SAN ANTONIO — The score looked like something from November, when Kansas warmed up for the Big 12 season against a directional school known better for its agricultural department. Did Kansas lead Washburn by 28 points in the first half? How about Louisiana-Monroe?
Kansas led North Carolina 40-12, a sight that left Tar Heels coach Roy Williams wondering how the top-ranked and top-seeded team in the country could come out so flat in the Final Four.
“(I was) surprised, I think, early because I didn’t think we had the energy level,” Williams said. “I didn’t think we were attacking nearly as much as I wanted us to attack. We weren’t as aggressive.”
The Jayhawks were very aggressive against Tyler Hansbrough, the national player of the year. They dropped a second man quickly when he got the ball, preventing him from doing his trademark spin moves to the basket.
“They came after me with a lot of people,” Hansbrough said. “That’s what every team’s been doing. They did a particularly good job of it. I don’t think I played the best. But they played real good D.”
Still, North Carolina cut the 28-point lead to four. It would’ve been the biggest comeback in Final Four history and, possibly, North Carolina history.
“I even told them at one of the timeouts, ‘We’ve been down five or six several times this year, and that’s what it is right now,’ ” Williams said. ” ‘Don’t worry about what it was in the first half.’ ”
However, they didn’t have enough. The Tar Heels gassed out, and Kansas blew by them the last five minutes of the game.
“I guess it’s a little like that story tale about the little engine that spent so much trying to get up the hill,” Williams said. “It didn’t have anything left when it got to the top.”
John Henderson, The Denver Post
BESTS
Who said Memphis can’t shoot free throws?
Statistics, that’s who. The Tigers were 320th out of 328 Division I schools at .607 but made 20-of-23 Saturday. Combined with the 30-of-36 against Texas in the Elite Eight, they’re 50-of-59 (.847) the last two games.
No “D” in “UCLA.”
UCLA’s defense, the best in the Pac-10, was the foundation for rebuilding the program, but the Bruins forced only nine turnovers.
Lockdown.
Kansas’ third-ranked defense stepped to the forefront. It held North Carolina, seventh nationally in shooting at .491, to .358 (24-of-67), including 5-of-24 from 3-point range. Wayne Ellington was 1-for-9 from behind the arc.
John Henderson, The Denver Post
WORSTS
Tempo favors Tigers.
UCLA needed to get back on defense to control the tempo and couldn’t to start the game. Memphis scored six fast-break baskets in the first 14 minutes and made eight straight shots for a 30-23 lead over the Bruins.
UCLA defenseless.
Russell Westbrook’s Pac-10 defensive player of the year award didn’t mean much. He guarded Chris Douglas-Roberts, right, in the first half and after getting burned repeatedly he switched to point guard Derrick Rose in the second. Douglas-Roberts finished with 28 points. Rose scored 25.
Power outage.
North Carolina, second nationally in scoring at 89.2 points per game, scored only 66, matching the fewest it has scored since a 64-61 win over Virginia Tech two years ago.
John Henderson, The Denver Post
NOTES
Duke’s comeback remains best.
In the 2001 national semifinals, Duke rallied from 22 down to defeat Maryland 95-84. The Blue Devils trailed 39-17 with 6:57 left in the first half. Shane Battier had 25 points for Duke. “It’s a 40-minute game and they beat us for 12 minutes,” said Duke freshman Chris Duhon, who had 10 points and six assists. Duke then beat Arizona 82-72 for its third national title.
Whistle blower.
Denver native
Verne Harris is making the Final Four a regular part of his schedule. Much like the teams, referees earn their way to the elite games. Harris worked the North Carolina-Kansas game Saturday night, the fourth time in five years he has worked in the Final Four. He worked the championship games in 2004 and 2005 and a semifinal game in 2007.
Here today, class Monday.
UCLA freshman Kevin Love brushed off questions on whether he’ll leave school early for the NBA draft. “I haven’t given any thought about if it’s my last college game,” Love said. “Right now, I’m still a UCLA Bruin. I’ll be in class Monday.”
Jayhawks’ key reserve.
Kansas’ 6-foot-10 freshman Cole Aldrich played 17 minutes, matching his season high, and had eight points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
Denver Post staff and wire services
