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Kansas clash

Published 3/17/2010 in Commentary : Editorial

Hoop hopes high for KU, K-State.

Three times, college basketball fans in Kansas were treated to a clash of two outstanding teams within the state's borders.

And each time, Kansas held off Kansas State in hard-fought games that at times looked like they could go either way.

Now, with both teams earning high seeds in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, they may meet again — and this time in the Final Four.

Kansas grabbed the top overall seed and will go to work Thursday night in the Midwest Region, facing Lehigh in Oklahoma City. Kansas State, a No. 2 seed, will be tested in the West Region, starting off Thursday against North Texas, also in Oklahoma City.

Both teams are expected to advance deep into the tournament, and a number of sports pundits have predicted the two facing off in the Final Four.

If that dream matchup occurs, it would be in an opening-round game. Only one team could advance, so an all-Kansas National Championship game is out of the question — the only negative in that tournament scenario for fans in Kansas.

Of course, there's a lot of basketball to be played between now and April 5, when new national champions cut down the nets. Upsets are a staple of the tourney, so there are no guarantees.

For now, the hope is at least one Kansas team advances to the Final Four. Better yet, Kansans should cheer for both teams to make it and put the Sunflower State in the spotlight for fans across the nation.

After all, those who follow men's college basketball are familiar with the Jayhawks, a team that just two years ago soared to a national championship. The meteoric rise for the Wildcats has been the surprise, with that program stepping up after many years in the shadow of its in-state rival.

When this season started, few fans in Kansas could have predicted it would deliver a trio of hotly contested, entertaining games between Kansas and Kansas State.

Starting Thursday, the two teams could be headed to an amazing fourth face-off on the hardwood — a bit of March madness, Kansas style.

Let the games begin.

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