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Three Key Takeaways.

Bill Self’s Crew Keeping On (USA Today Images)

1. Kansas had an overwhelming talent advantage. There is always a pretty substantial talent mismatch in games between #1 and #16 seeds, but the talent differential between Kansas and Austin Peay was even greater than usual. The Jayhawks are known for having great depth and Bill Self’s team used that to their advantage all afternoon. Starters Wayne Selden and Devonte’ Graham battled foul trouble for much of the game, but that was no issue as Svi Mykhailiuk turned in a career-best performance, and seldom used freshman Legerald Vick also gave his team some very productive minutes. While Kansas was able to mine its bench for reinforcements, Austin Peay’s troops looked exhausted for much of the afternoon and Governors coach Dave Loos did not have the luxury of quality depth.
2. Svi Mykhailiuk and Jamari Traylor were great off the bench. Great teams often get strong performances from their bench, and Kansas received that and more in the victory today. Sophomore swingman Svi Mykhailiuk turned in a career-best performance that displayed why NBA scouts are so enamored with his long-term potential. The sophomore finished with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting (4-of-5 from three) and looked to be the best player on the court for most of the afternoon. Traylor, a rugged veteran, provided the Jayhawks with some much-needed first half energy that helped get over an early lull. Though he  finished the afternoon scoreless, Traylor finished with nine rebounds (four offensive), two blocks and two steals. If Kansas can continue to get Mykhailiuk and Traylor to perform in spot duty from the bench, the sky is the limit for this talented squad.
3. Austin Peay deserves credit for making it this far. It needs to be stressed that Austin Peay was not even supposed to be in this game. The Governors were the #8 seed in the Ohio Valley Tournament and needed to string together consecutive victories over the #5 seed, #4 seed, #1 seed and #2 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Governors were a hard-playing, gritty unit, headlined by the herculean efforts of senior big man Chris Horton in the post and on the glass. Austin Peay may have been out of its league this afternoon, but it must be remembered what it did to even get here at all.

Player of the Game. Svi Mykhailiuk, Kansas. The talented sophomore was easily the best player on the floor this afternoon. The Ukrainian swingman finished with a team-high (and personal career-best) 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting (4-of-5 from three) and made some awe-inspiring defensive plays to assist with the winning effort. Mykhailiuk’s minutes have been a bit inconsistent this season, but performances like today show he cannot be taken lightly.

Quotable.

• “I think it is clear. Kansas is obviously a really talented basketball team.” – Austin Peay coach Dave Loos, acknowledging that his team was overmatched.
• “I did everything I wanted to do. I am happy with what I did here. I am happy leaving Austin Peay.” – Austin Peay senior Chris Horton, reflecting on his collegiate career.
• “I am a little more relaxed than I have been the past couple years because our team is playing better.” – Kansas coach Bill Self, after giving his team credit for the victory.
• “All the time.” – Kansas forward Jamari Traylor, on whether he has seen Svi Mykhailiuk play like that before.

Sights and Sounds. The Austin Peay faithful came out in droves to support their Cinderella and they were actively involved until the final whistle. One of the things that makes the NCAA Tournament so great is that it provides fan bases like that of Austin Peay the opportunity to support its team on a big stage against one of the country’s top programs.

What’s Next. Kansas advances to the next round where it will face #9 Connecticut on Saturday.

WCarey (318 Posts)

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 17th, 2016 at 5:45 pm by Walker Carey and is filed under 2016 ncaa tournament, rushed reactions. Tagged: 2016 ncaa tournament, austin peay, bill self, chris horton, dave loos, Devonte Graham, Jamari Traylor, kansas, legerald vick, Svi Mykhailiuk, Wayne Selden. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.