Malik Newman scored all 13 of Kansas’ points in overtime, and the top-seeded Jayhawks are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2012 after beating No. 2 seed Duke, 85-81, in overtime in the Midwest Region final.
The Jayhawks had failed to get out of the Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed each of the last two years.
This time the Jayhawks broke through thanks to a huge performance from Newman, who scored a career-high 32 points.
Kansas will play top-seeded East Region champion Villanova in the second national semifinal next Saturday in San Antonio.
Duke was trying to get to the Final Four for the first time since it won the national championship in 2015.
Newman made two free throws to tie the game then gave the Jayhawks the lead for good at with 1:49 left.
Newman scored 10 points in the first five minutes of the second half as the Jayhawks quickly erased a 36-33 halftime deficit.
Trevon Duval scored 20 points to lead Duke. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 in what probably was his last college game.
Kansas will face Villanova in a matchup between top-seeded programs with rich histories.
In what will quickly become known as the “other” semifinal, it’s an upstart vs. another school that knows this road:
No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 3 Michigan.
Remarkable as Loyola’s run — and this tournament — have been, this marks the fifth time over the last six seasons that three teams seeded 1 through 4 have been joined by another seeded 7 or higher.
