KU basketball crushed by Gonzaga as NCAA Tournament run ends. Here’s what went wrong
On Friday, Gonzaga guard Dusty Stromer told The Star he believed the upcoming Round of 32 matchup between his team and Kansas would be an all-time game. He believed fans would rewatch it for years to come. It was set up to be a classic.
For one high-octane, frenetic, fast-paced half ... it was.
Only Gonzaga fans, however, will have an interest in rewatching the final 20 minutes.
A one-point game at half turned into an absolute drubbing. Kansas seemed to hit a wall with fatigue and tired legs. At one point, KU point guard Dajuan Harris got blocked by the rim … on a wide-open layup.
The Zags went on an 18-2 run to take complete control of the game in the second half.
The final score: Gonzaga 89, Kansas 68.
Gonzaga perfectly illustrated — and attacked — the flaws of a KU team that never consistently hit its groove. The Jayhawks did not win more than two consecutive games after the calendar flipped to 2024.
And thus the No. 4-seeded Jayhawks (23-11) were upset, falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year after meeting the same fate at the hands of Arkansas, 72-71.
Now comes an offseason with plenty of Jayhawk decisions on the way. Kansas will lose Kevin McCullar, who was out for the postseason due to a knee injury. Parker Braun and Nick Timberlake have exhausted their eligibility.
Jayhawks with a decision to make include Hunter Dickinson, who has one more year to play and scored 15 points on Saturday. Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams, both of whom have remaining eligibility, scored 10 points apiece.
No. 5-seeded Gonzaga (27-7) advances to face either No. 1 Purdue or No. 8 Utah State in the Sweet 16.
This story will be updated.
