The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kansas routs Purdue, reaches Elite 8
KANSAS CITY, MO. » Player of the year front-runner Frank Mason III poured in 26 points, Kansas turned on the jets in the second half and the top-seeded Jayhawks soared to a 9866 blowout of No. 4 seed Purdue on March 23 in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
Devonte Graham also had 26 points and Josh Jackson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Jayhawks (31-4), who led by 7 at halftime before their upand-down pace finally wore down the Boilermakers.
Kansas used two big runs, including an 11-0 charge highlighted by Lagerald Vicks’ 360-degree drunk, to coast into a matchup with No. 3 seed Oregon on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four.
The Ducks survived a nail-biter against Michigan earlier in the night.
Caleb Swanigan had 18 points and seven boards for the Boilermakers (27-8), but the 6-foot-9, 250-pound AllAmerica candidate had to work for all of it. The Jayhawks kept collapsing on him in the post, forcing Swanigan to begin taking 3-pointers early in the second half.
It wasn’t much longer before the game was out of reach.
The Jayhawks rolled to easy wins over UC Davis and Michigan State to start the NCAA Tournament, and the cold, calculating way they dispatched Purdue should make them the favorite going forward.
If they weren’t the popular pick already.
The game shaped up as a contrast of styles: the slick, speedy athleticism that carried the Jayhawks to the Big 12 title against the bruising, post-dominated play of the Big Ten champions.
The Boilermakers stunned a sold-out Sprint Center early by hoisting up 3-pointers.
Their underrated guards took advantage of constant double-teams of Swanigan and 7-foot-2 Isaac Haas inside, letting loose a barrage of deep shots. By the time Kansas realized the game had started, coach Matt Painter’s team had raced to a 25-18 lead midway through the first half.