USC entered the NCAA tournament boasting the Pac-12’s most efficient defense.
When Kansas brought an attack to call, Kansas didn’t stand a chance.
USC seed # 6 choked Kansas seed # 3 on both sides of the ground on Monday, delivering the Jayhawks the worst defeat ever in an NCAA tournament, 85-51. His worst previous effort was a 60-42 loss to Indiana in the 1940 national title game.
Pac-12 keeps rolling
The win closes a dominant weekend for Pac-12, which sends four of the five tournament participants to Sweet 16. USC joins UCLA, Oregon and Oregon State on the second weekend of the tournament. Only Colorado, which lost to the State of Florida on Monday, was eliminated.
Kansas didn’t stand a chance
The USC punched Kansas on the way to a 40-21 lead at halftime. He kept his foot on the gas in the second half of a game in which Kansas did not compete. The Trojans were moved by the Mobley brothers, who set up a clinic on both sides of the floor.
Pivot Evan Mobley, designed for the NBA lottery, which won the individual Pac-12 prizes, was a force on the crossbar with 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. He added five assists.
Second-year striker Isaiah Mobley led the goal with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He executed a fire-shooting effort, hitting 4 out of 5 3 points.
The Trojans fired off the field, hitting 57.1% of their goals. They were even better in depth, reaching 11 out of 18 (61.1%) attempts. And his defense was arguably better.
USC foiled Kansas attack
The USC kept Kansas with a 29% shot on the field. Marcus Garrett, with 15 points, was the only Jayhawk to score double digits.
Big-12 striker David McCormack returned to the starting lineup on Monday after scoring 22 points and nine rebounds on the bench on his return from a fight against COVID-19 in Saturday’s victory over eastern Washington . He was a non-factor in 22 minutes with five points and four rebounds.
Jalen Wilson returned to the roster in a limited role, while Tristan Enaruna stayed off the pitch for the same round of COVID-19 that took Kansas out of last week’s Big 12 tournament. But it’s hard to imagine Kansas in full force having a chance on Monday. USC was simply in another league.
The win defines a Pac-12 showdown with Oregon at Sweet 16 next weekend, ensuring that the stellar race of the conference will continue with at least one team in the Elite Eight.
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