DETROIT – One little piece of net wasn’t enough.

Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins got their first true taste of NCAA Tournament glory with one net-cutting ceremony, but they wanted more. Robinson, walking off the court in his Final Four hat and shirt after KU’s 59-57 clinching victory against Davidson, told an administration member he wanted the net that was still hanging from the other basket.

“Russell, you should get that whole thing,” Collins shouted.

Finally, the other net came down. Robinson took half of it, and Collins took the rest. They wore their prize around their necks in the locker room.

“Looks real good,” Robinson said.

He just sat in his locker and smiled. Collins bragged about how he had received 35 congratulatory text messages. No KU player or coach could hide his excitement, and why not? They’d earned a spot in the Final Four – the first for all the players, who had gone through two first round losses and an Elite Eight disaster last season, and the first for Kansas coach Bill Self after coming so close four other times.

“All that negative talk he had in the past,” Darnell Jackson said about Self, “now we made it. Now we have a chance to make something happen.”

Self climbed the ladder to the net after all the players and pumped his fists toward the crowd out of joy and out of relief. All the criticism from the first round losses and the failures in the Elite Eight had worn on him and his family. Players could tell Self had been stressing out since Friday night. He never thought he had to make the Final Four to validate himself as a great coach, but he wanted it badly.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball vs. Davidson

Photo gallery of Kansas men's basketball game against Davidson in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit.

“We’ve been so close so many times,” Self said. “Even though we’re always going to get good players at Kansas, this was the year this needed to happen for the immediate future.”

Funny how the postgame atmosphere could’ve been so different. Davidson gave the Jayhawks everything they expected after they watched tape of the Wildcats rolling past higher seeds Georgetown and Wisconsin. With 16 seconds left and Kansas clinging to a 59-57 lead, Davidson had the ball and an opportunity to win or tie the game.

Self had one main instruction for his players in the huddle: don’t let Stephen Curry take a three-pointer. He’d rather they force Curry, the star of tournament, to shoot a two or even foul him hard. Curry had the ball in his hands for most of the possession until Collins, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush collapsed on him. He dumped it to Jason Richards, who missed an off-balanced three with Collins in his face.

“When he got rid of it,” Self said, “I was happy.”

Curry missed nine of 13 shots in the second half after scoring 15 points in the first 20 minutes. He started to struggle when the Jayhawks switched to a box and one and used Rush to defend Curry.

It was good for Kansas that its defense shut down Davidson. Otherwise, the game could’ve been plenty different. Outside of Sasha Kaun, who played the role of unlikely hero with 13 points on six of six shooting, the Jayhawks never really got into a flow on offense because of Davidson’s double teams, pressure and an inability to force turnovers. Jackson said they were trying too hard.

“We wanted it so bad,” he said. “There were a lot of guys so sped up.”

Kansas wanted to win a sloppy one. Before the season started, Robinson said the coaches often talked about the importance of winning when they don’t play at a high level. Earlier round games against Portland State, UNLV and Villanova provided few challenges, and the Jayhawks rolled.

They didn’t in this one, and it should help them in the Final Four against North Carolina.

“To win it all, don’t you have to win one like this?” Self said. “Everybody has to go through this.”

The hollering and smiling continued until the locker room closed. All the players felt satisfied but acknowledged that there’s still plenty more to accomplish.

This Saturday’s game should provide a bigger challenge and certainly more drama because of the presence of Tar Heels coach Roy Williams. The Jayhawks will be ready for it.

After Robinson took down his first clip of the net, Athletics Director Lew Perkins greeted him with a bear hug near the three-point line.

“That’s a powerful hug,” Robinson told him.

Perkins has been telling Robinson throughout the tournament that he needs to step up and be the best leader possible. This time, Perkins whispered a reminder to Robinson that he and his teammates are not done yet.

“Eighty more minutes,” Perkins said.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird