all over the country pay his team the ultimate compliment while simultaneously offering a somber warning.
Jeffrey Carroll and Joe Burton scored 13 points apiece for No. 9 seed Oklahoma State, which lost its 20th game for the first time since the 1971-72 season. The Wildcats (17-15) were led by forward Dean Wade with a career-high 20 points. “I hope for the senior’s sake, it would be a nice reward for them”.
Tyree Griffin finished with 11 points and Leyton Hammonds had 10 for the Cowboys, who lost in the first round of the tournament for the first time to finish the season with seven consecutive defeats.
The Horned Frogs used that experience to their advantage Wednesday. Kansas swept the season series from Kansas State.
The eighth-seeded Hoyas (15-18), whose first-round game ended about 15 hours earlier, led 47-46 midway through the second half before Arcidiacono and Hart led Villanova on a game-breaking run. From that point on, however, it only got worse for the Wildcats.
It was still 67-59 with just over 2 minutes left when Kansas State forward Stephen Hurt knocked down a baseline jumper. Anthony Allen rattled the rim with a dunk at the other end, but Iwundu went coasting to the rim and was fouled, making the first of two free throws for some breathing room. Wade had 12 points in the half, including hitting both of his attempts from 3-point range. Wesley Iwundu is averaging 11.9 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.
Kansas is the better team in this matchup and should win this game with no problem. They shot 57 percent from the field, had the edge in rebounding, assists and steals, and protected the ball so well Kansas State never made much of a run.
The Jayhawks, potentially playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, certainly looked the part before a heavily pro-Kansas crowd.
(15) ARIZONA 82, COLORADO 78: Allonzo Trier scored 23 points, Ryan Anderson had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 15 Arizona held on to beat Colorado 82-78 in the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas. “We had overtime losses, close losses – we just have to wait and see”, he said.
The second-seeded Utes (25-7) started hitting shots from the opening tip, shooting 61 percent to earn a spot in Friday’s semifinals against No. 24 California or Oregon State.
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One of Kansas’ potential semifinal opponents, the Baylor Bears (+700), is an intriguing possibility.
