OMAHA — By the time Malik Newman, the Kansas sophomore, received the ball in the corner, open and already beginning his shooting motion, with the Midwest Regional final versus Duke tied and less than two minutes left in overtime, the outcome of the play felt predetermined.
If you drop a hammer on a planet with gravity, does it not fall to the ground? If you give Newman an open corner 3, doesn’t it find its way through the rim?
It does, and it did — it was Newman’s fifth 3-pointer of the game, all coming after halftime.