Big 12 Conference Tournament Semifinals: No. 1 Kansas continued its bid for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament by beating No. 4 Kansas State 67-61 in the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals. Sophomore Mario Chalmers led the Jayhawks with 16 points, helping Kansas keep the Wildcats from sewing up an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas State must now wait about 24 hours to find out its fate. Coach Bob Huggins condemned the talk that his Wildcats might not make the tournament, citing the top three Big 12 teams’ likely inclusion among the No.1-4 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. As the fourth-best Big 12 team, Huggins said, it’s ludicrous to consider the Wildcats outside the field.
Kansas will play No. 3 Texas for the Big 12 championship. If the Jayhawks want to earn a No. 1 seed, they probably must beat Texas. That means containing freshman superstar Kevin Durant, who scored 26 points to lead the Longhorns against No. 7 Oklahoma State. He hit a three-pointer with less than a minute remaining to break a 61-61 tie. Oklahoma State couldn’t catch up despite having a couple of opportunities in the final minute. [3/10/07]
