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Kansas will be an -11 point favorite versus Richmond in this Sweet 16 game.
Jacob Gilyard had an inkling a week ago — well before Richmond had even qualified for the NCAA Tournament — that the Spiders were capable of a first-round upset.
“Probably last Thursday,” the fifth-year guard said, referring to the day Richmond began a four-win run to the Atlantic 10 Tournament title. “We're a fairly confident group and I think last weekend showed that.”
Spiders coach Chris Mooney had a feeling long before then, he said in the wake of the 12th-seeded Spiders' 67-63 first-round win over Big Ten champion Iowa on Thursday.
Jacob Gilyard scored 24 points, Tyler Burton added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Spiders improved their NCAA tourney record against fifth-seeded teams to 4-0.
Ochai Agbaji was the Big 12's player of the year and helped his Jayhawks win the Big 12 Tournament entering this year's tournament.
“I'm just blessed to be in this position, but I give it back to my teammates," said Agbaji, the fifth player in history to win the regular-season player of the year award and the tournament’s top honor. "I couldn't have done it without them.”
Agbaji scored 16 points, including a couple clinching foul shots with just over a minute left, to lift the Jayhawks (27-6) past the plucky Red Raiders (25-9).
They followed that one up with a tournament victory against Texas Southern, 83-56.
Remy Martin had 15 points and Christian Braun 14 to pace five Jayhawks scoring in double figures.
Against ranked opponents, Kansas is just 2-8 on the season.
- Mary Montgomery, Gambling911.com
