Time: 03-31-2012 00:03 User: jpatterson PubDate: 03-31-2012 Zone: MT Edition: 1 Page Name: M13 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack

MT FINAL FOUR | courier-journal.com THE COURIER-JOURNAL | SATURDAY,MARCH 31, 2012 | M13

ROBINSON VS.SULLINGER

KU,OSU standouts OHIO STATE(31-7) VS. KANSAS (31-6) at Lawrence, Kan., because of PARTY »Tipoff: About 8:49 p.m. today at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Or- back spasms. will finallyface off leans. The Jayhawks won the game »Favorite: Ohio State by 2½. 78-67 as Robinson had 21 points in tonight’sgame »Series: Kansas leads 6-3. Last meeting: Host Kansas beat Ohio State 78-67 on and seven rebounds. LIKELY Dec. 10,2011. »TV: CBS-32. Radio: WHBE-680. With Sullinger healthy and By Jack Carey having secured the Most Out- Ohio State starters Kansas starters USA Today standing Player honors in the No.-Player Pos. Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts. No.-Player Pos.Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts. TODAY East Regional, Kansas knows 00- F6-9 So. 9.1 17.6 00-T.Robinson F6-10 Jr.11.8 17.7 NEWORLEANS — As far as 1-D. Thomas F6-7 So. 5.4 16.1 5-JeffWithey C7-0 Jr.6.2 9.2 there will be adifferent-looking Ohio State All-American Jared 4- G6-2 So. 3.3 8.8 10-Ty. Taylor G6-3 Sr.2.3 16.7 OSU team on display today. Withey actually Sullinger is concerned, there 32-L. Smith Jr.G6-4 So. 4.6 6.7 15-Eli. Johnson G6-4 Jr.3.1 10.0 “(Sullinger)’sasgood alow- shouldn’tbemuch debate when 44-William Buford G6-6 Sr.4.9 14.4 24-Tr. Releford G6-6 Jr.4.2 8.5 post scorer as there is in the leads Davis, Dieng the discussion turns to college reserves Key reserves country,” said Jayhawks coach basketball’sNational Player of No.-Player Pos. Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts. No.-Player Pos. Ht. Cl. Rb. Pts. . “He brings alot to the in the tournament the Year. 30-Evan Ravenel F6-8 Jr.2.2 3.5 2-C. Teahan G6-6 Sr.2.1 5.7 table. We caught ahuge break Sullinger gives the nod to 12-Sam Thompson F6-7 Fr.1.1 2.1 40-Kevin Young F6-8 Jr.2.9 3.6 when he didn’tplay the first By David Leon Moore Kansas All-American Thomas 23-Amir Williams C6-11 Fr.2.2 1.7 4-Justin Wesley F6-9 So. 1.6 1.2 game. He’saterrific player.” USA Today Robinson, who will lead the Jay- 3-Shannon Scott G6-1 Fr.1.1 1.2 1-Naadir Tharpe G5-11 Fr.0.3 0.9 OSU coach said hawks against the Buckeyes in 2-Jordan Sibert G6-4 So. 1.4 3.0 playing without Sullinger in a — These are tonight’slate national semifinal. THREE-POINT THREATS: Buford THREE-POINT THREATS: Johnson hostile environment such as Al- some of the best college basket- “Great basketball player,” 59-168 (.351), Thomas 49-138 (.355), 65-194 (.335), Taylor 57-148 (.385), len Field House might have ulti- ball players in the country,but to- says Sullinger. “Plays hard, Smith 29-77 (.377), Craft 21-61 (.344). Teahan 50-147 (.340), Releford 24-77 mately enabled the young Buck- night they will be snubbed, de- plays smart. In my eyes, the col- LEADERS: Craft 178, Buford (.312). eyes to get better. nied and rejected. lege Player of the Year.Iknow 103, Smith 76, Scott 60. ASSIST LEADERS: Taylor 174, “ It was unfortunate he didn’t This will occur when they try some think different. But with LEADERS: Craft 95, Sullinger Johnson 134, Robinson 71, Releford get to play in December,” Matta to shoot over , Gor- 42, Smith 34, Buford 32. 67. his season, the way he took his BLOCK LEADERS: Sullinger 36, STEAL LEADERS: Johnson 54, said. “By the same token, that gui Dieng and ,three team to the top, you just have to Williams 23, Thompson 14. Taylor 50, Releford 43, Robinson 41. probably helped us in the long big men who might turn the Final give it to him. BLOCK LEADERS: Withey 129, run that he wasn’tthere. Playing Four into Swat Central. They are “He deserves everything Robinson 34, Young 14, Wesley 14. without him, as much as Ididn’t the top three shot-blockers in this that’scoming his way.(And) he’s Team facts Team facts want to, as much as the rest of NCAA Tournament: Kansas’ agood guy.... He’sagreat guy off COACH: Thad Matta (221-64, eighth COACH: Bill Self(268-52, ninth the guys didn’twant to, it forced Withey (20), Kentucky’sDavis the court. Everybody expects season at Ohio State; 323-95 in 12 sea- season at Kansas; 475-157 in 19 sea- Evan Ravenel, Amir Williams, (18)and Louisville’sDieng (13, this big, strong man with tattoos sons overall). sons). Deshaun (Thomas), everybody tied with North Carolina’sTyler to be like ultra-aggressive off TOURNEY TRAIL: Beat Loyola (Md.) TOURNEY TRAIL: Beat Detroit to try and step up. Youdidn’t Zeller). the court. He’sagood guy.” 78-59, Gonzaga 73-66, Cincinnati 81-66 65-50, Purdue 63-60, North Carolina have 18 points and 10 rebounds Each set asingle-season When Robinson was told Sul- and Syracuse 77-70. State 60-57 and North Carolina 80-67. you could count on.” school record for blocks, and linger’spick, the Jayhawks star Although Sullinger might not they can set atone —orturn a couldn’tdisagree. “Everybody’s son’semergence this year has gotten to know each other go head-to-head with Robinson game around —with awell-timed got their opinion. Iagree with been asurprise to some. But not through their participation at the whole game tonight —KU return to sender. him,” the confident Robinson to Robinson. various camps and skills acade- Jeff Withey could take on As when Davis blocked some said. “Coming into this season, I mies in the offseason. Tonight’s the Buckeyes star in the post — early shots against Kansas on Coming off two seasons in tried to set my expectations matchup is one Sullinger,inpar- two of the nation’spremier big Nov.15inMadison Square Gar- which he started in only three of higher than everyone around ticular,islooking forward to be- men will finally get on the court den and UK went on to win 75-65. 66 games and averaged 5.1 me,” he said. cause he had to sit out the teams’ together,almost four months af- “He was abeast,” Kansas points and 4.5 rebounds, Robin- Sullinger and Robinson have regular-season meeting Dec. 10 ter they hoped to. guard Conner Teahan recalled. “He’sintimidating down there.” So is Dieng. Asked Friday how his team would handle going against Davis in tonight’sfirst game, UofL guard Chris Smith said, “Iwould say Anthony Davis, HAUNTED DOME he should be worried about Gor- gui Dieng.” Withey could be abeast, too, in the other semifinal against Ohio Ghosts of Final Fourspast haunt the Superdome State. He had 10 blocks in the Sweet 16 against North Carolina NEW ORLEANS — Final Four State and two late rejections to practice day,and the teams of help clinch avictory over North 2012 are taking turns on the Su- Carolina in the regional final. perdome court. Fans in Kentucky know all Or are those really ghosts of about Davis and Dieng, but it Final Fours past? Hard to tell. probably comes as asurprise that This place has Withey leads both of them in Mike more of them blocks in the tournament. Lopresti than ushers. That didn’tseem realistic a It’sFriday,and year ago, when he was finishing there’sOhio his second season near the end of State’sDeshaun the Jayhawks’ bench. Thomas, lofting In his first two seasons at Kan- easy jumpers sas, Withey,a7-foot 235-pounder from the left from San Diego who once had wing. committed to UofL,averaged No, it’s1982. just 3.0 points and 6.2 minutes, That’saquiet with atotal of 25 blocked shots. North Carolina Heck, he might end up with 25 freshman, hitting ajumper with blocks in this tournament. 17 seconds left, to push the Tar Withey simply had to wait his Heels past Georgetown 63-62. turn behind other Kansas big The first warning shot of acareer men. When he got his chance this of legend, from anew prince in season ,hewas ready.And when very short pants. The night the Louisville takes the floor at the Superdome in New Orleans to practice Friday. The Superdome already has he blocked four shots in each of nation really says hello to Mi- seen its shareofmemories; what drama awaits this Final Four? MICHAEL CLEVENGER/THE COURIER-JOURNAL the Jayhawks’ first two games — chael Jordan. one of them against Kentucky It’sFriday,and there’sPeyton nical foul, game, set, match. commonwealth. any magic this weekend will be —he was off and running toward Siva passing to Louisville team- “Icost my team the game,” If Kentucky wins, it will be the built with bricks, since shooting aschool-record total of 129. mates. would be Webber’swords expected display of their mani- can be so difficult in the expan- As ayouth, Withey was more No, it’s1982 again, and that’s through tears. fest destiny,proving how much sive vistas of the Superdome. Not into volleyball than basketball. Georgetown’sFred Brown —in It’sFriday,and there are the youth can rise above pressure, that Louisville considers alow He says that helped him with his college basketball’smost famous working on amid astate running ahigh fever. percentage anything more than a timing and his ability to get off fog-of-war misidentification — defense, and Bill Self spending “If you want to buy into the minor inconvenience. The Cardi- the floor quickly. believing he is passing to ateam- jovial minutes with the media. drama, then you buy into it,” John nals have gone 8-0 through the “Shot-blocking requires afair mate and instead throwing No, it’s2003. The defense is Calipari said Friday. “The physi- Big East and NCAA tournaments bit of timing, and that came to me straight to North Carolina’s not by Kansas but against it — ology in your body —ifit’shate, shooting under 42 percent. pretty naturally,” he said. to kill the Hoyas’ Hakim Warrick’sblocked shot at anger,meanness —turns to fear Actually,scoring here has Withey is not aprolific scorer. last chance. the end preserving an 81-78 Syra- within your body.Idon’tthink been aproblem for nearly no- His defense, he says, is his big- And afterward —with mature cuse victory.And Jayhawks any of us are doing that.” body.The four Superdome na- gest contribution to this team. grace Ihave never seen bettered coach Roy Williams is anything If Louisville wins, it will be as tional championship games pro- “Shot-blocking is huge for to this day —answering every but jovial, with aCBS interview- underdogs whose deeds will duced shooting just under 49 me,” he said. “That’show Isee question from every notebook er pressing for answers on his never die in their city,which is a percent. This is where Freddie myself, as arim-protector.” and microphone-toting stranger. interest in the North Carolina job, red island in ablue sea. Though, Banks once hit 10 3-pointers for His teammates have gotten “This,” he would say in the even as his Kansas kids hurt in as Pitino said, to accept being the UNLV, and the Rebels still lost to used to seeing him that way,too. Superdome that night, “is part of the locker room. underdog can be dangerously Indiana 97-93. Even if it took awhile. growing up.” “Idon’tgive a(bleep) about close to accepting being inferior, Now here are four names of It’sFriday,and there’sKen- North Carolina,” Williams would and Kentucky has teams like that stature, and just which player tucky’sAnthony Davis working say on the air. for breakfast. might decide the day is hard to on short jumpers from the left That was the end of the in- “It’sagood pressure because know,since all thrive on balance. baseline. terview,and also the last we you’ve got the goods to deliver,” Ohio State’sThomas is the only No, it’s1987. That’sIndiana’s would see of the Final Four from he said of Kentucky’smight. “But player in the top 30 scoring of , with the Hoosiers the Superdome. as we all know,anything can this year’sNCAA Tournament down to their last bullet, hitting Until now. happen in abasketball game.” who is in uniform at the Final the baseline jumper to beat Syra- Knight won his last champi- If Kansas wins the title, Bill Four. cuse 74-73 —the moment that onship here. won his Self will own the remarkable feat Thomas was born nine years would define him the rest of his first, and his last. of being achampion in his first after Jordan’sgame-winner.But basketball life, even now as he All four championship games two Final Fours. Look at all those he has seen it, and the impact coaches the . here were decided by crucial who did not win in their first — means something at this moment. The end of an inexplicable jour- plays in the final 20 seconds. All , , “It’sgreat being here because ney,for Smart was ajunior col- four produced moments that live Roy Williams, , Tom one of the greats did it,” Thomas lege transfer,and since when did forever in replay heaven. It has Izzo, Knight, Smith. said. “I’ll be glad if Iwould be one win titles with those? been aplace that inspired memo- If Ohio State wins, it will show of those players to make agame- It’sFriday,and there’sKen- ries, or at least was lucky enough the value of perseverance, and winning shot, or I’ll be glad if any tucky’sMarquis Teague racing to be the site where they hap- Jared Sullinger sitting in abeaten of my teammates did. It’severy- upcourt with the basketball. pened. locker room last March, vowing body’sdream.” No, it’s1993. That’sMichigan’s So here we are again. to ignore the green-backed woo- That’swhat makes the best ,losing his focus or Somewhere in Kentucky, ing of the NBA, to return for this ghosts —dreams delivered, or his memory or something, pick- today will live in infamy.Two very chance. sometimes denied. ing up his dribble and calling a lineups must defend the honor Surely,the Superdome can “Ithink this season,” Kansas After two years on the Kansas timeout that the Wolverines don’t and sanity of their schools within add asuitable new ghost from all guard Elijah Johnson said, “is bench, JeffWithey leads the have, with North Carolina ahead their state, though not one of the that. going to end with anice bang.” NCAA Tournament with 20 blocks. 73-71and 11 seconds left. Tech- 10 starters was born ason of the There is apresumption that It’sinthe right place for it. BOB DONNAN/US PRESSWIRE