SAN JOSE, Calif. -- There was this moment in the West Regional when you definitely thought McDonald's should stick to slinging cholesterol-laden mystery meat to the youth of America.
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| Kansas celebrates its survival of SIU in San Jose. (AP) |
Because, like we said, there was this moment when all those scouting services, AAU teams and prep team honors had hamburgled our basketball senses.
It came with about 16 minutes left in Kansas' Survivor: San Jose win over SIU. On a simple trip up the court, Salukis' point guard Bryan Mullins crossed over Kansas' Mario Chalmers. Pretty much broke his ankles in front of God, country and CBS.
Chalmers is one of four Mickey D's big timers on the KU roster. His gold-plated legs tangling like a drunk stork, he fell to the court quicker than a sack of frozen fries. The largely unknown pride of Downers Grove, Ill. had just given him a little White Men Can't Jump shimmy at halfcourt.
Who is Bryan Mullins? Exactly the point.
It was laughable. It was embarrassing. It was the one shining moment that showed these Jayhawks might win it all.
At that point, the crowd was turning against the Jayhawks. SIU already had clamped down on their necks. Kansas players argued in the locker room at halftime. Floorburn U. was in full effect.
"They were physical, hitting everybody," forward Darnell Jackson said. "They like to get their nose dirty."
But Jackson also added, "I like that."
In the end, the team with all the guts (SIU) didn't have enough. In those final 16 minutes, the lead never moved beyond four points one way or the other. The team that couldn't win even if it did (what's a victory over a mid-major prove?) showed some sack. And it had nothing to do with frozen fries.
"Nobody was great," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "But collectively, we were pretty tough."
Coming into the West semifinal, printers were bidding on the Kansas beefcake calendar. The Boys of Lawrence were the Best-Looking Team in the Tournament after clowning Niagara and Kentucky.
