Last year’s Elite Eight loss motivates Devonte Graham to reach Final Four

Devonté Graham thought he made a hustle play that would help Kansas reach the Final Four. Instead, he committed a foul that sent him to the bench and ended the Jayhawks’ season in the Elite Eight.

That’s how thin the line can be between victory and defeat in the NCAA Tournament.

Graham learned that lesson the hard way during last season’s 64-59 loss to eventual national champion Villanova in the regional final. He dove for a loose ball with 34 seconds remaining and emerged from a scrum with possession, but officials whistled him for a foul, his fifth, saying he undercut Villanova’s Josh Hart a split second before securing the ball. The sting associated with that foul and that loss lingered for months.

“It was real hard dealing with that, that I fouled out at such a vital moment in the game,” Graham said Friday. “It was tough to get over it, but it was a whole 365 days ago.”

The passing of time should help the junior guard focus in his pursuit of a trip to the Final Four on Saturday against No. 3 seed Oregon.

This is his opportunity for redemption, and a victory he has been dreaming of his entire life.

“It’s just a motivating factor,” Graham said. “When you feel like something is so close and then it slips away it motivates you to work harder and to try to get back to that point and overcome it.”

If Graham continues to play the way he did against Purdue in the Sweet 16, odds are good he will help the Jayhawks clear their next hurdle. Graham was a marksman against the Boilermakers, draining five three-pointers on his way to 26 points in a 98-66 blowout.

Bill Self thinks it will be simple for the Jayhawks to keep that positive momentum going, but there is some outside doubt. Kansas hasn’t reached the Final Four since 2012, and Self is 2-6 in the Elite Eight.

The last time Kansas made it this far a year after losing in the regional finals, it broke through for a national championship in 2008.

“We have been here before,” KU guard Svi Mykhailiuk said. “We were here last year. We lost, but I think that made us hungry. We want to win this year. We were kind of frustrated, because we fell a little short last year. We are better prepared this time.”

Graham has felt in a better place all season. Not only has he raised his level or play, he has only fouled out once since that Villanova loss. And that happened in the season-opener against Indiana, a game that lasted two overtimes.

Since then, he hasn’t committed more than three fouls in a game. He’s never in foul trouble. That’s all part of his Final Four push.

“I wanted to come into the season even more aggressive, looking to score more, being a more vocal leader,” Graham said. “Me and Frank (Mason) have always talked to each other about getting back to this game right here and getting over that hump.”

After last season, he won’t lack for motivation. He knows what is at stake.

“It would be a dream come true,” Graham said. “Growing up, you always watch the NCAA Tournament and see guys going to the Final Four. I know all the fans ini Jayhawk nation would love it. Having my fmily here, them being able to be a part of it, would be a blessing.”

This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Last year’s Elite Eight loss motivates Devonte Graham to reach Final Four."