Jayhawks breeze into title game

NEW ORLEANS -- The Kansas Jayhawks played as though they belonged in the NBA, not the NCAA.

Showing off their superior speed and versatility at both ends of the court, the Jayhawks overwhelmed Marquette 94-61 Saturday night in one of the most lopsided victories in Final Four history.

The rout in the semifinal put the Jayhawks into the title game for the first time since 1991 and the second time in coach Roy Williams' 15 years.

To put the romp in perspective, even Division II Central Missouri State gave Kansas a closer game, losing 97-70 in December.

"It was their night," said Dwyane Wade, Marquette's All-America swingman. "Their transition game was unbelievable."

Kansas will play for the title Monday against either Syracuse or Texas, who played the second semifinal late Saturday.

Kansas' pair of senior stars, guard Kirk Hinrich and forward Nick Collison, had big games on the same night for only the second time in the tournament.

But it was sophomore guard Keith Langford, whose slashing runs through the heart of Marquette's defense set the tone for the Jayhawks. He shot 11-for-14 from the field and scored 23 points.

"Keith, when he gets out and runs, creates some separation from himself and the point guard, really stretches the defense," Collison said. "He's as good a player as there is in the open court."

Kansas' defense, meanwhile, turned Wade, the hero of the Golden Eagles' upset wins over Pittsburgh and Kentucky, into a non-factor.

Wade scored 19 points but never managed to spark Marquette.

"We tried to make everything tough on him -- his catches, his penetration -- and make him take tough shots," Kansas point guard Aaron Miles said.

When they weren't in their transition game, the Jayhawks sliced almost effortlessly through the Golden Eagles' defense for layups and dunks.

With his quick first step, Langford consistently left Marquette's defenders flat-footed, and set an example for his teammates to do the same.

Over one short stretch in the first half, Langford showed just how many ways he could hurt the Golden Eagles.

In just 44 seconds, he grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback, hit a jump shot off an assist from Miles and capped a fast break with a dunk.

"Coach Williams always says 'Attack, attack, attack, and be patient,"' Langford said. "I found some gaps, other guys found some gaps."

Hinrich, Miles and backup Michael Lee were threats from the outside, too.

Hinrich's 18-point night included three 3-pointers, and Miles was 2-for-4 from outside the arc in scoring another 18 points. Lee got into the act, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 13 points.

Every time the Golden Eagles missed a shot, it seemed Collison was there to snag the ball and whip it out to start a fast break. He had 15 rebounds -- 11 on defense -- to go along with his 12 points and team-high five assists.

"I didn't think I rebounded all that well," Collison said, "but we did a good job of getting stops. When we do that, it gives us an opportunity to run."

Kansas' high-pressure defense had a lot to do with Marquette's misses, especially in the first half. The Golden Eagles had to work hard, burning precious shot-clock time, for bad shots.

They shot 26 percent in the first half and 31 percent overall.

"We haven't had a day like this all year," coach Tom Crean said. "We missed so many easy shots around the basket that we could never get that little run going or get the confidence that we needed."