Cyclones Defeated in Big 12 Quarterfinals

DALLAS - Keith Langford and Aaron Miles made nearly every shot they took, and the rest of the Kansas Jayhawks weren't bad, either.

The two sophomores combined for 35 points Friday in the Jayhawks' 89-74 victory against Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.

Langford scored 19 points and Miles had 16 as No. 4 Kansas (25-6) loaded up on short shots to advance to Saturday's semifinals against the Missouri-Oklahoma State winner.

The Jayhawks hit 60 percent of their shots, with Miles going 7-for-10 and Langford hitting 8-of-12. Jeff Graves had a season-high 16, including a one-handed dunk off a rebound, on 7-for-9 shooting.

"When Jeff is doing what he did today, it helps us. It's like that with Aaron, too. They have to come out and guard him, so it balances our whole team," Kansas coach Roy Williams said.

The balancing act meant taking the load off usual leaders Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. While they'll have to come up big for the Jayhawks to return to the Final Four for a second straight year, they weren't needed much in Kansas' postseason opener.

Collison, voted the conference player of the year by league coaches, had a quiet 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Hinrich had 14 points and five assists, but was the closest thing the Jayhawks had to a struggling player. He committed five turnovers and shot 6-for-16, including 2-for-9 on 3-pointers.

It was no problem, though, as Langford and Miles relentlessly drove to the hoop and Graves was there to put back anything that missed. Not much did as the Jayhawks hit 60 percent, their second-most accurate performance in 17 conference games this season.

Kansas, which hasn't won the conference tournament the last three years after taking the first three, never trailed. A nice reverse layup by Langford late in the first half put the Jayhawks up 33-20 and the Cyclones (16-13) never got closer than 10.

"They just overpowered us," Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy said.

The most powerful moment was Graves catching a rebound with one hand and in the same motion throwing it down for a rim-shaking dunk. He had 12 rebounds, five on the offensive end. Another came when he picked up a loose ball and banked it in, stopping Iowa State's best run of the second half.

"Jeff opens up the lanes for us to penetrate," Langford said. "It's just a big plus for us when he scores."

Graves' role increased after Wayne Simien dislocated his shoulder in January. The 6-foot-9, 275-pound Graves had only scored in double figures three times since and came in making only 46 percent of his shots.

"When he does what he did today, it helps everyone," said Williams, whose team is campaigning for a second straight No. 1 seed in the NCAA field. The Jayhawks have won five in a row and 12 of 13.

Jackson Vroman, who had a total of eight points and 11 rebounds in two earlier games against Kansas, led ISU with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Marcus Jefferson had 18 points, and Jared Homan and Tim Barnes each had 13.

"We just tried to play the tempo that would give us the best chance to win," Robertson said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't do that."

Eustachy knew his team couldn't afford a slow start after losing four straight to Kansas, including two this season by 19 and 29 points. So he quickly called time out when he saw three straight drives put the Jayhawks up 11-7.

Hinrich followed with a steal and a dunk, prompting Eustachy to switch point guards. Soon after, Eustachy was whistled for a technical foul when he stomped loudly to protest a foul called against one of his players.

Iowa State heads home hoping for an NIT bid. The Cyclones' case: Lopsided victories over NCAA bubble teams Colorado and Missouri in recent weeks, part of a 4-3 closing stretch.

"We're not sure of who or when or where, but I think it's going to happen," Eustachy said. "Some teams look at it like it's a disappointment. We look at it as a positive, a step in the right direction."

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Tim Barnes

Tim Barnes

Tim Barnes

Jared Homan

Jared Homan

Jared Homan

Jared Homan

Marcus Jefferson

Marcus Jefferson

Marcus Jefferson

Marcus Jefferson

Jackson Vroman

Jackson Vroman

Jackson Vroman

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