Des Moines regional notes: Austin Peay up for the supreme challenge of facing No. 1

Austin Peay guard Josh Robinson hoped his team would play Kansas in the NCAA Tournament.

Not because he thinks the Jayhawks are vulnerable for an upset or weak defensively against his scoring abilities. Far from it. Robinson, a sophomore, has ultimate respect for the Jayhawks. He takes no offense to the oddsmakers labeling the Governors as a 26-point underdog, the biggest point spread of the first round.

He simply wanted to play the nation’s No. 1 team.

“I wanted to play against the best team and be on the biggest stage,” Robinson said. “I am excited for the opportunity to show what me and my team can do.”

A victory, something no 16 seed has ever accomplished, would be monumental.

Austin Peay players admit it is a fun thought, but they stayed away from upset talk Wednesday. They don’t want to give Kansas extra motivation.

“I think it will happen,” Self said of a 16 seed advancing, “just hopefully not in 2016. But I do think that it’s coming. There’s been more than one close call.”

The Governors hope they can compete with the Jayhawks. For now, though, they are focused on having fun.

“This whole experience is a rush,” junior Kenny Jones said. “It feels really good to be here.”

Presidential pick – President Barack Obama picked Kansas to win the national championship on his annual bracket Wednesday, selecting the Jayhawks to defeat Texas A&M and North Carolina in the Final Four.

This is the third time he has picked Kansas to win it all, also going with the Jayhawks in 2010 and 2011.

“Bill Self owes me,’’ Obama said while filling out his bracket for ESPN at the White House. “I’m putting Kansas in here. Coach, I’m just teasing. I’m not putting pressure on you. But I think the Jayhawks in a squeaker get past UNC.’’

Self had mixed feeling about the president’s choice.

“I wasn’t that giddy about it at all,” Self said. “He’s done that before and then he will blame me for ruining his pool if things don’t work out.”

Players thought it was neat.

“It’s a great honor,” KU senior Perry Ellis said. “It’s nice to know he thinks that highly of us.”

Later, Self also came around. He thinks his team is ready to live up to the publicity.

“This is a unique year for us going tin the tournament, because I feel like we’re whole for the first time in a while, so I’m excited about it,” Self said. “I’m fine with anybody picking us or not picking us. I know none of that matters at all, but I know our guys are chomping at the bit to go play.”

Mason good to go – Guard Frank Mason continued to nurse foot and hip injuries the day before Kansas’ NCAA opener against Austin Peay.

“The hip, it’s a little sore, but I’ve been getting treatment. It’ll continue to get better,” Mason said. “My foot is still a little sore, but I’ve been getting treatment on that too, so it’ll continue to get better, too.”

Mason bruised his foot after getting stepped on Friday by Baylor’s Taurean Prince. His hip was injured after a few hard falls to the court in the championship game Saturday against West Virginia.

As for Thursday’s game against Austin Peay?

“I’ll be OK,” Mason said. “I’ll be ready to go.”

Boyle at home in Pac-12 – Colorado was a member of the Big 12 Conference when Tad Boyle was hired as basketball coach in 2010, but he has spent the majority of his time with the Buffaloes coaching in the Pac-12.

It was a smooth transition. After missing the NCAA Tournament in his debut season in the Big 12, he has guided the Buffaloes there four times in the Pac-12.

“We went from one great league to another great league,” Boyle said. “Our recruiting territory is the only thing that has changed.”

The former Wichita State assistant and KU grad could play his alma mater in the second round with a victory over Connecticut on Thursday.

Transfer-heavy – A key element in Connecticut reaching the NCAA Tournament after settling for the NIT last season has been the addition of graduate transfers Sterling Gibbs and Shonn Miller.

Gibbs, the Huskies’ point guard, played at Texas as a freshman before two seasons at Seton Hall. He is one of four UConn players averaging at least 12 points, and he leads the team with 73 three-pointers.

“I was really accepted in here and they accepted me as a brother and a teammate,” Gibbs said. “I think that just made it so much easier because they, as much as I wanted to contribute, they felt that they needed me to contribute as well.”

Miller, a 6-foot-7 forward who graduated from Cornell, leads UConn in scoring at 12.8 points. Rodney Purvis transferred from North Carolina State and Terry Larrier, from Virginia Commonwealth, is eligible next season.

“It’s a lot of work from the coaching staff, from their peers, understanding what we want to do as a program,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “It takes them a while to get their voice in the locker room.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Des Moines regional notes: Austin Peay up for the supreme challenge of facing No. 1."