On Thursday, Michigan Coach John Beilein reduced the NCAA Tournament to its essence.
Winning or losing, he said, was “about players making plays rather than (X-and-O) plays.”
Kentucky demonstrated the wisdom of those words Sunday in beating Wichita State 65-62 to advance to next weekend’s Sweet 16 round.
Wichita State shut off the transition game, the favorite component of UK’s offense. The Cats had no fast-break points in the first 35 minutes.
But again and again UK had players make plays. Often it was Bam Adebayo, who posted a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds).