The second seeded Kansas Jayhawks are down 34-33 at half to the eleventh seeded North Carolina State Wolfpack, but considering their play in the first half, they likely feel pretty fortunate. The Jayhawks shot only 35% from the field in the first frame and did not make a single three (on eight shots), but they managed to stick with a Wolfpack team that was able to hit four shots from downtown.
The Jayhawks' offense goes as go its stars Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, and Kansas' 33 points at halftime is a direct indication of how those two played in the first half. Thomas Robinson— a Naismith Award finalist— scored 11 points in the half, but he only made four of his ten shots from the field. To his credit, he did pick up nine rebounds and make three free throws to pick up some of the slack. Taylor, on the other hand, was dreadful, shooting 1-9 from the field and 0-4 from three and turning the ball over four times.
The halftime score is also an indication of a very closely played half. Kansas entered the locker room with 25 rebounds, and North Carolina State with 24. The Jayhawks turned the ball over eight times, as did the Wolfpack. Kansas took ten free throws, N.C. State took nine. But if Robinson and Taylor get going in the second half, that final score may not end up looking much like the one at half.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub. There you'll find a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four. N.C. State fans can visit Backing the Pack, while Kansas fans can visit Rock Chalk Talk for more on the respective teams.