Wildcats no problem for Badgers

Even after Wisconsin advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament Saturday, Michael Beasley still was the hot topic of conversation.

That was OK with the Badgers, who made Beasley all but disappear in the second half of their 72-55 victory over Kansas State at Omaha.

“I like playing under the radar,” said Trevon Hughes, who matched his career high with 25 points.

“We know what we’ve got in the locker room. It put a chip on our shoulder and made us go out and play even harder.”

The third-seeded Badgers (31-4) quietly won the Big Ten Conference regular-season and tournament championships, then methodically beat Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the Midwest Regional.

Wisconsin’s 12th win in a row and 25th in 27 games set a school record for victories in a season. The Badgers head to the regional semifinals in Detroit against Georgetown or Davidson as just about the hottest thing going in college basketball.

But still.

“All year,” Michael Flowers said, “a lot of people didn’t think highly of us and our talent and our potential.”

That’s because winning with old-fashioned hard work and toughness, like the Badgers did again Saturday, doesn’t elicit much more than a shrug.

Players such as Beasley are all the rage, especially when speculation abounds that he’s headed for the NBA after one year of college ball. Beasley said after the game that he would put off a decision for at least a couple of weeks.

“As of right now, I’m a Kansas State Wildcat,” he said.

The Badgers shut down Beasley in the second half. He finished with 23 points, but only six after halftime when the 11th-seeded Wildcats (21-12) needed him most.

The offensive star was Hughes, who had only eight points in the Badgers’ 71-56 win over Fullerton. The sophomore guard scored in double figures for the first time in seven games and had his biggest output since scoring 25 in the season opener against Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne.

Flowers had 15 points and Greg Stiemsma a career high 14 for the Badgers, who are in the regional semifinals for the first time since 2005.

Hughes had eight points during a 13-2 run over the first and second halves to break open the game, and made four of the Badgers’ nine three-point baskets.

Kansas State, whose point total was a season low, went 0 for 13 from three-point range. It was the first time in 349 games that the Wildcats didn’t make a three-point shot.

Beasley, only two for six in the second half, hugged teammates and coaches when he left the game for the last time with 53.9 seconds left.

Fellow freshman Bill Walker scored 18 points for the Wildcats, but it was Beasley the Wildcats needed when they got behind by double digits in the second half.

No. 1 Kansas 75, No. 8 Nevada Las Vegas 56 -- Capping off two days of mismatches in Omaha, the Jayhawks (33-3) pulled away from Runnin’ Rebels (27-8) in the second half, another emphatic team effort by a deep, talented group out to win the program’s first national title in 20 years.

Mario Chalmers led the way with 17 points, but he had plenty of help. Russell Robinson scored 13 points, Brandon Rush 12, Sherron Collins 10, Darrell Arthur nine and Darnell Jackson eight.

“We have a nice blend of power, inside scoring, guys who can run, quickness on the perimeter to break you down, guys who can shoot off the kick-out,” Kansas Coach Bill Self said.

“I do think we have a really good team. I won’t say it’s the best team we’ve had. I’ll wait and see how it plays out. But we have the talent to be as good a team as we’ve had, or better.”