Wayne Selden conquers second-round curse; Kansas beats UConn 73-61 (+video)

Bill Self yelled out “Two game,” the play that was about to deliver the knockout blow for No. 1 Kansas against Connecticut.

Frank Mason bounced a pass to Landen Lucas at the elbow. Wayne Selden executed a back cut, taking advantage of Daniel Hamilton’s overplaying defense.

With his back to the basket, Lucas dropped the bounce pass with two hands, Selden catching it and taking two steps before a two-handed flush.

It was the official end of a second-round curse, both for the Jayhawks and their junior guard.

Selden exploded for a team-best 22 points, leading top-seeded KU to a 73-61 victory over ninth-seeded UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

With the win, KU advances to its first Sweet 16 since 2013. The Jayhawks lost in the round of 32 the previous two seasons, getting upset by 10th-seeded Stanford in 2014 and seventh-seeded Wichita State last year.

In both games, Selden struggled mightily. He scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting against Stanford, then was even worse against Wichita State, going scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting with poor on-ball defense against the Shockers’ Tekele Cotton.

“That was a different me,” Selden said. “You grow. You get older and become a different player. I’m a different animal now.”

Selden stepped up at a crucial time when UConn made a run in the second half. After trimming a 24-point deficit to 52-43 with 8:47 left, Selden made an aggressive move into the lane, jump-stopping to get two defenders in the air before putting in a short jumper.

The next possession, KU went back to Selden. He drove to the lane from the right corner before coming to a stop, reversing to his right shoulder for an eight-foot jumper over childhood friend and teammate Jalen Adams.

“We had some individuals step up and make some good plays,” KU coach Bill Self said, “and I thought him driving the ball and putting pressure on the defense was good.”

Selden’s final moment of catharsis came later. With 1:36 left, teammate Devonte’ Graham lifted a one-handed scoop pass in the air on the break, and Selden skied high to slam it in emphatically with his right hand. The violent dunk brought the game’s loudest cheer, with Selden freezing for a second under the basket to celebrate the play.

KU opened up a 44-24 halftime lead thanks to swarming defense.

The formula for success was threefold: The Jayhawks denied nearly every pass on the perimeter, challenging a UConn team that played without much offensive movement. KU got a hand up on most shots as well, forcing tough shots and off-balance jumpers. Then, the Jayhawks cleared the glass, helped by eight first-half defensive rebounds from Landen Lucas.

The result was impressive defense. Though UConn came into the game with the greater reputation for turning away inside shots, it was KU that dominated that area before halftime, limiting the Huskies to 3-for-21 two-point shooting. Even more impressive was the fact that two of those baskets came off steals, meaning UConn had only a single two-point basket in the half-court — a runner by Rodney Purvis over Svi Mykhailiuk at the 11:52 mark.

“We just had so much respect for these guys — watching them on film and stuff like that — and knew what they were capable of,” Selden said. “We really just came out and tried to play with a lot of energy.”

Selden’s 22 points came on 8-for-15 shooting. It was his highest point total since a 33-point effort against Kentucky on Jan. 30.

“When he’s like that and playing aggressively, because of his size and because of his aggressiveness, it’s hard to stop him,” Lucas said. “He knows that, and he knows that he could be a big part of our team.”

Perry Ellis added 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting.

KU, which improved to 32-4 and won its 16th straight game, will play either fifth-seeded Maryland or 13th-seeded Hawaii on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

“It feels great. I’ve never felt this before. I’ve never been here before,” Selden said of the Sweet 16. “We’re not going to let this moment go.”

This story was originally published March 19, 2016 at 9:30 PM with the headline "Wayne Selden conquers second-round curse; Kansas beats UConn 73-61 (+video)."