Providence College's exuberant, ultra-enthusiastic basketball fans chanted, "We want Kansas!" in the closing moments of the No. 4-seeded Friars' 79-51 victory over No. 12 seed Richmond on Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
They get their wish soon enough.
The Jayhawks (30-6), the top-seeded team in the Midwest Regional, will meet Providence (27-5) on Friday in a men's Sweet 16 matchup between the Big 12 and Big East programs at Chicago's United Center.
"When we play like that I feel we're the best team in the country," 6-foot-6 Providence senior guard A.J. Reeves said as quoted by the New York Post after scoring 12 points and dishing five assists in the win over the Spiders.
He was one of five Friars to score in double figures — 6-8 senior forward Noah Horchler led the way with 16 points — and assure Providence its first Sweet 16 berth in 25 years.
Led by first-round NBA Draft pick Austin Croshere, the Friars in 1996-97 reached the Elite Eight before being eliminated by eventual national champ Arizona.
"It is a season of anniversaries at Providence," wrote Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post, pointing out the program's top moments through the years. "Thirty-five years ago, the Friars made an out-of-the-sky dash behind (current Iona coach) Rick Pitino's coaching and (current Chicago Bulls coach) Billy Donovan's shooting, a joyride that didn't end until the Friars reached the Final Four in New Orleans.
"Twenty-five years ago, the Friars pushed Arizona to overtime in the Southeast Region final; that Wildcats team, eight days later, won the NCAA Tournament," Vaccaro added. "The Friars haven't been back to the Sweet 16 since, and (coach Ed) Cooley, for all the wonderful work he has turned in at Fairfield and Providence, had never made it to the second weekend. He has gotten there now, and he is bringing a team that absolutely believes it isn't just capable of beating Kansas but, well, anyone else, too."
Richmond of the Atlantic 10 Conference shot 1-for-22 from beyond the three-point arc during Saturday's lopsided loss to Providence.
Cooley, 52, has led the Friars to six NCAA Tournaments in his 11 seasons at the Providence, Rhode Island school. The best performance so far in his tenure was his 24-11 team's appearance in the Round of 32 in 2015-16.
Prior to Providence, Cooley coached at Fairfield five seasons.
"I've been thinking about this my whole life," Cooley said as quoted by the Post. "This is stuff you dream about. This is what March Madness is all about. I'm very emotional, very grateful, very appreciative. We're just a little school. People say 'Ah, Providence!' Well, Providence is in the building," he added.
Cooley wasn't about to repeat the sentiments of his school's fans who bellowed that they "want" the meeting with Kansas.
He referred to KU in respectful tones in his postgame news conference in Buffalo.
"We know we have a really, really hard game ahead of us, but today we're here," Cooley said.
"I think it (Round of 32 win) gives us a lot of confidence. Obviously, we're going to play against a blueblood that had a really, really hard game today against a Big East opponent (79-72 win over Creighton) so I'm pretty sure that we'll be well-scouted as they will. It just tells you you're building the program the right way. You are doing it with men of high integrity and great character, and it should be a great game. I'm excited to get to Chicago for some deep pan pizza. I can't wait to get to the Windy City and just experience the madness of March."
Providence, by the way, in the nonconference season defeated Texas Tech, 72-68, in Providence and won at Wisconsin, 63-58.
In league play, Providence beat Creighton, 72-51, in Providence, and lost to the Bluejays, 85-58, in Omaha, Nebraska. In the NCAA Tournament, Providence defeated South Dakota State, 66-57, in the first round, then eliminated Richmond in the Round of 32.
