CHICAGO — The Kansas Jayhawks are headed back to the Final Four for the first time since 2018.
Senior guard Ochai Agbaji scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting (with five rebounds and four assists) while senior forward David McCormack went for 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting (with four boards) as KU, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Regional, rallied from a six-point halftime deficit to upend No. 10 seed Miami 76-50 in an Elite Eight game Sunday at the United Center.
Junior guard Christian Braun contributed 12 points and six boards (with four assists) and soph forward Jalen Wilson 11 rebounds and five points. Remy Martin had nine points and six rebounds and Mitch Lightfoot nine points and three boards for a KU team that will meet Villanova (30-7) in a Final Four semifinal game on Saturday in New Orleans.
Villanova, the No. 2 seed in the South Regional, defeated No. 5 seed Houston, 50-44, Saturday in an Elite Eight game in San Antonio.
This is KU’s fourth Final Four under coach Bill Self and 16th overall.
The Jayhawks won Sunday in Chicago despite hitting just 5 of 14 threes and 13 of 26 free throws. It was a speedy fast break and stifling defense that helped the Jayhawks steamroll Miami 47-15 the final 20 minutes.
KU, which hit 50% percent of its shots to Miami’s 34.5%, improved to 4-5 in Elite Eight games in the 19-year Self era. Self went 0-1 in Elite Eight contests at Tulsa and Illinois, thus now is 4-7 overall in that round.
Kameron McGusty scored 18 for Miami, which finished the season with a 26-11 record. Former KU guard Charlie Moore, who was playing in his hometown, scored five points.
The Jayhawks, who went 0-for-5 from three and 3-of-9 from the free throw line in trailing 35-29 at the half, opened the second half on a 19-5 run to grasp a 47-40 lead at 14:21. Braun had a breakaway dunk and a three-pointer to give the Jayhawks the 43-40 advantage. Agbaji followed with a breakaway layup and McCormack a bucket and free throw as the pro-KU crowd roared its approval.
The lead increased to 12 points, 54-42, at 10:14 on a three by Agbaji. Remy Martin gave KU a 13-point lead after drilling a three from up top with 8:37 left. The lead remained 13 points (59-46) when Braun hit two of three free throw tosses with 8:11 to play.
Miami, which grabbed a 35-29 halftime lead, hit 48.1% of its first-half shots to KU’s 41.9 mark. The Hurricanes were 3-of-8 from three and 6-of-6 from the line.
Former Oklahoma Sooner McGusty scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting in the first half. Wong had eight points, three rebounds and three assists.
McCormack had seven points, while Remy Martin and Ochai Agbaji had six points apiece in the half. Agbaji was 3-of-5 shooting the first half and Martin 3-of-7. Wilson had no points (0-for-2 shooting) and Christian Braun five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the low-scoring half
Former KU guard Moore scored four points with one assist the first half. He sat out the final seven minutes of the half after picking up his second foul.
Villanova is a familiar foe to KU. The Wildcats pounded the Jayhawks, 95-79, in a 2018 Final Four semifinal on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio. The Wildcats went on to win the national title. In 2016, the Wildcats defeated KU, 64-59, in an Elite Eight game on March 26, 2016 in Louisville. Nova went on to claim the NCAA crown that season as well. Back in 2008, KU defeated Nova in the Sweet 16 en route to its own national title.
