Medlin: Jayhawks Hand Heels a Texas-Sized Defeat

It was rock, chalk and a whole lotta Jayhawk.

And for Carolina fans, it was not a pretty sight.

Kansas hit the Tar Heels with a basketball blitz, leading 40-12 at one point and leaving Carolina bewildered.

“This is the first time this North Carolina team panicked,” said junior Marcus Ginyard. “Kansas threw the biggest challenge at us we have seen and it took too long for us to respond.”

It was the last thing I thought I would see this weekend. If anything, I thought Kansas would be the team coming out tight.

Looks like I was about as wrong as wrong can be.

Kansas had every reason to be distracted. Their alumni base wanted a victory over Roy Williams more than anything, and the pressure to win this game had to be severe. Top that off with Oklahoma State’s interest in hiring coach Bill Self away from KU, and you have all the ingredients for a team to be shell-shocked.

But instead, it was Carolina that fell flat.

“It’s frustrating to come so far,” junior Tyler Hansbrough said. “No team wants to lose like this when they feel they are so close and especially when you think your team is playing so well.”

So what went wrong? Well, Kansas probably had the most talented (and deep) group of frontcourt players Carolina faced all season. Tyler Hansbrough’s great, but he didn’t have a lot of help in this game. Kansas outrebounded the Heels 42-33, and they dominated points in the paint 50-30.

Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson have come a long way this season, but Kansas proved they have a lot more work to do.

And, while the Jayhawks might not have the transition game Carolina does – they can clearly old their own with the Tar Heels’ running game.

So in effect, the Jayhawks managed to neutralize the most dangerous aspects of the Tar heels’ arsenal: Carolina’s post play and transition game.

And the result has Kansas playing for a national championship, and Carolina wondering about next year.