Rush to victory

SAN ANTONIO – Roy Williams taught Kansas all about how to handle cruel, crushing disappointments.

This time, the Jayhawks got their chance to make Williams feel the pain.

Kansas left its old coach in the dust Saturday night, getting 25 points and seven rebounds from Brandon Rush to stave off a ferocious comeback by North Carolina for an 84-66 victory in the national semifinals.

Trailing 40-12 late in the first half, Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and the Tar Heels made a valiant rally, getting to within five points with 9 minutes left.

But they ran out of steam in their effort to pull off the biggest Final Four comeback.

“We sort of came out a little more casual than we would’ve liked and they hit us right between the eyes,” Williams said.

Now, the Jayhawks will play Memphis in Monday’s title game.

Kansas moved within a win of its first national championship since 1988, the year before Williams began his storied 15-year tenure in Lawrence – one that ended when he jilted Kansas for his alma mater.

“I hope it’s set aside and goes away forever,” Williams said of the animosity that has lingered since he left in 2003.

Hansbrough had 17 points and nine rebounds for North Carolina (36-3), but his next move will be to decide whether to return for his senior season.

Kansas has more pressing things to deal with – stopping fast-breaking Memphis and freshman Derrick Rose.

“We know we’ve got another step to take Monday night,” Sherron Collins said. “It’s going to be a great matchup. They play fast, we play fast.”

Collins had two assists, a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws during the decisive stretch that saw the Jayhawks (36-3) pad that five-point lead back to 15 and send the Tar Heels into true desperation mode.

“We’ve had a good year, but I don’t think anybody’s goal here was to be one of the top four teams in the country,” Hansbrough said. “It’s to be the top team. I’m frustrated with that.”

Williams got outcoached in this one, especially at the beginning, finding no solution for Kansas’ strategy of dumping the ball inside to Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson and Cole Aldrich. The Jayhawks also smothered Hansbrough.

“To start the game, I felt, instead of having 10 hands out there it felt like we had 14 or 16,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Guys were making a move, a reverse pivot, and there were two hands there waiting for them.”

The final stats painted a picture of Kansas domination. The Jayhawks shot 53 percent from the floor and held the nation’s second-leading offense to 35 percent. They had nine more rebounds, 10 more assists and six more blocks.

Kansas 84, N.Carolina 66

Kansas (36-3)—Arthur 3-9 0-0 6, Jackson 5-6 2-2 12, Robinson 2-5 2-2 7, Chalmers 5-10 0-2 11, Rush 11-17 1-2 25, Teahan 0-0 0-0 0, Collins 4-9 2-2 11, Case 0-0 0-0 0, Reed 0-0 0-0 0, Kaun 2-4 0-0 4, Aldrich 2-4 4-4 8, Kleinmann 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-64 11-14 84.

North Carolina (36-3)—Thompson 2-4 3-4 7, Hansbrough 6-13 5-6 17, Ginyard 0-3 0-0 0, Lawson 2-8 4-4 9, Ellington 8-21 1-1 18, Campbell 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-2 0-0 0, Graves 0-2 0-0 0, Green 6-13 0-0 15, Tanner 0-0 0-0 0, Wood 0-0 0-0 0, Wooten 0-0 0-0 0, Stepheson 0-1 0-0 0, Copeland 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-67 13-15 66.

Halftime—Kansas 44, North Carolina 27. 3-Point Goals—Kansas 5-15 (Rush 2-7, Collins 1-1, Chalmers 1-3, Robinson 1-4), North Carolina 5-24 (Green 3-9, Lawson 1-2, Ellington 1-9, Hansbrough 0-1, Graves 0-1, Ginyard 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Kansas 42 (Arthur 9), North Carolina 33 (Hansbrough 9). Assists—Kansas 17 (Collins, Robinson 4), North Carolina 7 (Ginyard, Lawson, Thomas 2). Total Fouls—Kansas 21, North Carolina 14. A—43,718.