Kansas, Memphis get their chances to shine
Sunday’s a big day for Kansas. Memphis too, but I’m starting with Kansas.
The Jayhawks will never be the bigger, badder bully in an NCAA Tournament regional final. And coach Bill Self will never have a better chance to grab that Final Four berth. (Yes, a Self squad has been favored before in the Elite Eight. But taking Tulsa against North Carolina is a world apart from guiding Kansas against Davidson.)
In their way is the latest – and possibly the greatest – tournament Cinderella, Davidson, a school with the tournament’s best scorer, leading assist man and a devoted fan base. I’m guessing that fan base turns into the entire TV audience Sunday night.
So if Kansas wants to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2003 – an eternity in Lawrence – it’ll need to be exactly what’s it’s been thus far: A stone-cold efficient team that’s taken advantage of an easy path.
Thus far, Kansas has dispatched 16 seed Portland State (85-61), 8 seed UNLV (75-56) and 12 seed Villanova (72-57). Add in 10 seed Davidson and it’s the easiest path to the Final Four for a top seed since Michigan State in 2001 (16, 9, 12, 11).
To be blunt, a team couldn’t ask for more.
The Jayhawks (34-3) have been brutally efficient in those games, too. They’ve had efficiency margins of .382, .308 and .28 to go with their wins. Their defense has gotten better each time (limiting Villanova to .819 PPP) while the offense has been its usual balanced self.
Davidson (29-6) you also know all about by now. Stephen Curry has been other-worldly, scoring 40, 30 and 33 points in the Wildcats’ three tournament wins. Wisconsin – only one of the nation’s elite defensive teams – was intent on stopping Curry, but failed miserably. The offense is deadly from outside, hitting 37.4 percent of its 3-point attempts (it’s up to 39 during the tournament).
And that’ll be the key factor on Sunday. Kansas can struggle against good perimeter scoring teams (read: Davidson). Teams shoot often from 3-point range and make just under 34 percent of those attempts, often a result of attempts from KU’s ball-hawking guards gambling on steals and leaving opponents open for 3s.
The three is the key. Oddly enough, it’ll be the biggest key for Texas against Memphis, too.
It’s the Tigers’ third straight Elite Eight. Yet at 36-1, they’re staring at their best shot at finally breaking through to the final weekend. But if they get Texas’ best shot, they may fall short again.
The Longhorns (31-6) hit 38.2 percent of their 3s, with A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin leading the way. Texas is quick, can shoot and doesn’t turn the ball over often (tops in the nation in turnover percentage).
It’ll be interesting to see what happens going up against a Memphis team that does force turnovers, has the quickness to match Texas’ guards and defends the 3 as well as any team in the country.
