Bigger, stronger, swifter, deeper, more poised. Better in every phase of basketball.
That’s what the Illinois-Chicago Flames could say in an honest appraisal of the Kansas after the Jayhawks ended UIC’s winningest season with a 78-53 beating in Friday night’s first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Flames were game. But it was no contest. A capacity Kemper Arena crowd of 17,667, mostly partisan Jayhawks fans, whooped and hollered at the dunkathon put on by coach Bill Self’s team as it opened its campaign for a third straight trip to the NCAA Final Four.
Self wasn’t there for the Kansas’ Final Four appearances in 2002 and 2003. Roy Williams coached those teams.
Then Williams switched to North Carolina, leaving Self the opening to move from Illinois to Kansas.
But the way Keith Langford, Wayne Simien, J.R. Giddens (game-high 17 points), the other starters and the reserves played together Friday, any number of coaches might be able to take this cast to San Antonio.
Kansas outshot the Flames 61.5 percent to 31.3 percent, outrebounded them 41-26 and had 18 assists on the team’s 24 baskets.
UIC coach Jimmy Collins and his players were not daunted by the way the season ended.
“Kansas is a very good team, but we did not execute our plays,” said Cedrick Banks, who led UIC in scoring with 15 points but hit only 5 of 18 shots. “I’m going right to the gym when we get home. I’m going to be a gym rat all summer to get ready for next year.”
Collins was pleased despite the setback
“I feel good about our 24-8 season and the fact that we got to the NCAA tournament,” he said. “There are a whole bunch of players sitting at home and watching these games on TV.”
Behind 38-23 at the half, UIC twice cut the lead to 10 points, once when Banks hit two three-point baskets early in the second half.
Then Armond Williams was called for a deliberate foul against Langford and that helped produce a five-point swing that keyed a Kansas surge that put the outcome out of doubt.
“That five-point play was a big swing,” Collins said.
“It was a referee’s judgment call,” Williams said. “I do not deliberately foul. I play hard, but I’m the kindest guy on the court. I asked if Langford was all right and helped him up.”
Collins can look ahead to the return next season of all three of his senior leaders: Banks, Williams and playmaker Martell Bailey.
The three players are in their fourth season at UIC, but they didn’t play their first season because they failed to meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements.
If such athletes graduate in four years, NCAA rules allow them to play a fourth season in their fifth year in college. Banks, Bailey and Williams are all on course to graduate this spring.
All three said they intend to return and shoot for a fourth straight 20-victory season, a third trip to the NCAA tournament and a deeper advance into the playoffs.
