KU awaits NCAA fate

UT neutralizes Simien, bounces Jayhawks out of Big 12 semis

? College basketball teams finally may have discovered a way to slow Kansas University power forward Wayne Simien.

Mug him.

“They threw a lot of bodies at us down low. It felt like a WWF match down there,” Simien said, comparing Saturday’s 64-60 Big 12 Conference tournament semifinal loss to Texas to a World Wrestling Federation main event.

“It was definitely physical. Nothing came easy.”

Simien, a 6-foot-9, 250-pounder, scored nine points in 30 minutes, his lowest scoring output since a six-pointer Jan. 17 at Texas A&M.

The Longhorns, who improved to 23-6 heading into today’s Big 12 final against Oklahoma State, admit they, at times, resembled matman Stone Cold Steve Austin more than basketball players Saturday.

“Brad (Buckman) and James Thomas were really good ‘tag-teaming’ Wayne Simien and their post players inside. It was really important,” said Texas coach Rick Barnes, not about to let Simien repeat Friday’s 31-point explosion against Missouri.

Thomas banged with Simien much of the game, as did Buckman, Jason Klotz and Brian Boddicker.

Simien hit two of eight shots and hauled down 10 boards.

Kansas University basketball players, from left, Moulaye Niang, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, can't bear to watch the final moments of the Jayhawks' 64-60 loss to Texas. The outcome Saturday in Dallas sent KU home, while UT advanced to today's Big 12 Conference tournament championship game against Oklahoma State.

“They had too many bodies. They did a good job of pushing him and riding him, which is exactly what I’d do if I had that many bodies,” KU coach Bill Self said of the Longhorns, who had 10 players log 13 or more minutes.

KU had seven players log 10 or more minutes.

“We at least went to the free-throw line. I don’t want to say we got a bad whistle. We shot 28 free throws. We didn’t take advantage of fouls called,” Self said.

Simien hit five of six free throws in the final 11 minutes, but his teammates missed six of eight charities in that span.

The Jayhawks looked somewhat tired in bricking 12 of 28 free-throw attempts.

“I felt we played like a mentally tired team today in a lot of areas,” Self said. “We made a lot of mental mistakes. When you go to bed at 2:30 (a.m.) and turn right around and play a game literally 13 hours later, it’s not the easiest thing.

“We’re not a good back-to-back team. Thank goodness there’s a day off between NCAA games,” added Self, who has several players battling injuries, notably Simien (groin), Keith Langford and Jeff Graves (knees) and J.R. Giddens and David Padgett (feet).”

Simien refused to use his lingering groin injury as an excuse for his bad shooting despite the fact Self said Simien would not have practiced had the Jayhawks held a workout instead of a game the day after beating Missouri.

“I felt fine,” said Simien. “It will always be tough on big guys playing the night after, but it’s a tournament game. We were still up for it.”

The Jayhawks say they could have done a better job of feeding Simien the ball.

“They did a good job pushing him off the block,” point guard Aaron Miles said after collecting three assists against one turnover. KU had just seven assists, its lowest mark since totaling six against Stanford way back on Dec. 6. “We’ve got to find ways to get it to him.”

Simien had averaged just under 20 points in his last four games and had scored 20 or more points in eight of his last 10 games.

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as riding a guy too much,” Keith Langford said after scoring 14 points and grabbing eight boards in 35 minutes.

Langford said after the Missouri win the Jayhawks would try to ride KU’s horse all the way to San Antonio, site of the Final Four.

“Wayne can score a lot of points,” Langford said. “Other people are going to do some things, but it would be ridiculous to not feed him the ball the majority of the time. I probably should have phrased that differently, but he’s going to have to be the focal point in the tournament.”

Langford said KU had enough firepower to make up for Simien’s substandard outing.

“I felt we were in pretty good shape. You can’t put it on Wayne,” Langford said. “I take full responsibility for the loss. I can’t say that enough.”

Texas' Jason Klotz (21) blocks a shot by KU's David Padgett, who played just 14 minutes before fouling out.

The Jayhawks (21-8) raced to a 13-2 lead, but trailed 35-33 at halftime because of Texas’ 14 second-chance points to KU’s none.

“They got all the second-chance points. They beat us up,” junior Michael Lee said of UT, which finished with just three second-chance points the second half to KU’s 10.

UT outrebounded KU 25-17 the first half, but actually was outrebounded 42-40 for the game.

The Jayhawks trailed 60-58 with 1:30 left.

Klotz scored with a minute left to up the margin to 62-58.

Graves hit a stickback at :129 to cut the gap to two.

Royal Ivey was fouled on the inbounds and cashed two free throws at :14.1, upping the lead back to four. KU committed a turnover on the next possession, and UT had its spot in the finals against Oklahoma State.

“We had our chances,” Self said, “but just didn’t get it done.”

Today, KU learns its postseason fate. The NCAA selection show will air at 5 p.m. on CBS.