Oregon off to 1st Final Four since 1939 after thumping Kansas
For the first time since 1939, Oregon is headed to the Final Four.
The Ducks topped Kansas 74-60 in Saturday's Elite Eight matchup to win the Midwest Region Final and book their first appearance in the Final Four since the first-ever edition.
Jordan Bell was the star for Oregon, stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and an NCAA tournament school record eight blocks. He was in the Jayhawks' heads all game long, even when he wasn't piling up the rejections, affecting shot after shot as Kansas struggled to find an answer in the paint.
Tyler Dorsey continued his red-hot March, leading the way with a game-high 27 points on 9-of-13 from the field, including going 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. The sophomore guard has now connected on 17-of-26 3-point attempts during the NCAA tournament this year - an incredible 65 percent.
It's the second year in a row Kansas has been eliminated in the Elite Eight, after losing to eventual-champion Villanova in last year's South Region Final. The Jayhawks haven't made the Final Four since losing to Kentucky in the 2012 title game.
The 14-point loss was the worst Kansas has suffered in the NCAA tournament during the Bill Self era. The Jayhawks overcame double-digit deficits seven times this season, but that habit of giving up big leads caught up with them at the worst possible time.
The Ducks will face the winner of Sunday's game between Kentucky and North Carolina in next Saturday's Final Four matchup.