With their 35th win of the season, the Kansas Jayhawks look as convincing as any team remaining in the NCAA Tournament with a 20 point victory over the 12-seed Richmond Spiders, 77-57. The game featured that disparity from the outset as Kansas held the Spiders to 22 points in the first half and led by 19 at the break. In other words, it was never a contest.
As a team, Kansas shot fairly well with a 47% clip behind the arc and Brady Morningstar picked a fine time for his coming out party with his best game this season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 7 boards while shooting 7 for 11. His season high was 19 in an earlier win at Nebraska, but Morningstar was clearly on his game in this one.
The same could be said of KU’s bench, which played a great role in keeping the offense fresh and talented players flowing in and out. Josh Selby and Thomas Robinson both played meaningful minutes, with Robinson grabbing 14 boards to go with his 12 points. The key, however, was the Jayhawks defense, which held Richmond to 15% 3-point shooting on 26 shots.
Kansas’ next game is also a possibility for a blowout considering the possible opponents. The winner of the Florida State vs. Virginia Commonwealth contest will play KU for a chance to make the Final Four, giving Kansas the worst seeded opponent left at this stage. For those who think KU could be looking past them toward the Final Four, the 20-point verdict tonight should serve as enough evidence.