Kansas Tops Ohio State in Tense Stretch Run - New York Times

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Kansas Tops Ohio State in Tense Stretch Run - New York Times Apr 1st 2012, 03:41 Pool photo by Chris Steppig Thomas Robinson (0) of Kansas, who scored 19 points, battling Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas. NEW ORLEANS — Kansas won the "other game" Saturday, the second N.C.A.A. tournament national semifinal, a contest most notable on the surface for what it lacked: even one team from the Bluegrass State. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger shooting over Jeff Withey of Kansas. The Jayhawks will face Kentucky in the championship. What the nightcap at the Superdome missed in hype when compared with Kentucky-Louisville, it made up for in tension. Tension that ended only when the clock ran out in the Jayhawks' 64-62 victory. Tension that fueled Kansas and shattered Ohio State. By winning the "other game," Kansas cemented its status as the "other team" against a Kentucky squad so talented and dominant that most of the free world believes it would bludgeon any team but an N.B.A. one in Monday's national championship. Bill Self, the Jayhawks' coach, acknowledged the task ahead immediately afterward. "We've got to play a lot better than that," he said. Kansas did not advance with ease. The Jayhawks scored the game's opening basket only to fall behind before their comeback, before they frazzled the Ohio State star forward Jared Sullinger, before fans lobbed seat cushions onto the floor in celebration. As for whether Sullinger will enter the N.B.A. draft this summer, he said, "I honestly don't know." The final minutes proved as dramatic as any in this tournament. Kansas took its first lead at 56-55 since leading by 2-0. Ahead, 62-59, center Jeff Withey made a jumper that appeared to seal the victory, but he was whistled for traveling. Ohio State guard William Buford then dunked a rebound to close the gap. Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor made two free throws, then stole a wayward pass to put the game away and put the Jayhawks in the title game. So tense were the final moments that Kansas celebrated as if it had won the championship, not simply advanced to it. The championship game, Self noted, will feature the two programs with the most wins in the history of college basketball, although there appears to be a clear gap in talent between their current incarnations. This does not mean, of course, that Kansas (32-6) cannot pull off another upset. Guard Aaron Craft staked Ohio State to an early lead by marking what seemed like every category in the box score, his performance like a buffet in its variety. Craft found out his brother, Brandon, had been deployed to Afghanistan for a second time the day his team clinched its Final Four berth on March 24. All week, Craft politely detailed the sharp contrast in emotions, the way the excitement of the season mixed with his family's apprehension. That seemed to affect Craft as much as the result when the teams met in December, as this game started the opposite of how their previous meeting ended, with Kansas in control and Sullinger in street clothes. Kansas won that game, 78-67, but an asterisk accompanied the victory, as back spasms sidelined Sullinger, who said he was so stiff he could barely move. Sullinger's absence, though, actually aided the Buckeyes' overall development. This was counterintuitive improvement; Ohio State improved with its best player on the bench. The same team Coach Thad Matta kicked out of one February practice won eight of its previous nine games before Saturday. Kansas trailed, 34-25, at the break, and the Superdome was missing much of the electricity and emotion that shot through the building during the earlier, more-anticipated game between in-state rivals. Self spoke sharply, honestly, to his team at halftime. "He basically said, 'You're better than this,' " guard Elijah Johnson said. Sullinger spent more time arguing with officials than announcing his presence inside. As he groaned again, arms widened, palms out, Matta, his face beet red, stared straight at Sullinger and implored him to "Come on!" Sullinger made 5 of 19 shots and remained defiant in defeat. Asked if he was himself Saturday, a smirking Sullinger said, "Who else could I be?" The fourth foul whistled on forward Deshaun Thomas, who shut down Kansas' best player, Thomas Robinson, for much of the first half, doomed the Buckeyes. With Thomas on the bench, Robinson, the Kansas forward Sullinger called the best player in the country earlier in the week, started to come alive. Emboldened, Robinson called for the ball on offense, strode to the free-throw line and flexed his biceps once as he jogged down court. Like Robinson, the game itself changed with Thomas on the sideline. Withey could shadow only Sullinger with help from frequent double teams. Kansas camped out down low, where the Jayhawks outrebounded Ohio State, 41-30. Robinson finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds. "We just didn't have the edge," Matta said. "We knew where they were going in the second half. We just couldn't get it done." Thomas checked back in at 4:09, the tension at far greater heights, the lead down to 2 points. Buford provided a life preserver with Thomas out, his scoring (19 points) keeping Ohio State in front. After one 3-pointer, he inched close to the player who defended him and said "I told you!" twice. Craft stepped to the free-throw line in the final seconds, the Buckeyes behind by 3. He made one free throw and intentionally missed the second, racing forward for the rebound. The referee called a lane violation. "I left the line early apparently," Craft said, his shoulders slumped, his eyes vacant, his face the very picture of what it felt like for a season like this to end. Kansas jumped and shouted in celebration. Kentucky loomed, but not immediately, not when the Jayhawks triumphed in the "other game." Monday would be there soon enough. A version of this article appeared in print on April 1, 2012, on page SP1 of the New York edition with the headline: Invitation to a Final: Bluebloods Only: Kansas Rallies to Edge Ohio State. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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