MADISON, WIS. ? So much for the perception that Illinois has a tougher, more physical, meaner basketball team than Kansas.

“You thought we were tougher than Illinois? You did? Yeah! That was our goal tonight, to be the tougher team and win that game,” KU junior Drew Gooden said.

Kansas' NICK COLLISON, center, goes for a rebound with Illinois' Damir Krupalija, left, as Keith Langford looks on. Collison picked up his third foul on the play and was banished to the bench in the first half of KU's 73-69 victory on Friday in Madison, Wis.

Gooden then pumping his right fist hard for emphasis after the Jayhawks purged the memory of last year’s NCAA Midwest Regional Sweet 16 loss to Illinois by outlasting the Illini, 73-69, Friday in an intense Sweet 16 rematch at Kohl Center.

The hard-earned, emotional victory KU outrebounded the Illini 41-34 after getting outrebounded by 15 in last year’s 80-64 loss to U of I propels KU into Sunday’s 1:40 p.m. regional final against Pac-10 champ Oregon, a 72-70 winner over Texas.

“The difference had to be our freshmen. How ’bout our freshmen, especially ‘Keith Freeze,”’ Gooden said of Keith Langford, who scored 15 points in 27 minutes and hit two free throws with 2.8 seconds left to boost a two-point lead to an insurmountable 73-69.

Langford’s free throws came after Jeff Boschee’s miss of the front end of a one-and-one with 19.4 seconds left and Frank Williams missed a potential game-tying 15-foot jumper with :04 to play.

Langford rebounded the miss, drew the immediate foul and hit the charities.

”Keith Freeze” nicknamed because he has “ice in his veins,” according to Nick Collison stepped to the forefront with fellow freshmen Aaron Miles and Wayne Simien.

Miles had 13 points and seven rebounds; 11 of his points came in the first half when he picked up the slack for foul-plagued Kirk Hinrich. Simien had seven points and six boards.

“They won the game for us,” said Collison, who scored 11 points, all the second half, in 20 foul-plagued minutes.

KU's JEFF CAREY, left, and Bryant Nash wait for Keith Langford's late free-throw attempt. Langford hit both free throws in the final seconds, helping Kansas to a 73-69 victory over Illinois in the Sweet 16 on Friday in the Kohl Center.

“Me, Boschee and Kirk we didn’t play well. We got in foul trouble and if we had normal freshmen, guys who hadn’t been in that situation, we probably would have lost,” Collison gushed. “We have freshmen with a lot of heart and a lot of courage who stepped up.”

Miles pestered Illini guard Williams, who missed 12 of 18 shots en route to 15 points with six turnovers against four assists.

“Aaron his matchup was so tough with Frank Williams. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen on TV Frank would try to take over a game. He tried again tonight,” Collison said, “but Aaron was there for us.

“To have three upperclassmen not show up, not play well, whatever you call it, you feel as lucky as you can. We’re still playing because of those guys.”

Langford had so many big plays on offense his driving layin and 17-footer gave KU a 53-47 lead with 13 minutes left and his layin, Collison’s layin and Simien’s bucket and foul shot gave KU a 61-53 advantage at 8:31 saved perhaps his best moment for last.

He iced the first of two free throws at 2.8 seconds, then swished the second, shortly after Gooden gave him a pep talk during a time out called by Illinois’ Bill Self to ice the rookie.

“Drew said, ‘Just think of it like you are in high school,”’ Langford said. “He calmed me down, and I really wanted to step up there and make the shots.”

Gooden admits he played the role of cheerleader.

“I said, ‘If you were at home watching a game on TV and a team was up by two with 2.8 seconds on the clock and the team that had the lead was shooting free throws, you’d think the game was over, right?”’ Gooden said. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘That’s it. Even if you miss, they’ve only got 2.8 seconds. It’ll be tough to tie.’ So I said, ‘At least hit the first one.’

“It was funny watching him hit the free throw and hold his hand up like this,”’ Gooden added, showing a flick of the wrist. “I remember I did that my freshman year against Missouri. I held my hand up like that after making a big free throw.

“Those were big. The veteran missed one and another freshman is there to pick us older guys up.”

KU’s win didn’t come without a major scare. The No. 1 seeded Jayhawks led No. 4 seed Illinois, 69-59, at 5:11.

Yet Robert Archibald hit two free throws and Sean Harrington a three at 3:42 to cut the gap to 69-64. Williams hit a shot at 2:54 to cut the gap to three, a shot answered by a Collison basket off a Miles feed at 2:29, KU upping the lead to 71-66.

Archibald hit a tip-in at 2:01, slicing the gap to three. He also hit one of two free throws at 1:15, reducing the margin to two at 71-69.

KU’s Hinrich and Boschee missed shots at :44, Illinois rebounding and calling time out. Harrington missed a deep three at :21, Gooden rebounding and dishing to Boschee, who was fouled and missed the free throw at :19.4.

On the ensuing possession in which Williams missed his pivotal baseline jumper, Harrington turned down a three and Cook passed on a shot, too.

“It’s like they were tossing it around seeing who would take the big shot,” Gooden said. “Cook was wide open. Frank missed a wide-open look from the corner. Fortunately we got the rebound.”

That rebound went to Langford, who wrapped up the win with his free throws.

“I thought all three guys (freshmen) grew up tonight,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “Keith several times was fatigued and fought it off.”

Especially on his final free throws.

“I told him to make ’em,” Roy Williams said with a grin. “I said, ‘Make these’ and this is the defense (to play).”’

The coach was asked if he felt the last minute was torture as KU tried to hold off the Illini.

“It was torture more because ‘Bosch’ stepped up and missed. He was so ticked off at himself,” Williams said. “But he went back and defended well. I kept telling ’em we’ve got to have one stop.”’

KU had enough stops the Illini hit 38.1 percent of their shots (11 of 18 threes) to KU’s 46.6 percent to move on the Elite Eight for the first time since 1996.

“I wrote ‘Eight’ on the board (in locker room) because that’s what is left eight teams,” Roy Williams said. “Drew said, ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen that,’ and that feels good, too.”

The Jayhawks led, 40-34, at halftime despite Hinrich and Collison combining for three points while playing eight and six minutes respectively because of severe foul problems.

The Jayhawks were able to grab such a lead thanks in large part to their frosh, who combined for 10 straight points right after Collison picked up his third foul with 5:35 left in the half, KU down, 27-26.

Miles he was sensational in scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbing four boards the first half led a strong KU defensive effort which held Illinois to just 11-33 shooting for 33.3 percent the first half.

Miles was the main reason U of I junior Williams missed eight of 12 first-half shots. He did swish two of five threes as Illinois’ six of 15 three-point shooting kept the Illini in the game.

Hinrich, who hit one of two shots the first half, a three to open the scoring, picked up his second foul at 14:30, fouling Williams after Williams stole the ball from Hinrich. His third foul came at 12:02 Williams didn’t yank Hinrich from the lineup after foul No. 2 at 12:02, Hinrich fouling Williams as the Illini guard drove.

At that point, KU led, 12:11.

Collison picked up his second foul at 17:37, attempting to grab a defensive rebound after a Williams miss. His third came at 5:35 as he banged into Damir Krupalija as Collison chased a rare Miles miss.

KU put together an impressive 8-2 run that closed the first half and busted a 32-32 tie. Simien tipped in a Miles miss, then hit a 12-footer off a pass from Gooden.

Next, Gooden iced two free throws and Miles drained an acrobatic 14-footer in the lane as the half expired.