Long shot should be a layup

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Look, I’m a believer in Curry. He’s about the only compelling story line in a tournament filled with blowouts and stinkers. I hope Curry scores 40 and Kansas wins by a point.

I don’t think it’ll be that close. And I don’t even want to consider the option of an upset. Self might not make it back to Lawrence. A loss would be unforgivable in the minds of many Kansas fans.

Bill Self put together his best team, drove them to 34 victories and then flamed out in the tournament the year the bracket opened perfectly for the Jayhawks?

No way. You can’t lose to a team that started the year 4-6. You can’t lose to the champions of the Southern Conference in the Elite Eight. You can’t lose to one kid, even a kid who was schooled by a longtime NBA veteran.

The Jayhawks have to take advantage of their good fortune. None of the other tournament favorites caught the kind of breaks Kansas has this March. No. 1 North Carolina has to beat No. 3 Louisville to reach the Final Four. No. 1 Memphis has to get by No. 2 Texas. No. 1 UCLA faces No. 3 Xavier.

If Roy Williams, John Calipari and Ben Howland take care of business and Bill Self doesn’t, Kansas fans just might give Oklahoma State billionaire Boone Pickens cell and home numbers for Self. He might want to take the call, too.

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To reach Jason Whitlock, call 816-234-4869 or send e-mail to jwhitlock@kcstar.com. For previous columns, go to KansasCity.com.