Bill Self was effusive with praise for Ernest Udeh in win vs. Oklahoma

The Kansas Jayhawks picked up a huge win Saturday on the road against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Jayhawks walked out of Lloyd Noble Center with a 23-point victory by a score of 78-55.

After the game, Kansas head coach Bill Self was ecstatic about the performance of his team. Self was also effusive with praise for Ernest Udeh in the win against Oklahoma thanks to his rim-running ability.

“He was great. It’s a different deal; ball screens are great. But to be effective in a ball screen, you need to be able to at least challenge the rim sometimes. We haven’t been able to do that all year long. So, that was big that you get a rim runner. And then KJ (Adams)‘ not, but KJ’s good in that little show pocket area. So, it adds an element to our offense,” said Self.

Udeh played just 17 minutes off the bench but was an effective bench score in the game for the Jayhawks. The six-foot-11 freshman center from Orlando, FL, finished the game with a full stat line. Udeh Recorded eight points on 4-4 shooting from the field, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and one assist. If Udeh can’t continue this play off the bench, he will be just the spark The Jayhawks need in time for tournament play.

ESPN releases updated Bracketology ahead of huge Saturday of college basketball

Ahead of a fantastic Saturday slate of college basketball, Joe Lunardi of ESPN has updated his Bracketology.

Before getting into it, Lunardi wrote an excerpt about one of his more surprising projections — the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kentucky Wildcats in his Last Four In.

“It’s not every day that we look at the ‘Last Four In’ list and see names like North Carolina and Kentucky. Then again, it’s not every day that two of the top three winningest programs in college basketball history are a combined 2-15 against Quadrant 1 foes,” prefaced Lunardi. “And one of those Q1 victories — North Carolina over Ohio State — came against a team that entered play Thursday with a losing record.

“This is, by any measure, not good for a pair of blue bloods who were projected for the Final Four. Instead, the First Four might be their actual destination. Wow.”

Alas, the disappointing seasons of North Carolina and Kentucky are one of the many storylines in college basketball at the moment, as the 2022-2023 season has been more unpredictable than many believed it would be.

Regardless, below is the full field for Lunardi’s Bracketology, with March Madness just a month away.

Midwest Region (Kansas City)

No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 UMES/Morehead State

No. 8 NC State vs. No. 9 Northwestern

No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts

No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 13 Drake

No. 6 Rutgers vs. No. 11 Boise State

No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Princeton

No. 7 Duke vs. No. 10 Missouri

No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Youngstown State