Notebook: Beginning to break down the Final Four

The explanation behind Bill Self’s emotional outburst in the locker room following the Duke game was a result of several combined forces.

After Bill Self reminded Silvio de Sousa in overtime about Trevon Duval’s tendency to go right, the freshman made a key defensive play that may have won the game for the Jayhawks.

Mitch Lightfoot has been instrumental in Silvio de Sousa’s adjustment to D1 basketball, with Bill Self saying, he “wants to win more than he wants to play.”

Lagerald Vick has thrived off of opponent’s trash talk during this NCAA Tournament.

Where does the Duke game rank for you in the Bill Self era?

Sports Illustrated breaks down the Kansas-Villanova matchup in the Final Four.

USA Today tells you how Kansas advances to the national championship game.

CBSSports breaks down both Final Four matchups and predicts a Michigan-Kansas final.

Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts is living his dream at KU.

Kansas baseball will host Missouri State this evening at 6 PM.

In other news...

Here are your officials for the Final Four.

MPJ is gone-zo. That’s weird because I was told he’d be playing in the Final Four this weekend. (I guess that wasn’t one of his goals, or else he would have come to Kansas.)

Four Texas Tech football players, including three starters, were arrested following an altercation outside a nightclub.

Markelle Fultz finally made his NBA debut with the 76ers.

Dude stole home in a spring training game, off a righty, who was working out of the stretch.

And finally...

This next story comes out of Omaha. Two lifelong friends - one of whom has just days to live due to cancer - found their friendship grow even deeper the past several years on road trips to Allen Fieldhouse. Longtime readers of RCT may recognize Jimmy Nedrow, who wrote for us under jvaughn11 a couple of years ago. A cancer benefit for his friend, Chris Jessen, had overwhelming support the day after the story came out. As a new dad of a beautiful baby girl, this story reduced me to a puddle of tears.

JayhawkNation, you are truly great. Make this be the best day ever.