Purdue seeks upset of Kansas in NCAA Tournament

Omaha, NE – Kansas will try to continue its run through the seeded Purdue round action of the 2012 NCAA Tournament at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Purdue won its NCAA Tournament opener for the 14th straight time on Friday night, outlasting Saint Mary's 72-69 to advance to the field of 32.

As for Kansas, the Jayhawks took care of business in their own matchup on Friday, rolling to a 65-50 victory over 15th-seeded Detroit. KU, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, is making its 41st appearance in the Big Dance, and owns the longest active streak in the country with 23 consecutive trips to the tournament.

The all-time series between the two programs on the hardwood is tied, 2-2. The winner of the contest will advance to face either Georgetown or NC State on Thursday in the Sweet 16.

The Boilermakers got a pair of free throws from Robbie Hummel with 10 seconds remaining, helping Purdue to a three-point decision over Saint Mary's. Purdue actually led, 31-24, heading into the break, but the Gaels battled back with a 55.2 percent effort from the field over the final 20 minutes, closing out a 14-2 run with a Jorden Page three-pointer with 44.2 seconds on the clock. Lewis Jackson sunk a pair of go-ahead free throws with 22.8 seconds ticks on the clock to give the Boilermakers a one-point edge, and after back-to-back traveling violations for both squads, Page missed a go-ahead trey attempt for the Gaels that led to Hummel's trip to the stripe. The Boilermakers shot 45.6 percent from the field overall during the meeting, and sunk 15-of-18 at the foul line. Terone Johnson scored 21 points to led the way, while Jackson added 18 points. Hummel finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, while Anthony Johnson chipped in 10 points from off the bench.

Hummel made his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after missing Purdue's past two trips due to knee injuries, and he currently leads the Boilermakers in scoring with 16.1 points per game. He also leads Purdue on the glass (7.1 rebounds per game), while Jackson checks in with a 10.5 ppg average. The Boilermakers have made 44.1 percent of their chances from the field this season, and as a result average a healthy 72.2 ppg. The squad has gotten it done from long range (37.6 percent), but has had troubles at the foul line (65.7 percent). Still, opponents are averaging only 66.1 ppg against the club, and have been forced into 433 turnovers up to this point.

All-American forward Thomas Robinson turned in his NCAA-leading 24th double- double with 16 points and 13 rebounds to power Kansas passed Detroit on Friday night. Robinson is now one double-double shy of tying the KU school record of 25 set by Drew Gooden during the 2001-02 season. The Jayhawks took a 34-24 lead into the break and quickly put the game out of reach by opening the second stanza with a 19-4 run. Detroit did answer with a 10-2 spurt with 11:28 to play to trip the KU lead to 17, but the Jayhawks ultimately cruised to a 15-point verdict. The Jayhawks shot 46.0 percent from the field during the meeting, limiting the Titans to just 31.7 percent shooting in the process, and added 23 points via 14 Detroit giveaways. Elijah Johnson added 15 points in the win for KU, while Tyshawn Taylor netted 10 points.

The Jayhawks turn in an average of 74.7 ppg this season, while taking care of business at the other end of the court with only 61.6 ppg awarded to the opposition. KU is shooting at an impressive 48.4 percent clip as a team, and have also made good on 69.4 percent on its opportunities at the charity stripe. Thomas leads the way with a 17.9 ppg tally, and he is joined in double figures only by Taylor (17.1 ppg). Still, a pair of Jayhawks do rest on the cusp of a double-digit average, beginning with Johnson and his 9.8 ppg. Jeff Withey has also been a solid source of production for KU this season, chipping in 9.2 ppg to go with 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per contest, with the latter mark good enough for seventh nationally.