More second-round musings:
“The biggest thing about getting the seed we got is we’d be playing in Kansas City,” Kansas’ Landen Lucas said. “We’re all looking forward to playing in Tulsa and seeing our fans out there.”
Kansas and Miami have never met in the NCAA Tournament, but the Jayhawks and Spartans have plenty of history. Along with meeting regularly in the Champions Classic early in the season, they split two previous regional semifinals.
Familiar foes:
Imagine a matchup between Louisville and Michigan State for the right to advance from Indianapolis. Remember, the Cardinal overcame a halftime deficit to beat the Wolverines four years ago in a dramatic national title game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Then there’s the chance Oregon coach Dana Altman gets to face his former team. Before turning the Ducks into a perennial Pac12 contender, Altman did the same during 16 years at Creighton. The Bluejays went to seven NCAA Tournaments and won more than 300 games with him.
Plenty of star power:
Kansas boasts not only Jackson but Frank Mason III, the front-runner for national player of the year. They are joined by Purdue standout Caleb Swanigan, Oregon guard Dillon Brooks, Big 12 Tournament MVP Monte Morris of Iowa State and Louisville sophomore Donovan Mitchell in giving the Midwest Region arguably the best collection of talent in the dance.
There are intriguing clashes of style throughout the region with rough-andtumble teams such as Michigan State and Purdue in line to play fun-and-gun teams such as Kansas and Iowa State. “The NCAA Tournament probably has a lot to do with matchups,” said Danny Hurley, whose No. 11 seed Rhode Island will play Creighton. “I think we’re built to compete.”
The Jayhawks have had a slew of legal problems that have threatened to become a distraction, while the Cardinal are back after serving a postseason ban for their escort scandal. A more heartwarming story line involves the Wolverines, who escaped disaster last week when their plane destined for the Big Ten Tournament skidded off the runway before takeoff. The No. 8 seed went on to win the tournament.
Styles make fights: Beyond the court: