David McCormack Was Smiling at Kansas Teammates While Losing by 15 to UNC at Halftime
Apr 5, 2022
Kansas forward David McCormack celebrates after scoring against North Carolina during the second half of a college basketball game in the finals of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Monday, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David McCormack helped keep Kansas loose in the locker room on Monday despite a 15-point halftime deficit in the national title game against North Carolina.
Christian Braun said after the game that the senior was smiling at his teammates despite the Jayhawks trailing 40-25 at the time.
"I was like, 'Why are you smiling, dude? We're down 15,'" Braun said, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN. "He was telling me, 'Keep your head up, keep going, we'll be all right.' I was like, man, I don't know if I've ever been here before. Down 15 in a national championship game. I've definitely never been there."
Kansas responded in the second half, pulling out a 72-69 win for its first national title since 2008. It was the largest comeback in title-game history after North Carolina led by as many as 16 points in the first half.
McCormack was a key part of the Jayhawks' success, getting momentum back on their side with a dunk to open the second half. The center then made the final two baskets of the game to take the lead and expand it.
It seems his upbeat attitude at intermission was justified.
Kansas' Location, Date, Time, Schedule and More for 'Welcome Home Celebration'
Apr 5, 2022
Kansas celebrates with the trophy after their win against North Carolina in a college basketball game at the finals of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Monday, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team is in for a well-deserved greeting from its fans after making a historic comeback to defeat North Carolina 72-69 in the national championship game on Monday.
Kansas announced it's hosting a "welcome home celebration" at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. Gates will open at 3 p.m. local time with the team expected to arrive around 4:15 p.m. after returning from the Final Four in New Orleans.
No announcement has been made about a potential championship parade in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks earned the celebration by making the largest comeback in men's NCAA tournament title game history.
After falling behind by as many 16 in the first half and facing a 15-point halftime deficit, a special second-half performance propelled Kansas to victory. The Jayhawks outscored the Tar Heels 47-29 in the final 20 minutes.
It was a balanced effort for the Jayhawks with five players scoring in double figures. David McCormack and Jalen Wilson led the way with 15 points apiece. Remy Martin had 14 points off the bench. Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun each had 12 points. Braun added a team-high 12 rebounds and McCormack also had 10 boards.
The win helped KU capture its fourth national championship in men's basketball and the Jayhawks' first March Madness title since 2008.
Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer ditrects the team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wake Forest in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Despite the departure of longtime head coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke Blue Devils are the early favorites to win the NCAA men's basketball national championship next season.
Following Kansas' come-from-behind win over North Carolina in the 2022 national title game Monday night, DraftKings Sportsbook posted the following championship odds for next season:
The frontrunners for next year's tournament winner 👀
While Duke paces the field at +900 (bet $100 to win $900), some other college basketball blue bloods aren't too far behind, including this past season's finalists.
UNC is +1100 after Monday's heartbreaking loss, Kansas is +1200 to repeat as national champions and Kentucky is also +1200 after getting upset by 15th-seeded Saint Peter's in the first round of this year's tournament.
In Coach K's swansong, Duke made it all the way to the Final Four in the 2022 tournament before falling to the rival Tar Heels. Now, it will be up to Jon Scheyer to carry on his legacy.
Scheyer played under Krzyzewski for four seasons at Duke and has spent the past eight seasons learning under Coach K as an assistant.
Duke must look no further than its in-state rival in UNC when considering if a team can be a championship contender immediately after replacing a legendary coach.
Roy Williams retired following the 2020-21 season and was replaced by Hubert Davis. All Davis did was take the Tar Heels to the national title game as a No. 8 seed.
The biggest reason for Duke being the 2022-23 national championship favorites likely has far less to do with coaching than it does the influx of talent that is about to join the program.
Per 247Sports, the Blue Devils clearly boast the best 2022 recruiting class with four 5-star commits in the form of Dereck Lively II, Kyle Filipowski, Dariq Whitehead and Mark Mitchell, who rank first, third, fifth and 13th, respectively, in 247Sports' 2022 individual recruiting rankings.
Even with Duke likely to lose its best player from this past season, Paolo Banchero, to the NBA draft, the Blue Devils are still shaping up to have the deepest, most talented team in college basketball next season.
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Kansas' Ochai Agbaji Named 2022 NCAA Men's Tournament's Most Outstanding Player
Apr 5, 2022
Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji handles the ball during a second-round game against Creighton in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, March, 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Kansas Jayhawks senior guard Ochai Agbaji was named the 2022 NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player following his team's 72-69 win over the UNC Tar Heels on Monday at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Agbaji finished Monday's championship game with 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. He made four of nine shots from the floor and one of four from beyond the arc.
A very emotional Ochai Agbaji hugged his family after winning the National Championship. They hugged him and said “You’re a Champion.” Tears man. @youngochpic.twitter.com/OcctnD7772
The 21-year-old had a great NCAA tournament, averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
His best game of the tournament came against Villanova in the Final Four when he put up 21 points, two rebounds, one assist and one block to lift the Jayhawks to the title game. He made six of eight shots from the floor and six of seven from three-point range.
It was a continuation of what had been a career year for Agbaji, who entered Monday's game averaging 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
In addition to winning the Most Outstanding Player award, Agbaji was voted first-team All-American, Associated Press and coaches' Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 tournament MVP.
With the NCAA tournament now officially over, Agbaji is expected to declare for the 2022 NBA draft. Through the first three seasons of his college career, he was projected to be a second-round pick. Now he's likely going to be a solid first-round selection.
While Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero will likely be the top three selections, Agbaji could land somewhere in the middle of the first round.
Kansas players celebrate after a college basketball game against North Carolina in the finals of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Monday, April 4, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Kansas Jayhawks are national champions for the fourth time in school history.
Kansas defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 in a thrilling, back-and-forth 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament championship game in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Monday. David McCormack, Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin led the way for the victors, who were the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and took home the title for the first time since 2008.
They also made history by overcoming a 16-point deficit, which was the largest comeback in national championship game history.
Solid showings from Armando Bacot, R.J. Davis and Brady Manek weren't enough for the Tar Heels, who were the No. 8 seed in the East Region and fell just short of tying the 1985 Villanova Wildcats as the lowest-seeded team to ever win a national championship.
A victory would have given North Carolina its seventh national title in school history, but Caleb Love's potential game-tying three at the buzzer was off.
Notable Player Stats
David McCormack, F, KAN: 15 PTS, 10 REB
Jalen Wilson, F, KAN: 15 PTS, 4 REB
Christian Braun, G, KAN: 12 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST
Remy Martin, G, KAN: 14 PTS, 3 REB, 4-of-6 3PT
Armando Bacot, F, UNC: 15 PTS, 15 REB
R.J. Davis, G, UNC: 15 PTS, 12 REB
Brady Manek, F, UNC: 13 PTS, 13 REB, 4 BLK
Second-Half Magic Propels Kansas to Title
The story of Kansas basketball since its 2008 national championship has been one of what-could-have-been on stages like Monday's. After all, it has a national title game loss, a Final Four loss, three Elite Eight losses and two Sweet 16 losses since it last cut down the nets.
It looked to be more of the same with a litany of mistakes right out of the gates Monday.
Martin was not shy about launching ill-advised shots off the bench, multiple poor entry passes to McCormack on the block erased scoring opportunities and the defense struggled to rebound and work through screens as Manek hit open looks.
The frontcourt was also an issue with Wilson missing several easy looks around the rim and Mitch Lightfoot in immediate foul trouble as he was physically overwhelmed by Bacot. McCormack also picked up a second foul before halftime by hitting Davis on a three-pointer in transition as the theme of costly Jayhawk mistakes continued.
Just when it felt like everything was going wrong for the Big 12 representative, it all started going right.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 5, 2022
Kansas made a point of getting out in transition and attacking early in the shot clock, which led to multiple looks for Christian Braun and Wilson. It also dialed up the defensive intensity to create turnovers and generate those opportunities, and a three-pointer by Martin and an and-one on the break by Wilson gave the Jayhawks a shocking six-point lead with a 31-10 run to start the second half.
Martin's individual turnaround mirrored the team's, as he put his early struggles behind him with multiple triples—including a clutch one over Bacot in the final three minutes—an assist on a Wilson three and an impressive finish at the rim while keeping momentum on his team's side all while Braun and Wilson also continued to play well.
Yet it was McCormack who made the biggest shots of all and completed the comeback with back-to-back baskets in the final stretch to give Kansas the three-point lead that proved to be the championship-winning margin.
North Carolina Blows Dominant First Half
It is a testament to the importance of the Duke and North Carolina rivalry that a national title game almost felt like an undercard for the Tar Heels after their dramatic win on Saturday. However, one lingering concern heading into Monday's contest was depth.
That was especially the case since Bacot suffered an ankle injury Saturday and was clearly less than 100 percent as he labored in the early going against the Jayhawks. To his credit, he not only battled through it but actually thrived as the ACC representative seized control on the way to a 15-point halftime lead.
Bacot went chest-to-chest with McCormack on both ends and crashed the offensive glass as North Carolina consistently created second-chance points. He immediately established himself as a scoring threat on the blocks with 12 points by intermission.
North Carolina outscored Kansas, 18-2, on 2nd-chance points in the first half.
It's only the second time this season that Kansas has allowed 18 2nd-chance points in a game. The first time was against Villanova, two days ago pic.twitter.com/MhlEpWAhsk
It was far from a one-man show, though, as Manek similarly battled through multiple elbows to the head only to find his stroke from deep with three triples in the first half. Throw in Davis contributing on the boards and getting to the free-throw line from the backcourt to go with strong team-wide defense, and the Tar Heels were in full control.
Until they weren't.
The version of North Carolina that blew a 25-point lead in the second round against Baylor made an untimely appearance in the second half, only this time it was unable to rescue itself in overtime. Leaky Black picked up a fourth foul, Love and Davis continued to miss shots and turn the ball over, Bacot went ice cold from the field, and the massive lead was suddenly a six-point deficit 10 minutes into the second half.
The Tar Heels responded with an unlikely candidate, as Puff Johnson hit a three and finished at the rim twice to keep them close. However, he had to exit the game after he was doubled over on the floor, and the offense devolved into Love forcing the issue on a number of possessions.
It felt fitting that Love missed two threes in the final 15 seconds since he was an ugly 5-of-24 from the field, which—along with Bacot exiting after he rolled his ankle attacking the basket—ended any chance of a late comeback for North Carolina after it choked away what seemed to be an insurmountable lead.
2022 National Championship Odds: Kansas Favored to Beat UNC in Men's CBB Title Game
Apr 3, 2022
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates with his teammates after defeating the Villanova Wildcats in the semifinal game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
North Carolina has been an underdog for nearly the entire NCAA tournament, and nothing is changing heading into the national championship game.
The Tar Heels are a four-point underdog to Kansas at DraftKings Sportsbook, marking the fourth time in six tournament games the oddsmakers have pegged them to lose. The No. 8 seed has defeated Baylor, UCLA and rival Duke already in this tournament as underdogs.
Caleb Love scored North Carolina's final six points in an 81-77 nail-biter over Duke on Saturday, marking the second time in a month the Tar Heels have ruined coach Mike Krzyzewski's retirement party. North Carolina went into Durham and defeated Duke during the legendary coach's final home game and ruined any chance he had of going out on top thanks to a 47-point second half.
Love finished with a game-high 28 points, while Armando Bacot had 11 points and 21 rebounds. North Carolina is the fourth No. 8 seed to reach the national title game, joining Villanova in 1985, Butler in 2011 and Kentucky in 2014.
Kansas, the lone No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four, looked every bit like a powerhouse in an 81-65 win over Villanova. David McCormack scored a game-high 25 points, and Ochai Agbaji added 21, leading the way for a Jayhawks team that opened the game with a 10-0 run and never trailed.
"Everybody has that (winning it all) mindset," guard Christian Braun told reporters. "That's why everybody is saying 'One more,' and that's before (going through) the tunnel (to the locker room after the semifinal win). On the court, that's what everybody's saying, 'One more.' So everybody has the same mindset."
Kansas and North Carolina have gone head-to-head six times in NCAA tournament history, with the Jayhawks coming out on top four times. Kansas most recently defeated North Carolina in the second round in 2013.
Ochai Agbaji, Kansas Offense Unleashing Its Peak to Reach 2022 Title Game
David Kenyon
Apr 3, 2022
Kansas' Ochai Agbaji (30) celebrates with Jalen Wilson (10), Remy Martin (11) and K.J. Adams (24) after their win against Villanova in a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Through the first 140 minutes of March Madness, the Kansas Jayhawks' dangerous offense wasn't all that impressive.
After cruising past the No. 16 Texas Southern Tigers, Kansas held off the No. 9 Creighton Bluejays 79-72. The fourth-seeded Providence Friars held a late second-half lead in the Sweet 16 before the Jayhawks recovered to win 66-61, and the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes jumped out to a six-point halftime edge in the Elite Eight.
Kansas had played at a much higher level throughout the season. While not as simple as one scorer underperforming, the Jayhawks' best player wasn't making his regular impact.
All-American guard Ochai Agbaji entered the 2022 men's NCAA tournament averaging 19.7 points. He'd shot 40.5 percent from the perimeter, knocking down 2.8 triples per contest.
Three-and-a-half games into the Big Dance, however, Agbaji had fallen well short of that production. He finished 5-of-14 from the floor opposite both Texas Southern and Creighton, netting 26 points combined. He ended 2-of-8 against Providence with five points. He entered the break with a passive six-point showing as the Jayhawks trailed Miami.
And, most glaringly, he'd totaled only two triples—less than his per-game average in pre-Madness action.
This reality was not reason to slap the "overrated" label on Agbaji or Kansas. Cold streaks happen, even to excellent teams. KU, nonetheless, kept finding ways to win despite the shaky stretch. In particular, the offense-driven Jayhawks were able to lean on their defense and strong rebounding.
For the Big 12 champions to upend Miami and truly remain a title contender, though, they needed the regular-season version of the offense to show up again.
The last 60 minutes have looked familiar.
Not coincidentally, Kansas has excelled.
Agbaji sparked the Jayhawks' second-half dominance of Miami, scoring 12 more points to close the 76-50 win. Then on Saturday to begin the Final Four, he buried 6-of-7 triples en route to dropping a tournament-best 21 points on the Villanova Wildcats.
After outscoring Miami 47-15 in the second half last Sunday, Kansas jumped out to an 19-8 edge on Villanova behind Agbaji's four quick trifectas on Saturday. The Jayhawks led by as many as 19 points and never allowed the Wildcats to close the gap within seven.
And now, Kansas is a victory away from a national title.
This story isn't all about Agbaji, either. Given his below-standard play, the Jayhawks desperately needed their depth to shoulder a heavier share of scoring duties—and it clearly has.
Arizona State transfer Remy Martin picked up the slack for Agbaji early on. Finally healthy, he racked up 58 points in the first three NCAA tourney games and added nine against Miami.
Veteran big David McCormack, maligned at various points throughout the year, scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting opposite Miami. Saturday, he torched Nova for a game-high 25 points with a 10-of-12 mark and grabbed nine rebounds.
Wing players Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson—the main complements to Agbaji—have both notched four 10-point showings during this five-game run to the championship.
For good measure, Dajaun Harris hit three triples against Villanova and dished four assists in each of the last two games. Altogether, the Jayhawks drained 13 of 24 attempts from beyond the arc to topple Villanova in their national semifinal.
Kansas was already tough enough to beat with Agbaji, Braun, Wilson and an occasional surge from McCormack, Harris, Martin or even Mitch Lightfoot.
The last 60 minutes of regulation have included no fewer than five of them producing.
Perhaps the perfectly timed surge doesn't continue Monday night when Kansas takes aim at the program's first national title since 2008. As much as we like to predict the results—and predict we will—these outcomes are random.
However, the Jayhawks are entering the championship brandishing the peak version of their offense. And after an unremarkable start to March Madness, they could hardly ask for a better outlook.
No. 1 Kansas Beats No. 2 Villanova in Final Four to Advance to 2022 NCAA Championship
Apr 3, 2022
Kansas forward David McCormack (33) shoots over Villanova's Jermaine Samuels during the second half of a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Men's Final Four NCAA tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Kansas Jayhawks will play for the 10th national championship in school history after their 81-65victory over the Villanova Wildcats in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Saturday night.
Kansas has been arguably the most dominant team in the tournament thus far. It blew out Miami 76-50 in the Elite Eight to secure the program's 16th appearance in the Final Four. The Jayhawks have now won 10 straight games overall dating back to March 3.
Villanova cruised into the Final Four by winning its first four tournament games by an average of 11 points. Head coach Jay Wright's crew had won nine straight games and 14 of their last 15 overall dating back to Feb. 5.
The Jayhawks stormed out of the gate in the first half. They led by as many as 19 points before Villanova cut the deficit down to 38-29 with 1:24 remaining before halftime.
Kansas made nearly as many three-pointers (seven) in the first half as Villanova had field goals (10). Ochai Agbaji was a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes.
Offensive rebounding was the biggest factor keeping Villanova within shouting distance. It had nine offensive rebounds in the first half, helping to offset a 33.3 percent field-goal percentage.
Collin Gillespie and Caleb Daniels combined for 19 of the Wildcats' 29 points in the opening half.
McCormack's size inside proved to be a crucial difference-maker in the win. His 25 points marked his second-highest point total in a game in four seasons with the Jayhawks.
Kansas shot 53.7 percent from the field, 54.2 percent from three, and had a 35-28 rebounding advantage. Villanova eventually found a rhythm on offense, finishing 13-of-31 from behind the arc, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Jayhawks' onslaught.
Notable Game Stats
David McCormack (KU): 25 points (10-of-12 FG), 9 rebounds
McCormack, Ogbaji Have Jayhawks on Brink of History
It would be hard to find an offense playing better than Kansas' right now. Saturday marked the team's third time in five tournament games shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
McCormack and Agbaji were unstoppable for the Big 12 champs. Since being held to five points against Providence, Agbaji has hit a groove. The senior guard at one point made eight consecutive three-pointers dating back to the Elite Eight win over Miami.
Kansas leads Villanova by 11 at the break behind the nearly flawless play of Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack.
The duo combined for 25 points on 9-10 FG and 4-4 3-PT in the opening half. The rest of their Kansas teammates have 15 points on 6-21 FG and 3-10 3-PT. pic.twitter.com/sB3xf8jSbt
With Agbaji taking care of business behind the arc, McCormack was more than happy to hold his own in the paint. The 6'10" forward had no problem taking advantage of Villanova's undersized frontcourt.
David McCormack has been a beast so far tonight. Scoring in the post, running the floor and finishing. No one utilizes his big men quite like Bill Self, and McCormack has been taking advantage of Dixon or whoever he has on the switch.
Villanova certainly didn't go away quietly in this game. The second half is when the offense came alive, putting the pressure on Kansas to respond.
Two of the biggest plays saw McCormack use his size to halt the Wildcats' momentum. He grabbed an offensive rebound off Dajuan Harris Jr.'s' missed three and got a layup to extend the lead back to 10 at 52-42.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2022
Three minutes later, Jalen Wilson blocked a jumper from Gillespie. McCormack got the ball on the other end of the court and slammed it home to put the Jayhawks up 62-50.
Coming out of a timeout after that possession, McCormack was taken off the floor for a brief rest. Villanova's next two possessions resulted in two offensive rebounds and five points to get within seven at 62-55.
Christian Braun, who ranked second on the Jayhawks in scoring during the regular season, eventually got hot. He made two crucial buckets on back-to-back possessions, including his only three to make it a 71-59 game with 3:58 left to play.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2022
The Jayhawks have scored at least 76 points in four of their five tournament wins thus far. They dropped 81against Villanova on a night when three of their five starters were struggling to get in rhythm.
If the offense continues to play at this level, Kansas will be cutting down the nets on Monday and celebrating the fourth national title in school history.
Cold Start Sends Wildcats Home
Things could not have started worse for the Wildcats on Saturday night. They only had one shot attempt and committed three turnovers on their first four possessions to find themselves in a 10-0 hole.
Midway through the first half, McCormack and Agbaji had matched or exceeded Villanova's point total.
Ochai Agbaji: 12 points David McCormack: 11 points
Wright's team came into the game unable to match the size Kansas had inside, especially with McCormack, so the strategy had to be win with speed and shooting.
It took a long time—too long, ultimately—before Villanova was able to play up to its usual standard. The Wildcats failed to hit the 30-point mark in a half for the third consecutive half dating back to the Elite Eight.
Villanova scored at least 30 points in every half in each of its first three tournament games.
The key adjustment that gave the Wildcats a glimmer of hope was Wright switching to a smaller lineup of perimeter shooters. McCormack lives in the paint on both ends of the court, so the numbers game worked for Villanova.
Jay Wright going small early in the second half has changed the complexion of this one. McCormack checking back in after a quick breather to counter Dixon. Looks tired.
After Kansas opened the second half on an 8-3 run, Villanova rattled off eight consecutive points. Daniels and Brandon Slater made threes on back-to-back possessions to cap off the run.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 2, 2022
The last time Villanova would get within single digits came at the 4:29 mark when Jermaine Samuels' free throw made it a 68-59 score.
Kansas would score the next seven points to put the game out of reach.
Villanova's bench was missing in action Saturday. Bryan Antoine scored the only points for the reserves (three). The Jayhawks bench only had five points, but they did have two players attempt at least one shot.
The story for Villanova all season was the offense. If it was scoring points in bunches, this team was hard to beat. If the defense had to step up, things got dicey.
The Wildcats had an off night with the ball, and it wound up being their undoing.
What's Next?
Kansas will play the winner of North Carolina-Duke in the national championship game on Monday at 9 p.m. ET on TBS.
Kansas Defeats Miami, Advances to Face Villanova in 2022 Men's Final Four
Mar 27, 2022
Kansas' Christian Braun dunks during the second half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
No. 1 Kansas is heading to the Final Four for the 16th time in school history after a 76-50 win over No. 10 Miami.
Ochai Agbaji helped the Jayhawks cut down the nets at the United Center in Chicago after scoring 18 points with four steals in Sunday's Elite Eight game.
Kansas appeared to be in trouble early while trailing 35-29 at halftime. It was a completely different story after intermission as the Jayhawks went on a 19-5 run in the first six minutes.
The Hurricanes never recovered, struggling offensively with just 15 second-half points. Kameron McGusty scored 18, but Miami shot a meager 34.5 percent from the field and 3-of-21 from three-point range.
It led to a blowout as the Jayhawks dominated in the paint.
Kansas will now be the only No. 1 seed in the Final Four after cruising through the Midwest Region, looking to take home the program's first championship since 2008. South Region winner Villanova awaits in the national semifinals in New Orleans.
Christian Braun, G, KAN: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Kameron McGusty, G, MIA: 18 points, 4 rebounds
Isaiah Wong, G, MIA: 15 points, 3 assists
Dominant Second Half Helps Kansas Pull Away
Kansas couldn't get much going offensively in the first half, scoring just 29 points on 31 shots. The squad was 0-of-5 from three-point range and 3-of-9 from the free-throw line.
The biggest concern was the lack of production from All-American Ochai Agbaji:
If Ochai Agbaji isn’t involved/aggressive offensively, Kansas is cooked.
Reggie Miller said it best that Agbaji has earned the right be take certain shots when he isn’t being prioritized.
6 points on 5 shots ain’t it. He’s better than that…
I truly cannot understand why Ochoa Agbaji has been so passive in this NCAA tournament. He’s got one more half to play like an All American or Kansas is going home.
The senior was an efficient 8-of-12 from the floor and came through when needed the most down the stretch.
With a shutdown defense on the other end, Kansas turned an upset bid into a rout.
Kameron McGusty Heroics Not Enough for Miami
As one of the top scorers in this year's March Madness, Kameron McGusty needed another huge effort against Kansas to give his team a chance. The guard nearly pulled it off with a third consecutive impressive effort.
McGusty, who had 14 first-half points, was a major reason Miami took a six-point lead into the locker room.
Kameron McGusty has been exceptional in this tournament for #Miami: He has 12 points so far, giving him the most ever for a Miami player in an NCAA Tournament (71). Also has hit the most contested jump shots in the tournament, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
McGusty averaged 19.7 points per game in the first three rounds of the tournament, including 27 in the Sweet 16 against Iowa State, and he didn't slow down against No. 1 seed Kansas.
The rest of the Hurricanes followed his lead, with Isaiah Wong especially coming through when the game was tight:
It was clear from the start that Miami was not afraid of its opponent.
Things weren't quite as easy in the second half with Kansas turning up its defensive intensity.
McGusty was swarmed nearly every time he touched the ball and finished with only 18 points after his hot start.
The Hurricanes completed an impressive run to the Elite Eight, but they were simply overmatched in this one.
Kansas' Bill Self Calls Elite 8 'The Hardest Game in the Tournament to Not Win'
Mar 26, 2022
Kansas head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against Providence in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament Friday, March 25, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since the 2017-18 season, and head coach Bill Self knows his team's matchup against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes will be a difficult one.
"It's the hardest game in the tournament to not win. You can talk about first round, you can talk about whatever, it's the hardest game. The national championship finals, at least you're playing for it all. But this one, every goal of every team is road to the Final Four. It's not road to the national championship. It's road to the Final Four."
Self, who has been head coach of the Jayhawks since 2003, owns a 3-5 record in the Elite Eight.
The Jayhawks reached the Elite Eight by defeating Texas Southern, Creighton and Providence behind solid performances from Remy Martin, Jalen Wilson and Ochai Agbaji. Martin, in particular, has been impressive over the last two games, scoring 20 points against Creighton and 23 against Providence, which led the Jayhawks.
Miami, meanwhile, has been one of the most impressive and gritty team's in the nation, defeating USC, Auburn and Iowa State en route to the Elite Eight. It has been quite the turnaround for the Hurricanes, who finished 10-17 last season.
Self also addressed the Jayhawks' mindset entering Sunday's game against Miami, telling reporters he hopes his team get rights after it:
"I think, first of all, I don't want them to think 'get through.' I want them to think 'attack it.' 'Get through' is a defensive deal hoping to hang on to something. I want them to play like they're going to take it. So that's the mindset. And this team has had—there's no guarantee that anybody is going to play good the next day. What happens today, even though you want to practice well, doesn't guarantee success tomorrow. But the mindset of having a team that has some swagger about them, that likes the big moments, I think, gives me and them quite a bit of confidence."
Kansas last reached the Final Four in 2018, defeating the Duke Blue Devils. However, they fell to Villanova, the eventual champion, in the next round. Before that, the Jayhawks fell in the Elite Eight in both 2016 and 2017.
Kansas hasn't won the NCAA title since 2008, Self's fifth season as head coach of the Jayhawks. Given the way Miami has played as of late, there's no guarantee Self's squad reaches the next round.
