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Kansas Downs Portland St

Darrell Arthur got free in the lane and rocked the basket with a thunderous dunk. Darnell Jackson went flying down the court and slammed one through. Then it was Arthur's turn again - yes, he soared above the rim for another jam.

Just over 3 minutes into the game, it was quite clear Kansas wasn't in the mood for another first-round stunner.

Expect a Miracle?

The words displayed on the baseline at the Oral Roberts arena say a lot about what people need to know about the university, the basketball program, the attitude at one of America's best-known evangelical meeting points: ``Expect A Miracle.''

OK, so maybe it's a bit irreverent to be looking for miracles on a basketball court. Then again, this is the NCAA tournament, and the basketball program has, of late, been one of the best things going at the troubled campus in Tulsa, Okla.

Duke Takes on Belmont

Next up on the Belmont Bruins' tour of top college basketball programs: Duke.

Each of the previous two years, Belmont's prize for winning the Atlantic Sun Conference championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament was a first-round matchup against a team that owns a significant place in the sport's history.

Just One Mission

These Kansas seniors have been through a lot. Not one, but two stunning losses in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Then, the equally bitter disappointment of coming up one win short of the Final Four.

There's only one way to go out.

A national championship.

The top-seeded Jayhawks (31-3) open play in the Midwest Regional against Portland State, an NCAA neophyte that is led by a 5-foot-6 guard and shouldn't pose much of a threat to a powerful, seasoned team such as Kansas.

Purnell Signs Extension

Clemson coach Oliver Purnell agreed to a two-year contract extension on Tuesday that could keep him with the Tigers through 2014.