Self, Jayhawks know Friars are better than lucky

 

By Ken Davis

We’ve learned quite a few things since Kansas arrived in Chicago for its NCAA tournament Sweet 16 matchup with Providence on Friday night.

We know certain Jayhawks are in awe of the NBA championship banners that Michael Jordan hung in the rafters of the United Center. We know that other KU players think LeBron James is the greatest player of all time. That has sparked a debate.

We know that a healthy Remy Martin has turned Kansas into a more dangerous team, one that can change the pace and demonstrate a versatility that was absent when Martin was battling through an injury. That could keep the Jayhawks alive all the way to the Final Four.

We’ve learned that Ochai Agbaji quit playing soccer because he didn’t like the sun. And we know KU’s leading scorer is the only first-team All-American still participating in the Big Dance. The others have headed home in defeat.

And we know that Kansas coach Bill Self enjoys returning to Chicago, a location that became important to him during his tenure as coach at Illinois.

“I loved Chicago,” Self said during his Thursday press conference. “And we had some great games here when I coached here and in the United Center. And the Illini certainly supported us, the fans certainly supported us in an unbelievable way in this building. So I have great memories of the United Center. And we played relatively well here.

“But it was the right move for me to do what we did [taking the KU job in 2003]. I doubted it. Buyer’s remorse for a while, because you never know because the situation we left behind was pretty good, as you all know. But it’s worked out well for us.”

Self will not be following in the footsteps of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, who took off his shirt and danced through a splashy, wet celebration when the Cougars advanced to the Sweet 16.

“I’m happy for Kelvin, that he felt comfortable enough in his own skin to do that,” Self said during his Thursday press conference “But, you know, I have family and friends that I would like to continue to speak to me throughout the remainder of my life. And that I would not do that just so I would lose that relationship due to the embarrassment I would cause them. So that will not happen here.”

And we know that the Jayhawks and Friars have a lot in common heading into Friday’s showdown. These are two of the older, more experienced teams in the tournament. They have enjoyed success through a strong belief in their systems. While there are plenty of similarities, Providence is playing with an attitude.

It started when the Friars were picked to finish seventh in the Big East when the preseason coaches’ poll was released in October. Instead, coach Ed Cooley brought this team together and Providence is now 27-5 after passing Villanova and Connecticut to finish first in the regular season race.

Cooley’s team features balanced scoring, led by center Nate Watson (13.5 ppg), guard Al Durham (13.3 ppg), and guard  Jared Bynum (12.6 ppg, 4.1 apg), who has a flair for the dramatic in late-game situations.

New England has embraced the Friars this season. Home games have been played in front of frenzied sellout crowds. Kansas is a regular Sweet 16 customer under Self. This is Providence’s first Sweet 16 appearance in 25 years. Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL Patriots, loaned one of the team’s jets to Providence for use in traveling to Chicago.

Fans across the region are pulling for Providence to treat the Jayhawks the same way they dealt with the Big East this season. Cooley has been working this vibe all season.

“We had a game against Butler and we were down 19 and one of the more profound moments this year for us, we were out of timeouts with maybe 15 minutes left to play,” Cooley said. “Weren’t playing well. And I took a step back. I didn’t want to be in the huddle. And I wanted to see what our players were made of because it’s really their team. If you play for us, it’s your team. I manage you. I don’t coach you. We coach in practice. We have to manage the game.

“And in that situation, I wasn’t a good manager. So I let the team talk. And I thought that was the biggest turn in this entire year for Providence College.”

The Friars have been described as the luckiest team in the country after winning so many close games this season.  Cooley has used that as a motivational tool. But the bottom line is that the No. 4 seed Friars are extremely talented, with all the tools capable of upsetting the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.

“It amazes me,” Self said. “Ed’s done an unbelievable job, won 25 [games] and wins the Big East [regular season]. They have a chip [on their shoulder] every time they play, which is part of being a good salesman. But teams need to buy into a certain thought or theory or belief. And I’m sure that’s been the thing that’s probably driven them as much as anybody.”

“But they’re not a team, from our perspective or I think anyone else’s perspective now, that gets no respect. They have gotten respect and they’ve earned it all.. . . Luck doesn’t win close games; toughness and skill and execution does. And so they’ve got a lot to be proud of. And I know they’re going into this game believing that if they play well, they can handle us. And we know that we’re going to have to play well to do that to them.”

If the Jayhawks didn’t realize that prior to Thursday night, they should know that after top seeds Gonzaga and Arizona lost their Sweet 16 games. With Baylor dropping out last week, Kansas is the final No. 1 seed remaining in the field.

With No. 10 Miami or No. 11 Iowa State awaiting the winner of this Kansas-Providence game, it might appear that the path to New Orleans is clearing out for the Jayhawks.

But in this upset-filled bracket, nothing is a given. The Jayhawks must guard the 3 against Providence and since the Friars are prone to turnovers that could spark the Kansas transition game, allowing the Jayhawks a chance to pull away.

“They run a lot of really good sets,” guard Christian Braun said of Providence. “And we’ve got to do a really good job focusing, talking and communicating on switches and stuff like that. So it’s really important that we do hold these teams to those low numbers [shooting], especially Providence. They shot the ball really well last game.

“It is a big focus of ours, focus on defense, because we know when we get out and we get stops, we get out in transition, we can run. And that’s when we’re at our best.”

The jayhawks are secure in their situation. On the other side, Providence is out to prove that there is more than luck to this tremendous season.

“We’re excited about our matchup,” Cooley said. “And I think it’s just a great opportunity. I couldn’t be more proud. I couldn’t be more anxious and stressed at the same time to be representing Providence College and the Big East Conference.

“It should be a great matchup. Our players are hungry. Our players are eager. Our players are really, really inspired. And we’re 40 minutes away from another opportunity.”