Enquirer wire services

Kansas (29-7)

Location: Lawrence,Kan.

Enrollment: 26,894.

How the Jayhawks got to New Orleans: Defeated No. 15 seed Utah State 64-61 in first round; defeated No. 10 seed Arizona State 108-76 in second round; defeated No. 3 seed Duke 69-65 in regional semifinal; defeated No. 1 seed Arizona 78-75 in regional final.

Why they got there: Dadgummit (as coach Roy Williams would say), these guys play their tails off. Effort is rarely a question with a Williams-coached team, and the Jayhawks have been overachieving all season. Kansas relies on two seniors who have started for four years. Guard Kirk Hinrich and post player Nick Collison are the team's top scorers. The Jayhawks like to score in transition and can be

maniacal on defense.

NCAA Tournament history: This is Kansas' 32nd NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks are 69-31 with two national championships (1952 and 1988). Kansas is making its 12th Final Four trip but its first in consecutive years since 1952-53.

Last Final Four trip: Last season. KU lost to eventual national champion Maryland 97-88 in the semifinals in Atlanta.

Coach: Williams, 52, can be as corny as Kansas in August. But his players give all-out effort all the time. He has a 417-100 record in 15 seasons, and this is his fourth trip to the Final Four. He's still OOTBCNTWANC (One of the Best Coaches Never to Win a National Championship) but considering the coaching job he has done this season, he might win the Big One in the Big Easy.

Star player: Tough call here - Collison or Hinrich? We'll go with ... Collison. He's the player Kansas can least afford to lose. His scoring, rebounding and defense around the basket make the Jayhawks a complete team. He leads Kansas in scoring and rebounding. Opposing defenses usually have to commit two players to contain him, and that creates opportunities for other Jayhawks.

Role player: Jeff Graves. The 6-foot-9, 275-pounder has gone from maligned to revered. Overweight and out of shape eight months ago, Graves became a starter when Wayne Simien was lost to a dislocated shoulder. Graves has improved steadily, giving Kansas a reliable rebounder and defender in the paint. Graves has a history of playing his best in the big games - he had 13 points and 15 rebounds in the West Regional victory over Arizona.

Trivia time: Collison is proud to call himself a couch potato. He has a collection of approximately 175 DVDs. The titles range from Menace II Society to When Harry Met Sally.

Fun player facts: Collison and Hinrich both played for their dads in high school in Iowa, Collison in Iowa Falls and Hinrich in Sioux City. ... Aaron Miles and G Michael Lee were high school teammates at Jefferson High in Portland, Ore.