Kansas St

Second Round Saturday Recap: Northern Iowa Knocks Off Kansas

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:43:01 -0400

After a rather routine Friday the hope was that Saturday would provide even more surprises. But few people had in mind what the Northern Iowa Panthers did in Oklahoma City when it came to the shocker of the day. The Missouri Valley champions got off to a quick start early and did not let up until the game was decided, knocking off the top overall seed 69-67 to move on to the Sweet 16 next week in St. Louis. Ali Farokhmanesh led the way with 16 points, knocking down what has to be the shot of the Tournament thus far to give Northern Iowa a 66-62 lead with 34 seconds remaining. After a Kansas surge via the full court press cut the lead to one, UNI broke the press and Farokhmanesh had a decision to make with the ball deep on the right wing and Tyrel Reed backing off into the paint.

"I was just open on that side," said Farokhmanesh of the shot. "So they were trapping, and it came up to me. And I was going to go and Johnny was on the other wing. I was going to see if I could drive it. The he backed off so far that I thought I might as well just shoot this one." It was one of those "no, no, YES!" shots that tend to make heroes out of players this time of the year, legendary figures in their school's history books and the focus of stories to be rehashed for years. But this was more than just a feel-good story; on Saturday the team that played better won the game.

The Panthers forced fifteen Kansas turnovers and point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe, who made just one of eleven field goal attempts, limited Sherron Collins to 10 points, four assists and five turnovers on 4-for-15 shooting from the field. The senior rose to the challenge, and without his defense on one of the nation's best point guards it's likely that the Panthers would be headed home. "I think Kwadzo was looking forward to that challenge," remarked UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. "He knew it was going to be a big challenge, but he was looking forward to it. He competed awfully hard."

Given the nature of college basketball Bill Self's team now has to answer questions despite going 33-3 on the season. Did they recorgnize the urgency of the moment from the opening tip? You can argue that they didn't, but to do so risks taking away from what UNI was able to do for forty minutes. Jordan Eglseder and Lucas O'Rear played well inside while brothers Adam and Jake Koch made their contributions as well. In a game that many expected the Kansas depth to be their downfall, a number of players stepped up for the Panthers and while they all may not have impressive stat lines they got the job done. And as a result, UNI will be back in the city in which they won the MVC Tournament crown two weeks ago.

Key Happenings

New Orleans: Kentucky rolls into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. Wake Forest went into their game with Kentucky boasting a deep frontcourt and a point guard in Ishmael Smith who could match the speed (if not the skill) of John Wall. But it didn't take long to see that they were fighting an uphill battle against a team that may be light on experience but heavy on talent, and the game was essentially over by halftime. In the 90-60 victory, Kentucky 60.3% from the field (73.8% 2PT) in practically getting whatever shot they wanted against the Demon Deacons' defense. Darius Miller (20 points, nine rebounds) and DeMarcus Cousins (19 points, eight rebounds) led four starters in double figures while Smith managed just two points (1-9 FG) in his final collegiate game.

With Kansas falling are the Wildcats the favorite? That's likely but with a team so young head coach John Calipari is going to do his best to limit the distractions that surround them. By all accounts they didn't watch any of the Kansas game before their game and with a team so young that's a good route to take. "We're still a bunch of freshmen and sophomores," said Coach Calipari. "Our second NCAA Tournament game. They've never played in any other games. The guys that we're playing have never played in it. So all we're going to worry about is us." But if they play like they did in New Orleans this weekend, this is going to be one tough team to knock off in Syracuse next week.

Oklahoma City: Kansas State uses defense and Jacob Pullen to defeat BYU. Jacob Pullen and Jimmer Fredette was expected to be one of the best individual matchups of the day. And while Fredette did finish with 21 points, in all honesty it wasn't much of a contest. Pullen and company harrassed the scoring phenom all game, and Kansas State's junior guard scored 34 points while also picking up four steals in the Wildcats' 84-72 win over BYU to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 1988. BYU jumped out to a 10-0 lead but once K-State was able to apply the clamps defensively their taking control of the game became a matter of "when" instead of "if". Denis Clemente added 19 points and the Wildcats out-rebounded BYU 39-29.

Dominique Sutton also saw some time guarding Fredette but once the Cougars went to a taller lineup the need was there to put the junior on BYU's top scoring threat and he rose to the challenge. On falling behind early Pullen noted that "it was our lack of energy. We weren't in passing lanes. They were passing the ball around, making a dribble move, kick out [for] wide open threes. No one has done that really except for the games we lost this year. So we figured either we going home and they're going to shoot 3s or we're going to step up our defensive principles and really guard the ball." They've got the ability to put points on the board, but when they defend the Wildcats are a definite threat to get to Indianapolis.

Providence: Villanova has no answers for Omar Samhan, falls to Saint Mary's. While the shot of the game is the banked-in three by Mickey McConnell that broke a 65-all tie with 1:17 left in the game, Villanova's fate was sealed by their inability to find an answer for Omar Samhan. The senior big man made thirteen of his sixteen field goal attempts, scoring 32 points while also grabbing seven rebounds and blocking a pair of shots in the 75-68 victory. No matter who the Wildcats put on Samhan once he got the ball inside it was another two points on the board. And once Villanova finally decided to double down his teammates knocked down shots fron the perimeter, making seven of nineteen from behind the arc.

Corey Stokes (15 points) and Maalik Wayns (10) led the way for the Wildcats, but with Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds both struggling from the field they were in trouble not counting the Samhan effect. "It's definitely no shock to us how well he's been playing in the post and in games," said forward Ben Allen. "He's absolutely dominant and he creates so much for us when he goes and gets dirty like that, and it frees everyone else on the perimeter." The Gaels weren't expected to survive Providence yet here they are, on their way to the Sweet 16 in Houston to take on Baylor next week. Randy Bennett's got a team that can knock down shots from the perimeter and in Samhan a leader more than willing to take on all comers. That makes for a dangerous team this time of the year.

San Jose: Washington uses a late-first half run to put away New Mexico. If you thought that the Huskies were due for a surprise on Saturday following their dramatic win over Marquette on Thursday then you ignored the fact that they matched up very well with New Mexico. Add in a banged-up Darington Hobson and you had all the makings of a serious whipping, one that gained traction late in the first half and didn't stop until the Huskies won 82-64. Quincy Pondexter led the way with 18 points while Isaiah Thomas added 15, sending the Pac-10 Tournament champs to their first Sweet 16 since 2006. Washington was deeper and better equipped to play at a fast tempo, and this played a major role in their 25-13 finish to the first half to take a 12-point lead into the locker room.

"We did a great job of forcing our tempo on them," said Pondexter. "We knew they were a transition team going into this game, and we wanted to show that we have another level of fast break and defensive intensity. That's what really wore them down and helped us get the win." Add in their defense on Hobson (5-11, 11 points) and Roman Martinez (3-10, 10 points) while limiting the Lobos to 39.4% shooting and you had all the makings for a serious statement. Assisting on 21 of 32 baskets doesn't hurt either. Lorenzo Romar's team may not have lived up to the preseason hype during the regular season but they're making up for lost time now (and last week in Los Angeles). This isn't a team that folks should be lining up to play right now.

Top Games

New Orleans: Baylor 76, Old Dominion 68 LaceDarius Dunn scored 26 points as the Bears jumped out to a 10-1 lead and held on to defeat the CAA champions. As a team the Bears shot 51.9% from the field in moving on to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, and big man Josh Lomers put together one of his best showings (14 points, 12 in the second half) of the season. Gerald Lee and Frank Hassell led the Monarchs with 15 points apiece while Kent Bazemore added 13 and seven assists.

Oklahoma City: Northern Iowa 69, Kansas 67 See above.

Providence: Saint Mary's 75, Villanova 68 See above.

San Jose: Butler 54, Murray State 52 The end-game situation went far differently for the Racers on Saturday than it did on Thursday against Vanderbilt. Thanks to the Butler defense the Ohio Valley champs were unable to get a shot off before time expired, advancing the Bulldogs to next week's regional in Salt Lake City despite Matt Howard being in foul trouble throughout. Ronald Nored led the way with 15 points, six assists and some stellar defense while Isaiah Canaan scored 14 off the bench for Murray State.

Notable Performances

New Orleans: G LaceDarius Dunn (Baylor) 26 points and six rebounds (and unfortunately, six turnovers) in the Bears' 76-68 win over Old Dominion.

Oklahoma City: G Jacob Pullen (Kansas State) 34 points (7-12 3PT) and four steals in the Wildcats' 84-72 win over BYU.

Providence: C Omar Samhan (Saint Mary's) 32 points (13-16 FG), seven rebounds and two blocks in the Gaels' 75-68 win over Villanova.

San Jose: G Dairese Gary (New Mexico) Without Gary's efforts (11-20 FG, 25 points) the Lobos would have been beaten far worse than they were, an 82-64 loss to Washington.

Saturday's Scores

East Region
1)Kentucky 90, 9)Wake Forest 60
11)Washington 82, 3)New Mexico 64
Midwest Region
9)Northern Iowa 69, 1)Kansas 67
6)Tennessee 83, 14)Ohio 68
South Region
10)Saint Mary's 75, 2)Villanova 68
3)Baylor 76, 11)Old Dominion 68
West Region
2)Kansas State 84, 7)BYU 72
5)Butler 54, 13)Murray State 52

Kansas St vs North Texas: Odds & Prediction

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:27:34 -0400

Start: Mar 18 2010 - 2:55pm

Team Previews: #2 Kansas St -- #15 North Texas

Vegas Odds: Kansas St by 16 -- Bet at bodog

Why North Texas will win:

UNT is coming into the tourney on a roll, having won 11 games in a row. The Sun Belt is often an underrated league, just look to recent Western Kentucky teams for proof. UNT played 2 other top Big 12 teams earlier on the road and lost by 14 at OSU and 10 at Texas A&M. Now UNT is playing their best and the game is on a neutral court.

Mean Green to Watch:

George Odufuwa, F - 12 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 apg

K-State doesn't have dominant bigs so Odufuwa can hold his own, and more importantly he HAS to hold his own and control the defensive glass to give UNT a chance. Some O-boards wouldn't hurt either.

Why Kansas St will win:

You don't become a Top 10 team for nothing. The Wildcats have beaten 7 tourney teams on the way to a 25-7 season. Jacob Pullen & Denis Clemente form one of the country's best backcourts, but frontcourt contributions from Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly into a great team.

Wildcat to Watch:

Denis Clemente - 16 ppg, 2 rpg, 4 apg

Clemente is not afraid to fire from deep, but occasionally the shots simply don't fall. In their dud loss to Iowa St, Clemente shot 2-12 from three and 5-18 overall.

How it will go down:

North Texas has the pedigree and track record to give K-State trouble. While K-State is the more talented team and will ultimately win, the score may be much closer then K-State fans expect. UNT hasn't lost a game by 15+ all season, which will continue to be true.

Betting Pick: North Texas

Real Pick: Kansas St

West Region Preview & Predictions

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:49:02 -0400

While injuries in recent seasons have dropped a team a seed line few have hovered over a region like the right quadriceps injury to Syracuse center Arinze Onuaku. The Orange were rightfully rewarded for their overall body of work, giving them a one seed. However, how much were the penalized for the fifth-year senior’s injury? Thought by many to be a lock along with Kansas and Kentucky, Syracuse was actually slipped in behind Duke and all the way out to Salt Lake City. Essentially boasting a seven-man rotation with a healthy Onuaku, what happens if he (according to some reports) can’t go the opening weekend?

Do they go small or hope that DaShonte Riley and/or James Southerland can give them something of consequence? They will be tested early, most likely as soon as the second round with a matchup against either Gonzaga or Florida State. Both teams have bodies up front that they can throw at the Orange in attempts of taking advantage of the top-seed’s overall lack of depth. But you’ve still got to account for the likes of Wes Johnson, Andy Rautins, Rick Jackson and the bench combo of Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph. Some may have been quick to jump off the Syracuse bandwagon in light of their loss to Georgetown and Arinze’s injury, but this is still a talented club with a coach who’s won more than 800 games.

Kansas St and Pittsburgh are next in line when it comes to seeding; the Wildcats have one of the most explosive backcourts in the nation (Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente) as well as a deep frontcourt. Pittsburgh bowed out of the Big East Tournament in the quarterfinals but this is not a team to underestimate; Jamie Dixon’s club used the preseason prediction of tenth as motivation to finish second in the nation’s toughest conference. Ashton Gibbs and Jermaine Dixon will need to lead the way but Gary McGhee will have his hands full with Oakland’s Keith Benson, a legit NBA prospect, in the opening round.

Vanderbilt (Murray State) and Butler (UTEP) have first round matchups that could very well result in both going home early. Billy Kennedy’s Racers were the first team to thirty wins on the season and features a high-octane offense where six players average ten points per game, making it extremely difficult to focus on one or two guys to slow down. And UTEP had to sweat on Selection Sunday, despite entering the week in the Top 25, but Tony Barbee’s got a team that could make a run all the way to the second weekend.

Randy Culpepper is an explosive guard that could give Butler fits and Derrick Caracter has the offensive skill and physical bulk to get Matt Howard into foul trouble. But they’ll need Arnett Moultrie and Jeremy Williams to play well up front in order to knock off Gordon Hayward and company. Brad Stevens’ club is tough and thanks to their non-conference schedule more than ready for any challenge they could face. But once again: Howard must stay out of foul trouble. Be it UTEP or possible matchups down the line against Vanderbilt and Syracuse, the Bulldogs will need Howard on the floor in order to be successful.

Other teams to keep tabs on include BYU (if they find a way to win two games they’d be playing a virtual home game in Salt Lake City in the Sweet 16), Xavier (Chris Mack’s team has experience and a solid rotation featuring Jason Love and A10 Player of the Year Jordan Crawford), and a pair of bubble teams that either played their way in (Minnesota) or held their breath until their name showed up on the TV screen (Florida, perhaps the tournament’s lone bubble surpruse). But for all the players who will be featured in the West Regional, it will likely be a right quad that paints the picture of this region in regards to who wins it.

Predictions

West Champion: Syracuse

Sweet 16: UTEP, Xavier and Kansas State

Best 1st Round Game: #12 UTEP vs. #5 Butler

1st Round Upset Possibility: #13 Murray State over #4 Vanderbilt

Scary Underachiever: #11 Minnesota

Sweet 16 “Crasher”: UTEP

Players who can shoot their team to an upset:

G Jimmer Fredette (BYU), G Randy Culpepper (UTEP), G Steven Gray (Gonzaga), F Elias Harris (Gonzaga)

All-Regional Team:

G Jimmer Fredette (BYU), G Jacob Pullen (Kansas State), F Elias Harris (Gonzaga), F Wes Johnson (Syracuse), F Gordon Hayward (Butler)

Poll: Who Will Win the 2010 NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:52:52 -0400

Kansas St 2010 NCAA Tournament Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:03:12 -0400

Kansas State Wildcats

Big 12 Conference (26-7, 11-5)

Big Wins: 12/8 Xavier (71-56), 1/12 Texas A&M (88-65), 3/12 vs Baylor (82-75)

Bad Losses: 11/20 vs Mississippi (74-86), 1/9 at Missouri (68-74), 3/6 Iowa State (82-85)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2008, Second Round loss to Wisconsin

Coach: Frank Martin (1-1 in 1 NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Kansas State has two great scorers in Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. Last season it was Clemente who took over the team, but this time around it is Pullen who is leading the team in the scoring department. Part of the reason for Pullen’s success is because Clemente’s scoring ability is no longer a secret in Big 12 country. However, Pullen has also become a much, much more consistent shooter as an upperclassman. Pullen knocks down 38.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, but he is equally adept at attacking the basket and will get to the free-throw line more than anybody else on the team.

Clemente is also a multi-dimensional scorer who is a capable outside shooter and has the size and experience to finish around the basket. Those two also combine for 7.7 assists per game and stopping both of them on any given night is nearly impossible.

Why They Can Disappoint:

While Clemente and Pullen are capable ballhandlers, the rest of the team commits way too many turnovers. It is understandable on a team that likes to run, but 15.0 turnovers per game is too many for any team that hopes to make a deep tournament run. The other issue for the Wildcats is up front. Coach Frank Martin certainly has options, but Jamar Samuels and Luis Colon seem to be in foul trouble before they even step foot on the floor. Samuels, a 6-7 sophomore, is a good scorer, but he lacks the size to play the five spot. Coach Martin has tried out freshman Wally Judge in the starting lineup as well, but he has been inconsistent. Colon is the least effective scorer of the bunch, but he is the best rebounder and a defensive menace as long as he can stay out of foul trouble.

Who To Watch:

The other two mainstays in the starting five besides Pullen and Clemente are forwards Curtis Kelly and Dominique Sutton. Kelly, a transfer from Connecticut, is a great slasher and the team’s best rebounder. His consistency has been a problem, but he, unlike the rest of the forwards on the team, can stay out of foul trouble. If Kelly is having a good day, he adds a much needed interior scoring threat to the offense and, assuming either Pullen or Clemente are knocking down their long range shots, KSU is difficult to defend. Sutton is not a bad scorer, but he is mostly a solid rebounder on the wing who will always play good defense and be a leader on the floor.

Probable Starters:

Denis Clemente, Senior, Guard, 16.2 ppg, 4.2 apg

Jacob Pullen, Junior, Guard, 18.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.6 spg

Dominique Sutton, Junior, Forward, 7.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg

Curtis Kelly, Junior, Forward, 11.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg

Luis Colon, Senior, Center, 2.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Wally Judge, Freshman, Forward, 3.1 pg, 2.7 rpg

Rodney McGruder, Freshman, Guard, 4.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg

Jamar Samuels, Sophomore, Forward, 11.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 79.9 (13^th in nation, 3^rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 69.3 (196, 8)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.3 (82, 5)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (104, 7)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.6 (125, 7)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.1 (123, 8)

Free-Throw Percentage: 66.5 (247, 8)

Rebound Margin: 5.2 (29, 4)

Assists Per Game: 14.7 (59, 4)

Turnovers Per Game: 15.0 (263, 12)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

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Poll: Who Will Win the Big 12 Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:17:10 -0500

Poll: Who Will Get the Fourth #1 Seed?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:19:01 -0500

College Hoops Tuesday Recap: Gators Knock Off Tennessee

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:17:42 -0500

There was no ignoring the fact that Billy Donovan's Florida Gators needed a win over Tennessee on Tuesday night. While it wouldn't have been a "final straw" one way or the other a win definitely would help their chances of getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. They'd also failed to beat Bruce Pearl's team in three years, a streak the Gators ended with a 75-62 win in Gainesville. Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons led four Florida starters in double figures with nineteen points apiece while Tennessee starters shot just 33.3% (11-for-33) from the field, negating solid performances off the bench from Scotty Hopson (20 points) and Cameron Tatum (13 points).

Florida lost the first meeting by a point due to their inefficient offense (90.9); there were no such issues at the O-Dome as the Gators finished with an offensive efficiency number of 113.6. Also of importance was Tennessee's cold shooting inside of the three-point line; the Vols shot 43.5% on three pointers but just 37.1% from inside the arc, scoring 48% of their points from three-point range. Such is life when your best post player (Wayne Chism) plays just fifteen minutes due to an aggravation of a hip injury and foul trouble. But Florida did what they were supposed to do and took full advantage of his absence.

The Gators blew the game open with a 27-6 run, outrebounding the Vols 38-29 while also outscoring the visitors 32-22 in the paint. Vernon Macklin followed up a solid performance at Ole Miss on Saturday with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Kenny Boynton scored twelve. Is Florida's work done? Not in the slightest; with their final three games coming against Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky the Gators could find themselves in need of a win or two at the SEC Tournament should they go 1-2. 0-3? They'd be in trouble, but the win on Tuesday night at least keeps them going in the right direction.

Three Key Happenings

1. A "silent assassin" sparks Georgetown's second half run at Louisville. Georgetown trailed for essentially the entire first half despite Greg Monroe scoring 12 points due to the quiet performances of Austin Freeman (five points) and Chris Wright (zero points). One of those two, if not both, had to get going for the Hoyas to have any shot of winning at Freedom Hall over a team likely still in need of another marquee victory. And as he's been wont to do in Big East play, Freeman stepped to the forefront, scoring the first eight points of the second half and sparking a 21-2 run that put Georgetown in control of the contest, which they won 70-60. Looking for the most improved player in college basketball? Freeman could very well be the guy for the honor.

"He got going coming out of halftime - I told him I need you to be aggressive," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. "He can be aggressive and not force it. He can be aggressive and yet still make the correct pass to his teammate. It's what he did for most of the second half (quote courtesy of uoflsports.com)." Freeman is averaging just over twenty points per game in Big East play and he's a big reason why the Hoyas still have realistic hopes of earning a double-bye in the Big East Tournament. Credit should also be given to the Georgetown reserves, who scored ten points in the first half to keep the team within striking distance, giving Freeman more than enough time to find his shot.

2. Evansville pulls another shocker and likely makes the Missouri Valley a one-bid league. The Purple Aces have just two league wins on the season, but the surprising aspect of those wins is who they've beaten. Just two weeks after beating Wichita State at home for their first MVC win, Marty Simmons' squad (which has just one senior) picked off the Panthers 55-54 in the final game of UNI center Jordan Eglseder's three-game suspension. Can this be written off due to his absence? Possibly but after beating both Creighton and Old Dominion without Eglseder Ben Jacobson's team may be best served to simply win "Arch Madness" next month and not chance a run with the selection committee. The win also maked the Purple Aces' first over a ranked opponent since 2003 (#9 Creighton), and it also underlines the double standard that exists between the BCS leagues and the rest of the college basketball landscape.

If a game like this happens in the Big East (ex.- DePaul beating Syracuse) or SEC (LSU knocks off Kentucky) it's simply brushed under a rug and chalked up to "that's how tough the league is". UNI gets no such mulligans, and while it's definitely unfair the "rules" have been known for some time. The task now for Northern Iowa is to take care of business against Illinois State and then take care of business in St. Louis. Anything less means putting their NCAA Tournament fate in someone else's hands, and you don't want to chance that.

3. Guard play is a major reason why Kansas State could make a run in March. Denis Clemente may not have reached the mark of 21 points for the fifth time in the Wildcats' last six games but Jacob Pullen more than made up for that with his 28 points to lead KSU to an 83-64 win at Texas Tech. The Wildcats shot 47.5% from the field and assisted on half of their 28 made field goals, also out-rebounding the Red Raiders 39-29. John Roberson led Texas Tech with 15 points but he and Nick Okorie (13 points) were no match for the Wildcat duo. Add in Jamar Samuels' double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds and K-State didn't have to withstand much of a challenge in Lubbock.

Pullen scored 21 in the first half as the Wildcats took a ten-point lead into the locker room, and then it was Clemente who scored ten in the second half. If you take away one the other can go to work, with Tuesday night's showing only being the most recent example of what Frank Martin's team can be capable of when these two are playing well. At this rate the Wildcats could be a solid three-seed in the NCAA Tournament and with the Big 12 Tournament they could bump themselves up a line with a tournament title. But regardless of their seed this is a team to be accounted for thanks in large part to Clemente and Pullen.

Top Three Games

1. Evansville 55, Northern Iowa 54 See above.

2. New Mexico 72, Colorado St 66 The Lobos pulled one out in Fort Collins thanks in large part to Dairese Gary (23 points), Roman Martinez (17 points and 12 rebounds) and Darington Hobson (15 points, 10 rebounds). Adam Nigon led the Rams with 23 but it wasn't enough to prevent New Mexico from winning their 12th straight.

3. Gardner-Webb 77, Presbyterian 76 (OT) A Grayson Flittner three pointer with two seconds remaining gave the Runnin' Bulldogs the one-point win on the road. Anton Silver led the winners with 25 while Chase Holmes and Jake Troyli led the Blue Hose with eighteen apiece.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Rick Jackson and G Andy Rautins (Syracuse) Both scored 28 points in Syracuse's 99-85 win at Providence, with the oft-overlooked Jackson adding nine rebounds and three assists.

2. G Austin Freeman and F Greg Monroe (Georgetown) Freeman scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half of the Hoyas' 70-60 win at Louisville while Monroe added 16 points and 14 rebounds.

3. G Patrick Mitchell (North Dakota) Mitchell made ten of thirteen shots from behind the arc on his way to 33 points (and nine rebounds) in the Fighting Sioux's 90-78 win over NJIT.

Also, congratulations to Philadelphia University head coach Herb Magee, who passed Bob Knight with his 903rd coaching win on Tuesday night with PhilaU's 76-65 win over Goldey-Beacom College.

Poll: Who is the Big 12 MVP So Far?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:34:43 -0500

Kansas St vs Kansas: Big Game in the Little Apple

Kevin McNeill — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:49:15 -0500

One of the biggest games of the season, and possibly the best game of the weekend, will take place in one of the most unlikely places - Manhattan, Kansas.

That’s where the ESPN Game Day crew will in all probability witness their largest crowd ever for the show, and where Kansas State will arguably play their most important regular season game in decades, when they face off against in-state rival Kansas.

The game may well have more implications than the one played against the Jayhawks exactly two years ago to the day, when super-frosh Michael Beasley not only guaranteed victory but delivered one for the Wildcats, scoring 25 points. The win snapped a 24 game losing streak at home to their in state rival, dating back to 1983, and handed Kansas their first loss of the season.

That was obviously huge, but a win Saturday could be even bigger for Kansas State. That’s because the #13 ranked Wildcats can actually find themselves right in the thick of the conference race for the final four weeks of the season with a victory, seeking their first ever Big 12 championship (although they won the old Big 8 regular season title several times).

Its hard to believe that it was less than three years ago that Bob Huggins stunned the Kansas State community by announcing he would leave just one year into his tenure to take over at his alma mater, West Virginia. The Wildcat faithful watched in horror as their best recruiting class in history, and subsequently most promising season in a generation, suddenly was in danger of collapsing and following Coach Huggins to Morgantown.

Kansas State acted swiftly to keep their talented freshmen on campus, most notably Bill Walker and Beasley. To that end, they promoted Huggins’ longtime assistant and top recruiter, Frank Martin, to head coach.

The move worked, the freshman class stayed in Manhattan (Walker reportedly threatened to transfer if Martin wasn’t retained), but Wildcat fans openly wondered what it might cost them in the long run. After all, not only was this Martin’s first ever head coaching job at the college level, but his last stint as head coach with Miami Senior High School ended with his termination and the school being stripped of a state championship for recruiting violations. Martin was later cleared of all wrongdoing, but the damage to his reputation remained.

Yet, that season, Coach Martin guided the Wildcats to their first NCAA berth in 12 years, and their first NCAA Tournament victory since the Mitch Richmond era. He followed that up the following season with a surprising 22-win campaign, and a 4th place finish in the Big 12, despite losing four starters - including Beasley.

This season, Martin has them on the brink of another dream season for Wildcat fans, especially if they can defeat the Jayhawks on Saturday.

Kansas comes in on a tear after being shocked by a depleted Tennessee squad three weeks ago. Since the Jayhawks relinquished their #1 ranking they have won five in a row, four of them by double digits, including the last game – the first Border War game against hated Missouri - that was essentially over before halftime.

Now, KU has the top ranking back firmly in their sites after Kentucky’s stunning loss to South Carolina this week.

There is so much at stake. Win, and K-State sits at 5-2 in the Big 12, and would be just one game behind Kansas for first place in the conference. Texas would still be in second place, assuming they defeat Baylor at home, but after the Wildcats upset the then-#1 Longhorns last week, they should own any tiebreaker should they finish the regular season with the same record (they don’t play Texas again).

Conversely, the Jayhawks would make quite a statement as to who should be favored to cut down the nets in Indianapolis should they walk out of Bramlage Coliseum with a victory.

It will be very interesting to see if anyone can slow down Cole Aldrich, who has been an absolute force for the Jayhawks lately, and whether Jacob Pullen is truly over his slump. Another thing to watch for is just how well Kansas State can handle the pressure and atmosphere of such a big game. The Wildcats currently lead the Big 12 in personal fouls, by quite a bit, and also commit 16 turnovers a game, good enough to lead the conference in that dubious category as well.