John’s Tips Off Against No. 17 Vanderbilt in Maui

The number went up to 46.8 percent by game’s end. Landen Lucas hit a layup to tie the game at 31 a few seconds later, a jump shot by Frank Mason III soon after gave Kansas its first lead of the game and another Graham 3-pointer followed by a free throw by Selden over the next two minutes put the Jayhawks (4-1) ahead to stay.

The Jayhawks came out running in the second half, using a 7-1 run to take their first lead of the game.

“It was a game in which there was no rhythm and I think those are fun games to win because late in the season, our conference play (is like that)”, Self said. It didn’t happen until the second half but when they got it they extended it to as many as 13 points. St. John’s took a 59-42 lead into halftime. The technical knockout was in progress.

“That’s about as well as we can play offensively”, Self said.

Self could afford to nitpick on Tuesday.

No. 6 Duke pulled away from preseason Ivy League favorite Yale in the second half winning by 19 in Durham. “Our basketball team played very, very well”. Playing against really high-level talent with big, athletic bodies was good for our guys. Christian Jones chipped in another 17 points and 11 rebounds along with Amar Alibegovic who added 17 points and four boards. This is, in part, because they have seen plenty of zone here in Maui.

A day that began with the long overdue clearing of Kansas freshman Cheick Diallo by the NCAA, ended with the Jayhawks blistering the nets at Lahaina Civic Center for the third consecutive day en route to knocking off No. 19 Vanderbilt, 70-63, in the title game.

Vanderbilt’s ability to control the game’s pace caused an uncomfortable Kansas start. The Silverswords shot 50.7 percent (34-of-67) from the floor and 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from 3-point territory. In one sequence, Mason assisted on three straight three-pointers. Balamou was the sixth man for St. John’s coming off the bench for 14 points, four assists, and four rebounds.

For much of the night, Wayne Selden was the primary beneficiary of Mason’s brilliant work in the backcourt Selden drilled 4 of 5 from three-point range, finished with 15 points and stream-lined his offense game, limiting his turnovers (one) and wasteful drives to the basket.

“We’re going to share the trophy”, he said. “It’s just going to be a great year”. Mason played the role of pitbull.

Last July’s World University Games in South Korea provided a forum for Selden to bounce back from a scoreless performance against Wichita State in the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament. “Now we’re a team that scores off the bounce a lot more”. In five previous trips to the Maui Invitational, the Jayhawks had left as victors just once, in 1996-97, when Kansas spent most of the season atop the polls before losing to Arizona in the Sweet 16. The Commodores, though, offer their own intrigue. Vanderbilt appears to be a contender to challenge Kentucky in the SEC.

After the two squads combined for just two field goals over the next five minutes, sophomore Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk evened the Jayhawks and Commodores at 22-22 at the 4:03 mark with his ninth three of the tournament and only trey of the day.

Christen Cunningham, Samford: Cunningham shot 8-for-10 from three, scoring 26 points in the Bulldogs’ 75-58 win over Idaho.