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Top-seeded Kansas braces for Southern Illinois

Mar 22, 2007 - 1:35 PM No. 4 Southern Illinois (29-6) at No. 1 Kansas (32-4) 7:10 pm EDT

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- The last time Kansas faced a team from the Missouri Valley Conference, it was not pretty.

The top-seeded Jayhawks look to topple MVC powerhouse and fourth seed Southern Illinois when the teams square off in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament's West Region on Thursday.

A team that has had its share of disappointing failures in the postseason, Kansas (32-4) absorbed one of its worst when it dropped a 77-73 loss to MVC representative and No. 13 seed Bradley in the first round last season.

It was the second consecutive first-round exit for the Jayhawks as a top-four seed, falling to No. 14 Bucknell in 2005.

This season's team appears ready for a much deeper run, especially after Kansas rolled over Niagara by 40 points in the first round and toppled Kentucky, 88-76, on Sunday.

The Jayhawks have been clicking on offense, shooting 55 percent from field, including 23-of-38 (61 percent) on 3-pointers, and have five players averaging double figures in points.

Sophomore guard Mario Chalmers is leading the way, scoring 17.5 points and connecting on 6-of-9 shots from the arc.

Classmate Brandon Rush also has bombed away from outside, hitting a career-high six 3-pointers in the win over Kentucky. He is averaging 14 points in the NCAAs.

Kansas is going to need that offense to continue to flow if it is going to get past Southern Illinois (29-6), which plays defense as well as any team remaining in the Tournament.

A perennial participant in the NCAAs since 2002, the Salukis booked their first trip to the "Sweet 16" since that season with a 63-48 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.

Despite facing one of the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it was Southern Illinois that put its mark on the game defensively from the outset, limiting Virginia Tech to its lowest first-half point total of the season and holding the Hokies to just 2-of-13 shooting on 3-pointers.

MVC Player of the Year Jamaal Tatum scored 21 points and Randal Falker added 10 and 12 rebounds as the Salukis set a school record for wins.

However, Southern Illinois was forced to play without starting forward Matt Shaw after he suffered a sprained ankle in the first-round win over Holy Cross. It is uncertain if Shaw, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 34 games this season, will play against the Jayhawks.

Kansas is 16-7 all-time in the regional semifinals, winning each of its last three appearances since 2002. Southern Illinois never has advanced past the "Sweet 16" in two previous opportunities.