Tragedy Tempers Kentucky Rout

Reality crashed into the Midwest Regional Friday, turning all talk of “sudden death” and “living to see another day” into thoughts to seriously ponder.

Kentucky was shocked to learn that John Stewart, a 7-foot high school senior from Indianapolis who had signed a letter of intent to play for the Wildcats next season, had died after collapsing during a state tournament game Friday.

Cause of death was not known.

Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith informed his players after the third-seeded Wildcats defeated 14th-seeded New Mexico State, 82-60, at the Superdome.

You’ve never seen a group of winners with such sad faces. “It just puts a lot of this into perspective,” Kentucky forward Scott Padgett said. “How meaningless a game of basketball is when you lose a friend or a family member.”

The Wildcats (26-8) looked much more passionate when they scored 21 unanswered points to break open what had been a one-point game.

A New Mexico State team that relies heavily on its starters wilted. The Kentucky reserves outscored their New Mexico State counterparts, 29-0. The Wildcats used an inside-outside combination to shoot 61% for the game. New Mexico State (23-10) made only 39% of its shots.

Kentucky will face sixth-seeded Kansas in a matchup of two of college basketball’s top three winningest programs.

Kansas 95, Evansville 74--There weren’t too many rebounds to go around in the Jayhawks’ victory over the 11th-seeded Purple Aces, but when shots didn’t go in, the Jayhawks usually got the ball.

A thorough 45-15 domination in rebounding enabled Kansas (23-9) to coast to victory.

Kansas shot 63%. The Jayhawks missed only 24 shots, but they still managed 15 offensive rebounds.

Marcus Wilson kept the Purple Aces (23-10) in the game in the first half when he scored 20 of his 34 points.

Jeff Boschee led a more balanced Kansas attack with 17 points. Nick Bradford had 16 points and T.J. Pugh scored 15.

The subplot to this game was the return to Louisiana of Baton Rouge native Lester Earl. Earl originally planned to attend Louisiana State, but after word got out that he accepted $5,000 from an LSU booster, Earl struck a deal with the NCAA that gave him limited immunity while LSU landed on probation.

Earl transferred to Kansas, where he recently has had to face a new wave of accusations after driving around in a $28,000 sport utility vehicle.

But the locals were more concerned with what he did to LSU. They booed his every move.

Utah 80, Arkansas State 58--In the first game at the site, the No. 2-seeded Utes (28-4) didn’t need much from star guard Andre Miller to beat the 15th-seeded Indians (18-12). Miller cut his lip and appeared to injure his left hand during the game and scored only eight points in 29 minutes, but Utah Coach Rick Majerus said, “He’s fine. He’ll play Sunday.”

The Utes face Miami of Ohio in the second round.

Arkansas State guard Chico Fletcher scored seven points in the first 5:04 to get his team off to a 13-4 lead. But the Indians committed nine turnovers in the next eight minutes and Utah came back. Fletcher led the nation in assists per game (8.5), but he didn’t one in the first half.

After a disappointing first half, Utah’s precision offense clicked in during the second half, when the Utes outscored Arkansas State, 44-28, and outshot the Indians 59% to 30%

Hanno Mottola scored 22 points for the Utes (28-4). Fletcher finished with 21 points in Arkansas State’s first NCAA tournament appearance.