Christian Braun hit a clutch 3-pointer as the Jayhawks sealed their spot in the national championship game. (0:22)
Bill Self's pursuit of his second national championship had been tucked into the corner of a national semifinals that had minimized the weekend's opening act and any storylines.
Even if the chatter about Duke and North Carolina meeting for the first time in the NCAA tournament had demanded most of the attention in New Orleans, Jay Wright's attempt to win his second national title without injured is still the focus.
There is a new narrative to consider in New Orleans, that Kansas could be the best team in America.
The four-point favorite expected to win the game against the short-handed opponent. Even though Kansas advanced to the national title game on Monday with a performance that might not have slowed down, it was still a great performance.
The two Kansas players who scored the most points in the first half were David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji. Wright used only limited action in the past games, so he started a lineup that had not been used in a while. The group averaged just 88 points per 100 possessions.
The impact of Moore's absence on the rotation was clear from the start of the game. The first 10 points were scored by Kansas. The Jayhawks made seven of their first 13 attempts.
The size and strength of McCormack gave the team problems in the paint, and Agbaji and his teammates quickly got hot from the perimeter. The Jayhawks had leads of 10-0, 16-5, 26-11 and 38-19 before a 10 point run by the Cats.
The gap was never closed by Villanova.
Early in the second half, Abgaji burst to the corner to launch a 3-pointer but was soon doubled, so he threw a pass to Christian Braun on the block, who then threw a layup to McCormack. The bus was not slowing down because of the good defense on the best player. Yes, the Wildcats needed Moore. They might have needed former stars Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, who were sitting close to the court on Saturday.
They continued to fight. After Dajuan Harris hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to double digits, the Cats were down by eight points. On the next possession, a Samuels layup was countered by a Agbaji 3-pointer that extended the Jayhawks lead. The routine continued midway through the second half. The entire Superdome crowd could hear the sound of the hit on Samuels.
It never seemed as if KU faced any real danger. The Jayhawks have always found a way to beat their opponents in the NCAA tournament.
In the first round, the Jayhawks had a 47-19 halftime lead over Texas Southern. In the second round, they scored 113 points per 100 possessions against the top defensive team in the Big East. A 24-12 lead against Providence gave KU control of that game in the Sweet 16, and a late rally helped secure the win. The Jayhawks defeated the Hurricanes in the Elite Eight, winning 47-15 in the second half.
The Jayhawks never changed their speed despite the fact that the Cats cut the lead to six points on Samuels' free throw.
The Bill Self team is going to be one of the fastest teams we have played against.
On Saturday, Kansas made sure that the tide was against them. They scored 46 points.
Braun hit a 3-pointer with 2:44 to play to give the Jayhawks a 16-point lead. There was no suspense at the Superdome.
With a chance to win his second national championship, Self will enter Monday night.
The most balanced and consistent team in the Final Four has been coached by him.
He hopes to be the coach of the best team.
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