Bill Self figured prior to Thursday's game that the first team to 60 would
end up advancing to the Elite Eight.
Kansas made it to 60. The Salukis fell short.
The key basket of the game came from the guy that wasn't even supposed to
ever wind up in Lawrence.
Sophomore Brandon Rush was a near-lock to go to the NBA straight out of Mt.
Zion Academy — and then a done deal to leave after his freshman season. But
with a broken-down shot and the family finally heeding some quality advice (his
older brothers were caught taking cash from their AAU coach), he not only went
to college — he decided to stay a while.
Self put in a new play Wednesday because of Southern Illinois' relentless
defense that, at times, forced the ball out of the guards' hands. The Salukis
denied Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers the ball, so Rush used his
athleticism to get to the basket, rose up and scored over Matt Shaw with 27
ticks left on the clock.
The Jayhawks hit the magical 60-mark on that play. In fact, they went over.
Kansas 61, Southern Illinois 58.
Then it was Kansas that locked down defensively on the next possession and
forced the Salukis' best player, guard Jamaal Tatum, to take a difficult
3-pointer with 11 seconds left. Randal Falker got the offensive rebound and was
ready to toss it to the perimeter, but the Jayhawks' defense came up with the
steal — and the win.
The Jayhawks, who had bowed out two consecutive seasons in the first round,
proved they could win while playing a different style.
"We showed we could slow it down with the best of ‘em," Chalmers
said.
This Salukis team was about as physical as its gets. They were all over the
Jayhawks every time they touched the ball. There was no let-up, even after the
Salukis were in foul trouble.
"You can't run plays against them," Self said. "You have to
make plays."
Believe it or not, Kansas shot a sizzling 62 percent from the field. However,
that only got the Jayhawks 61 points.
"That doesn't happen often," Self.
No kidding.
The Jayhawks only had one player reach double-figures: Rush.
The younger brother of Kareem and JaRon made all six of his field-goal
attempts and also had five assists. In a way, it was an off-game because he
wasn't nearly as aggressive as he's been at time throughout his two-year career.
 |
| Brandon Rush wasn't aggressive but he was
efficient, making all six of his field-goal attempts. (Christian
Petersen / Getty Images) |
"This was a big-time win for us," Rush said. "Last year we
would have lost this game."
The knock on Rush, beyond the fact that he was a brick-layer from outside of
a few feet, was that he was lazy — maybe even a bad kid.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," Self said. "He's
been unbelievable ever since he got here."
If Rush had his way, not only would he have been gone straight out of Mount
Zion, but he probably would have bolted after last season's first-round loss to
Bradley.
"It was close. I talked to my grandmother, mother and my brother Kareem,"
Rush said. "If it was up to me, I would have gone."
"I thought he was going to leave," Chalmers said. "But he
didn't like the way we ended. If he wasn't here today, we wouldn't be here right
now."
Southern Illinois scored the first nine points out of the break to go ahead,
33-27, but Kansas answered. This is a Jayhawks team loaded with freshmen and
sophomores, but they have matured since losses to Oral Roberts and DePaul early
in the season.
They didn't give in down the stretch when it appeared as through the Salukis
were close to throwing the knockout punch.
The Jayhawks, who are the best eight-man team in the country, have reeled off
14 consecutive wins. They came into the game averaging just shy of 80 points per
game, but now have the confidence that they can pull out a close game played
primarily in the half-court.
That's good because they are going to need it on Saturday.