Friday was supposed to be veterans’ night at the Kohl Center. Kansas started senior Jeff Boschee and juniors Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. Illinois started seniors Robert Archibald and Cory Bradford and juniors Frank Williams and Brian Cook.
It was two Jayhawks freshmen, though, who stole the show and broke the Illini’s heart, helping top-seeded Kansas prevail 73-69 in the semifinals of the NCAA Midwest Regional.
When Collison and Hinrich got into foul trouble, freshman point guard Aaron Miles and backup freshman forward Keith Langford carried Kansas (32-3) down the stretch to end Illinois’ season in the Sweet Sixteen.
“We could not have scripted the game to go our way any better,” Illinois coach Bill Self said. “We knew we had to make shots. We had some good looks, but we didn’t shoot the ball well, and I’m sure trying so hard had something to do with it.”
Archibald and Williams closed out their Illinois careers with a team-high 15 points and Cook added 13. But with the Jayhawks ahead 71-69 Cook badly missed a wide open three-pointer with 25 seconds to go that could have put the Illini (26-9) in front. Williams then missed a wide-open baseline jumper with under five seconds left that could have tied the game. And who was shadowing Williams?
Miles.
One key to beating Kansas, Self had said, was slowing down the Jayhawks’ running game. The Illini did that. Another key, he said, was staying with Kansas on the boards. Illinois almost did that too. But it couldn’t stop Miles, who finished with 13 points and five assists or Langford, who came off the bench to get 15 points and share Jayhawks scoring honors with Gooden, who also had 13 rebounds.
“It was a battle all night,” Kansas coach Roy Williams said. “We never felt comfortable. I was uncomfortable with Kirk sitting over with me (four fouls), and I was uncomfortable with Nick sitting over with me (Collison fouled out with 1:15 to go), but then you realize how big Aaron and Langford were tonight.”
Added Collison, who scored all 11 of his points in the second half, and had nine rebounds: “[Miles and Langford] won the game for us. Boschee, Kirk and I didn’t play well, but if we’d had normal freshmen we probably would have lost.”
Illinois’ legacy was on the line Friday, and fifth-year senior guard Bradford wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
Asked Thursday if the showdown with Kansas would define the Illini’s season, he didn’t flinch.
“Yes,” Bradford said emphatically. “Getting here didn’t seem as exciting because we’ve done this before. We’ve also won this game before. But to get back to where we left off last year would be a huge accomplishment.”
What Bradford left unsaid was that anything short of a return trip to the Elite Eight would also forever stamp this year’s team–and the senior class in particular–as a group that was rich with talent but couldn’t make that final leap to greatness.
Kansas, too, had a legacy of underachievement–no Final Four trip since 1993. And with a hard-fought victory the Jayhawks inched closer, moving into Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup with Oregon.
Things got ticklish for Illinois at the 12-minute mark when Archibald was whistled for his fourth foul. With Archibald on the bench, the Jayhawks started going to Collison underneath again and again. With 8 1/2 minutes to go, Kansas enjoyed its biggest lead of the game 61-53, and two minutes later the Jayhawks were still in front by eight at 65-57, thanks to Collison.
Archibald reentered the game with 6 1/2 minutes to go, but the Illini were running out of time. A turnaround jumper by Gooden and a fast-break layup by Langford gave Kansas a 69-59 lead with 5:08 remaining. Guarded tightly by Miles, Williams hadn’t scored in 11 1/2 minutes.
Finally, with 3:31 left, Williams found Sean Harrington open on the wing for a three-pointer that cut the gap to 69-64 with 3:31 to go. A fast-break layup by Williams made it 69-66 Kansas before Collison laid it in for a 71-66 lead. Archibald’s tip-in made it 71-68 with 2:00 left, and when Collison committed his fifth foul at the 1:15 mark, Archibald went to the line and cut it to 71-69 with one free throw.
When Boschee missed a three-point attempt at the other end, Archibald got the rebound and Illinois had the ball with 37.1 seconds left and 30 remaining on the shot clock. Cook missed a wide-open three-pointer with 25 seconds left and Kansas got the ball back. Archibald fouled out with 19.4 to go and sent Boschee to the line for a one-and-one. He missed the front end and Illinois got the ball, but Williams missed his baseline jumper with 4 seconds left. Harrington fouled Langford with 2.8 seconds on the clock and Langford made both for the victory.
