The Kansas Jayhawks entered Sunday's Elite Eight matchup against the Miami Hurricanes looking for their 16th Final Four appearance. It would be the fourth under head coach Bill Self since he took over in 2003. Things were not looking very good at halftime, as the Jayhawks trailed 35-29. Then the second half happened.
Kansas outscored Miami 47-15 in the second half, cruising to a 76-50 victory. In doing so, this Jayhawks squad did something no Kansas team had done since Wilt Chamberlain in 1957, winning by 20 or more points in the Elite Eight.
The last 20+ point win for Kansas in the Elite 8? 1957 — Wilt Chamberlain started at center.
It's also the largest Elite 8 win by any team since 1992. pic.twitter.com/TH4KlWlPj3
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 27, 2022
This is also the largest margin of victory for any team in the Elite Eight since 1992.
Kansas put on a clinic in the second half, on both offense and defense. They were led by Ochai Ogbaji, who scored 18 points in the win. Ogbai also picked up five rebounds, four assists and four steals. But this was a complete team effort.
The Jayhawks got at least nine points from five different players. Kansas held Miami to 34.5 percent shooting from the field, and was even better holding the Hurricanes to just 3-21 from downtown.
Kansas, in their 16th Final Four appearance next week, will play Jay Wright and #2 seed Villanova Wildcats. It will be a matchup of heavyweights. Villanova has reached the Final Four for the third time in the last six years. The previous two occasions, in 2016 and 2018, the Wildcats won the National Championship.
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