Scoreboard mix-up has young Self in a fix

St. Louis ? Tyler Self simply wouldn’t stand for it.

First, scorers slated DeMario Eddins’ first free throw as a 1-0 KU lead. Then they posted J.R. Giddens’ comeback three-pointer as a 3-1 UAB advantage.

“Change the scoreboard!” the 10-year-old said, screaming from the first row of seats across from the scorers’ table. “CHANGE THE SCOREBOARD! CHANGE THE SCOREBOARD!”

It wasn’t until Wayne Simien’s bank shot mistakenly gave UAB a 5-1 lead with 18:41 left that the scorers corrected their mistake, and moved KU over to the left side of the electronic ledger.

Kansas never trailed again. The Jayhawks ended up winning, 100-74, in Friday’s St. Louis regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament at the Edward Jones Dome.

The victory pushed the Jayhawks into Sunday’s regional final against Georgia Tech, with the winner of that game earning a spot in next weekend’s Final Four in San Antonio.

Earlier in Friday’s game, Tyler’s dad, KU coach Bill Self, had remained oblivious to the scoring problem, having his back to the board and all.

But his son was happy to back him up.

Jayhawk fans, from left, Bryan De Leve, his brother Kevin and his mother, Kathie, cheer at a pep rally at Laclede's Landing in St. Louis. Kansas University fans gathered before Friday night's 100-74 victory against UAB.

“Good thing they fixed it,” Tyler said.

Jenna Vogel isn’t old enough to vote, but she’s already campaigning for her favorite KU player.

The 11-year-old’s handmade sign: “Giddens for President.”

“He’s so cool,” said Jenna, a lifelong KU fan from Shawnee and unofficial campaign chairwoman. “He makes the threes. He’s a weapon of mass destruction.”

Kansas University remains on spring break. If you couldn’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament, where would you want to go for spring break?Asked of KU guard Omar Wilkes, who’s enjoying his first trip to the NCAA Tournament as a player in his freshman year of college.”I think if I didn’t go back to Los Angeles, my parents and family would be offended. So I’ll give you the politically correct answer and say I’d go see them. But if not, I’d probably go to Hawaii or Jamaica — be on some island, on a beach.”

J.R. Giddens, KU’s sharpshooting freshman, already has eight votes: Jenna’s great-grandmother, Mary Waters, and grandmother Marylyn Rogers, parents Lance and Jennifer Vogel, sister Taryn and family friends Lance and Jill Tomczyk.

But while Giddens — who scored 18 points against UAB — gets pushed for the Oval Office, junior forward Keith Langford found himself awaiting a royal ascension.

The sign made by 9-year-old Taryn: “Keith is King.”

Mike Anderson had just been ejected from the biggest game of his coaching life, and Tom Stidham wasn’t about to pile on.

Stidham, director of KU’s basketball pep band, told his 29-student ensemble not to play the familiar “Wheaties” song to celebrate Anderson’s banishment from the UAB bench late in Friday night’s game.

The Blazers’ head coach already had enough to worry about. His argument with game officials had earned him a second technical foul for the game, only this time it came with 5:24 left and his Blazers down 90-66.

“I just decided not to play it,” Stidham said. “It’s just out of respect for the coach.”

His band members proved to be less sympathetic. The crimson-and-blue students waved the wheat and called out the music and lyrics to the cereal jingle that’s bid farewell to opposing players who’ve fouled out of games since 1971.

“He didn’t really foul out,” Stidham acknowledged, as a security guard ushered Anderson past the KU bench and into a tunnel away from the action. “But he did foul out.”

Stidham’s band temporarily had ceased playing the jingle earlier this season, under orders from KU athletic officials who worried that the music violated an NCAA rule against playing during games.

But band members resumed playing the song in February and are carrying the tradition deep into March.