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KU draws top overall seed

Published 3/15/2010 in Sports

LAWRENCE (AP) — Look who's lurking deep in the Midwest bracket where Kansas proudly sits as overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

It's none other than Tennessee and Oklahoma State — the teams who account for the "2" in that glittering 32-2 record that the Jayhawks compiled while dominating a Big 12 Conference that sent seven teams into the 65-team field.

As expected, the Jayhawks were given the distinction of being overall No. 1 and, as hoped, get to play their opening game against Lehigh in Oklahoma City — an easy drive down Interstate 35 from Lawrence. But they weren't thinking that the only teams to beat them would be right there in their same bracket.

"My eyes got big," said sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor. "Maybe we'll get a chance to get these guys back."

Tennessee, seeded No. 6 in the Midwest, beat the Jayhawks 76-68 on Jan. 10, while seventh-seeded Oklahoma State — Kansas coach Bill Self's alma mater — was an 85-77 winner on a cold night in Stillwater on Feb. 27.

But that was the last loss for a deep and talented team led by Sherron Collins, its all-conference senior guard, and Cole Aldrich, the 6-foot-11 junior center who shattered the team record this year for blocked shots.

Self made it clear they were in no mood to look ahead.

"There's also a team that beat us twice in there last year — Michigan State," Self said. "You would think if we had a chance to play any of those teams, it could mean two things. Either the other team will be confident, or it could mean that we would be angry."

It's the ninth time Kansas has been a No. 1 seed and the third time in four seasons they've rolled up 30 wins.

Kansas State, in the meantime, drew the No. 2 seed in the West Regional, the highest seeding ever for the Wildcats and an honor that Self said was "well deserved."

The Wildcats, who finished second to Kansas in the Big 12 tournament and regular season, will also get to play in Oklahoma City on Thursday against No. 15 seed North Texas.

"I didn't really know what to expect, but I'm happy we got a two-seed," said Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen. "We have a chance to make a deep run. I think the players that were here my freshman year understand the venue and everything that's there. But it's a great opportunity. We get a chance to go into the tournament, face some teams that are good."

Self said he would not argue with anyone who claimed the Midwest is the toughest regional.

"I would agree wholeheartedly," he said. "If we're the overall No. 1 and you've got a team out there that's also the No. 2 seed (Ohio State) that several people thought were in the conversation for a No. 1 seed, and then you have in my opinion a team that played unbelievably down the stretch — Georgetown. Your No. 4 seed (Maryland) is your ACC co-champion, and your five-seed (Michigan State) is the Big Ten co-champion, or tri-champion. You can make a case looking at it like that."

Perhaps with the experience of 2008 in mind, when the Jayhawks beat Memphis in overtime for the NCAA title, Self said he will not let his team worry about anybody but Lehigh.

And if the Jayhawks, ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll all but four weeks this season, get by Lehigh, they will be concerned only with the next game, the winner between Northern Iowa and UNLV.

"We can get kind of carried away with the tournament if you look ahead," Self said. "You can't look too far ahead because if you do, you might be preparing for something that doesn't even exist. You've got to stay in the present and the present is this weekend."

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