KU faces drastic style difference in second round Bulldogs

SALT LAKE CITY (KSNT) - KU men's basketball is facing a team with a 'Bulldogs' mascot for the second-straight game in the NCAA tournament.

Both Samford and Gonzaga are high-scoring but that might be about where the similarities stop.

"It's a different challenge because Gonzaga has scored, actually, more points even per game than Samford has this year, but they do it conventionally," KU head coach Bill Self said. "They do it by more conventional transition or half court offense or defense. And so that tells you how good they are offensively to be able to do that. I think they're -- with all the metrics, they'll rate out in everyone's top ten in everything, offensively. And they play inside-out, and they're a terrific rebounding team. We're obviously got our hands full and know it will be a stiff challenge."

Freshman Johnny Furphy says he's excited to play in a different type of March Madness game than his first.

"It's going to be a whole new game," he said. "To be able to play, back up to what we played against Samford, to a whole new play style, it should be a good experience."