Kansas Basketball: Jayhawks control Clemson to reach the Elite Eight
Kansas basketball used a complete effort for all 40 minutes to take care of Clemson on Friday night. This was the best game by the Jayhawks so far.
Rock. Chalk. In an NCAA Tournament that has featured upset after upset, at least one No. 1 seed will be playing in the Elite Eight. The Kansas Jayhawks met up with Clemson on Friday night and controlled them for practically the entire game. Even though Bill Self‘s team allowed the Tigers to pull within single digits in the closing minutes, their elite play for the first 35 minutes of the game gave them too big of a lead to overcome.
Star player Devonte’ Graham struggled to get going all night long for the Jayhawks but a balanced effort from his supporting cast put them over the top. Udoka Azubuike was arguably the most dominant player on the floor and he finished with 14 points (7-for-9 FG) and 11 rebounds before fouling out. In addition, three other players (including Graham) scored in double figures for Kansas, who shot 43.5% from 3-point range.
On the Clemson side of the ball, they were led by Gabe DeVoe. The senior was the steady contributor all night long for the Tigers. While the rest of the team failed to knock shots home, he supplied 31 points on 10-for-17 shooting. The other top scorers for Clemson, Marcquise Reed and Shelton Mitchell, struggled mightily in the first half but were a driving force in a late comeback attempt by the Tigers.
Even though Duke and Villanova are receiving a lot of hype regarding national championship hopes, there is no reason to take Kansas out of the equation. The Jayhawks are experienced and were impressive away from home throughout the season. They have been tested in the NCAA Tournament by both Seton Hall and Clemson but prevailed in both games.
There were a lot of positives to point out for Kansas against Clemson. First of all, they dominated the first 35 minutes of the game. This was the best stretch of play by the Jayhawks in the tournament. Then, when the Tigers made a comeback in the last five minutes, the Jayhawks did not fold when their lead fell to just five. Kansas felt the pressure but held Clemson at bay to pull away with the victory.
The biggest issue for Kansas is that they run a thin rotation. Only seven players saw the floor against Clemson and that was while the team avoided foul trouble. If anybody picks up early fouls, especially Azubuike, the team can get into a tight contest. We will find out later tonight whether Duke or Syracuse will be Elite Eight matchup for the Jayhawks.
Next: Recapping Thursday's Sweet 16 battles
The balanced scoring that was on display for Kansas against Clemson must have been exactly what Bill Self wanted to see in this game. The team showed that they can compete at an extremely high level even when their star player struggles to see the ball go through the hoop. At this point, Kansas belongs as one of the favorites to win the national championship thanks to their elite guard play and physical interior presence.