Clemson Tigers at Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas brings sanity back to March in 80-76 win over Clemson

The top-seeded Jayhawks brought at least a temporary halt to the insanity of this March, withstanding a ferocious rally by fifth-seeded Clemson on Friday for a too-close-for-comfort, 80-76 victory.

Malik Newman led the Jayhawks (30-7) with 17 points in a one-time runaway that got much closer and, quite frankly, won't mean much to KU fans if their team can't finish the job in the Midwest Region final Sunday. The Jayhawks will play Duke in what will be the nation's only 1 vs. 2 regional final; the Blue Devils beat Syracuse 69-65.

As a top seed the last two seasons, Kansas made it through the regional semifinals, only to flop a game shy of the Final Four both times. In fact, this marks the sixth time Bill Self's team has been seeded first since KU won it all in 2008; the Jayhawks haven't made the Final Four one of those times.

"I think about it all the time. I just told the guys in the locker room...this year, we've got to get over the hump," said senior Devonte' Graham, who had 16 points.

"We just kind of played not to lose down the stretch," Self said.

Clemson trailed 62-42, but climbed to within six with 2:27 left. Graham's offensive rebound after a Svi Mykhailiuk miss at the 1:57 mark allowed the Jayhawks to run almost a minute off the clock.

Kansas didn't score after Graham's rebound, and the Tigers got the next board for a chance to cut it to a one-possession game. But Shelton Mitchell and Gabe DeVoe each missed from beyond the arc. From there, Kansas overcame a dogged Clemson press just long enough to ensure that the Tigers couldn't pull any closer until the tail end.

DeVoe had a career-high 31 for Clemson (25-10), which couldn't replicate the magic it showed in beating Auburn by 31 to reach its first Sweet 16 in 21 years.

"We didn't have our best game. Sometimes that's not easy to keep fighting like that," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.

PIVOTAL MOMENT

Clemson had scored five straight points to cut KU's lead to 35-27 late in the first half when Elijah Thomas, after a review, was called for a flagrant foul. Silvio De Sousa knocked down the free throws, Lagerald Vick buried a 3 and Kansas cruised into halftime ahead 40-27. Vick, Newman and Graham then opened the second half with 3s to extend the lead to 20.

BIG PICTURE

One of the most encouraging signs for Kansas was that it jumped ahead by 13 at halftime despite a 1-for-7 start by Graham, the Big 12 player of the year. Big man Udoka Azubuike looked strong in his first start of the tournament with 14 points and 11 rebounds in a tournament-high 25 minutes.

FOR REAL?

TIGERS CLAW BACK

DOKE LOOKED DOPE

Azubuike finished with his sixth double-double of the season. His presence forced Clemson to give more space to KU's shooters, who went 10 of 22 on 3s.

HE SAID IT

"This is the team everyone would have thought ... would not be in this game. We've got a legitimate shot to go to San Antonio. I think we'll play with no `what ifs.' I think we'll be loose," Self said.

VEGAS KNOWS

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