Kansas State Basketball

This year's edition of the Sweet Sixteen includes some mainstays as well as some upstarts. Here is a breakdown of the four games coming at us on Thursday.

Syracuse vs. Butler

Guards

The Orange have arguably the best backcourt in college basketball. Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine bring different elements to the table at the point and Andy Rautins is the definitive team leader and three-point sharpshooter. This is enough for most teams to think about but Wesley Johnson also slides between small forward and guard and can shoot the three.

Butler has a nice combo of Shelvin Mack, Willie Veasley and Ronald Nored but are a little undersized to handle the Syracuse group. They need to control the pace and hit a high percentage of their threes to try and stretch the Syracuse zone.

Edge: Syracuse

Forwards

Rick Jackson struggle on Sunday against Gonzaga, showing that he is more suited to a complementary role as a post player. Kris Joseph can be explosive as well and the versatile Johnson will be used in some situations up front as well. The health of Arinze Onuaku is an issue. He would be a huge asset in this game to expose Butler's depth down low.

Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward are a solid duo. Hayward is actually a combo guard/forward much like Johnson. After that, the Bulldogs are very thin. Howard has a history of getting into foul trouble and if this is the case Thursday, the game could be over before halftime.

Edge: Syracuse

Keys to the Game

Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins destroyed Gonzaga as the Zags were unable to match up well with the Syracuse guards. Gordon Hayward is a solid two-way player that needs to be able to shut down one of the two. Rautins is the guy. When he struggles, Syracuse tends to struggle and Johnson can do so many things it would be tough for anyone to shut him down.  The Bulldogs also need to shoot threes with some proficiency and attack the back of the zone quickly with a baseline runner.

In the End...

Syracuse is too athletically gifted in all positions for Butler to handle. It's hard to count out a team that has won 22 in a row but their relative lack of size and depth up front will hurt. The 'Cuse moves on.

Washington vs. West Virginia

Guards

Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla have both struggled at the point for the Mountaineers. Steady play from either of them would be huge. Da'Sean Butler has been the saviour for the team and needs another big game. These guys will defend as hard as anyone.

The Huskies' Isaiah Thomas was outstanding against Marquette and New Mexico, handing out 15 assists while turning it over only 3 times. He also averaged 17 points per game. Venoy Overton and Elston Turner, who was solid in both wins as well, are capable contributors as well.

Edge: Washington

Forwards

This could be where West Virginia's depth shows up. The Mountaineers have any number of forwards to play any number of roles, although they lack a true center. Devin Ebanks leads a group that includes Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Wellington Smith and Cam Thoroughman.

Quincy Pondexter has been outstanding almost all season for the Huskies. However, help is limited in the front court. Matthew Bryan-Amaning is a steady, unspectacular player but Washington is very thin up front.

Edge: West Virginia

Keys to the Game

Pace. Washington has to try and get up and down, something Missouri was unable to do against WV. The Mountaineers are not a good shooting team so the Huskies have to try and grab the lead and put pressure on the Mountaineers to go quickly.

In the end...

Not many teams have been able to speed WV up and this game will be no different. West Virginia will keep winning ugly.

Xavier vs Kansas State

Guards

Kansas State is led by the explosive tandem of Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen, either of whom can get hot and stay hot. Both are also good defensively and can be distributors as well. Martavius Irving and Rodney McGruder add some depth, but not much scoring, off of the bench.

Jordan Crawford will draw the most attention from KSU defenders. His ability to shoot from long distance and to drive to the hoop make him an ongoing concern. Terrell Holloway has emerged as a solid point man who doesn't turn it over. Dante Jackson is a solid defender and can knock down shots if necessary. Mark Lyons and Brad Redford add more depth.

Edge: Even

Forwards

Where to begin? Jamar Samuels, the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year has been superb coming off of the bench this season. Add in Dominique Sutton, Wally Judge, Luis Colon and Curtis Kelly, all of whom contribute on the boards, and this front court can be nasty. Offensive rebounds are their specialty.

Jason Love has emerged as a leader and clutch performer for Xavier this season. Jamel McLean has been solid at both ends and is second to Love in rebounding. Kenny Frease is another big body down low who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, either.

Edge: Kansas State

Keys to the Game

If Xavier big men can stay out of foul trouble, the Musketeers may be able to avenge and earlier 15-point loss to the Wildcats. KSU will have trouble matching up against Crawford as almost every other team does but should be able to control Holloway and company. K State needs to value the ball every possession - turnovers can be their Achilles heel.

In the end...

This will be a close game. Xavier is a very, very good team. So is Kansas State. Their ability to rebound, especially in the offensive zone will determine the outcome of this game. The Wildcats move on.

Cornell vs. Kentucky

Guards

Louis Dale has been a lesser-known entity until this tournament - always steady but spectacular in the first two games against Temple and Wisconsin, two very good defensive teams. Chris Wroblewski and Geoff Reeves are good outside shooters to compliment their point man.

What hasn't been said about John Wall. Well, okay then, I won't say it. He controls the game with his speed and his ability to simply make plays, whether it be shots or passes. Eric Bledsoe can shoot the lights out and DeAndre Liggins, Darnell Dodson  and Darius Miller provide size and depth in the backcourt.

Edge: Kentucky

Forwards

Jeff Foote is a solid big man in the post, offensively and defensively but the star is Ryan Wittman who averages 17 points per game and shoots 43% from three-point range. Jon Jacques provides some offense but Wittman will be the primary focus of the Wildcat defence.

DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson are the best duo in the country. They score, they defend and they create huge match-up problems for opposing teams. Daniel Orton would start on most teams that are still in the tournament as well. Patterson has deferred to teammates for most of the season and is due for a huge game.

Edge: Kentucky

Keys to the Game

Cornell has to shoot well - and they usually do. They won't be flustered playing Kentucky, especially since they should have some support this close to home. Kentucky has to use their advantage inside early and often. Cornell lacks overall depth and any foul trouble is serious for them. If the Big Red can force Kentucky, somehow, to shoot threes, then they have a shot.

In the end...

Much as I, and many others who like the underdog, want to see Cornell prevail, Kentucky has too many weapons and too much talent. The Big Red haven't seen defence like they will see on Thursday. Kentucky wins.

           Jacob Pullen is the heart and soul of the Kansas State Wildcats. He can score, rebound, get assists, he can steal he can even block. he averages 19.4 points per game that is more than John Wall and almost more than Evan Turner. Kansas State has one other star, Denis Clemente. The thing is that without Pullen's passing skills Clemente would never get the ball and become the player he is now. Pullen is also an intimidating defender. He can force turnovers like he did in the win to BYU, he can play tight defense and he can block shots like he was doing to Jimmer Fredette.

         Pullen is a game changer there is no question about it. When Kansas State is losing, he always finds a way to get them back on top especially in the tournament. So far, in the tourney, he has made his stats go up and his team's Winn Loss record. Now that Pullen is maturing, Kansas State could go pretty deep into the tournament. Especially if they play like they did against BYU. Overall, Pullen is a very balanced player which is why he is so valuable in this league. He can run, he can score, he can rebound, he is the whole package. Without Pullen Kansas State would not be this far in the tournament, infact they might not even be in the tourney at all!

       The biggest challenge that Pullen is going to face will be the Syracuse Orange. If they can make it to the elite eight than that will probably be their opponent. Syracuse is a up and down team. If Pullen gets the Orange in a deep whole the game will be in the bag. If they do pull off the upset, their probable opponent will be the Duke Blue Devils. The Orange and Duke are similar. They have up and down days. If Pullen forces turnovers then they will be on to the National Championship.

         Now that Kansas is out, Kansas state's probable opponents are either West Virginia or Kentucky. For Kentucky, it's simple. If you shut down Cousins and Wall, you win. Unfortunately, for west Virginia it is a lot harder. First, you have to shut down Dasean Butler then Devin Ebanks and then Wellington Smith. An example of a team that didn't do that well is Georgetown in the Big East championship game. Lets hope Pullen executes for the rest of the tourney because if he does, we could just be cutting down the nets.

North Texas vs. Kansas State – Thursday, March 18th

Okla. City, OK - West Region 11:40 am

Betting Odds: The 2nd-seed Wildcats are the favorite at -16 (-110), N. Texas +16 (-110)
Over/Under: 148.5
MoneyLine: OFF

Team Records:
Kansas State – 26-7 SU,
North Texas – 24-8 SU

This game is in the West regional bracket and will be played in Oklahoma City.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR EXPERT PLAYS FOR THIS MATCHUP

The North Texas Mean Green (sounds like it should be in a Disney movie, right?) will do their best to represent the Sun Belt conference, but they’ll be up against a tough opponent in Kansas State. For North Texas to have a chance in the match-up, the Mean Green needs a sustained performance, from their dynamite guard duo of juniors Josh White and Tristan Thompson.

Junior forward George Odufuwa also must be assertive, especially on the offensive glass (his average of double-digit rebounds per game must translate in this opening-round tilt).

Kansas State has a fantastic duo of its own with guard Denis Clemente and forward Curtis Kelly--And we aren’t even counting the team’s leading scorer, junior Jacob Pullen, who paced the Wildcats with 18.9 PPG. Head coach Frank Martin and the troops were unable to topple daunting in-state rival Kansas, losing to them three times.

Other than that, the Wildcats looked very impressive in 2009-10.

With Clemente, the speedy 6”1 Puerto Rican, the Wildcats can raise the tempo to an aggressive pace; North Texas must be prepared to run. The Mean Green has the effective triumvirate of White, Thompson and Odufuwa, which is what a starting five needs in college for effectiveness.

However, as the seeding indicates in this match-up, North Texas will be scrapping with a competitive Big 12 program.

As the line indicates, North Texas winning this game would be an upset that stunned everybody.

Betting Trends:

Wildcats are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games
Wildcats are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games as a favorite
Wildcats are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS loss
Wildcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a SU loss
Mean Green Eagles are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600
Mean Green Eagles are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win
Mean Green Eagles are 5-0-2 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog of 13.0 or greater
Mean Green Eagles are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Big 12
Over is 5-0 in Wildcats last 5 neutral site games as a favorite
Over is 9-1 in Wildcats last 10 games following a SU loss

Mean Green vs. Wildcats Free Tournament Pick: Kansas State can do it up front and with guard play; the ‘Cats will also likely control the tempo. Thus, the Mean Green’s guard duo of White and Thompson must shoot the lights out in Oklahoma City to even have a hope of keeping pace.

Score Prediction: Kansas State 74 – North Texas 61

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I’m not going to sit here and say Kansas State would have won tonight if Jacob Pullen would have been his usual self, but it sure would have been nice to find out.

Instead, Pullen scored just 13 and shot 5-17 from the field, including just 1-of-8 on threes, a few of which were wide open. Sure, that’s kind of evened out by the fact that Jamar Samuels made his first four, but he was left wide alone all night. I’m left with no other conclusion than that KU’s scouting report inexplicably said Samuels has no range.

It sure was tough to watch Pullen play for 37 minutes and struggle as much as he did, although his defense on Collins was outstanding for most of the night. For a guy that has been at his best in big games and done well historically against KU, it was a terribly unfortunate time to have an off-night.

When you’re as good as Kansas State, it’s not too hard to find missed opportunities in every loss, and tonight was no different.

In reality, Pullen’s struggles were just the latest in a long line of excuses to cover up the fact that Kansas has been better than Kansas State for almost my entire life.

Kansas earned the win tonight, and they’ll deservedly get a lot of credit for their performance. You’ll just have to pardon me if I don’t want to give it. Feel free to insert “and Kansas made it difficult” after every sentence that reads like an excuse.

For someone whose memory doesn’t extend beyond the early ’90s, it’s difficult to even imagine a Kansas State loss against Kansas. In my mind, a single digit loss like tonight is counted as a partial victory. Losing to Kansas is like posing for pictures on a family vacation. I hate doing it, but I’ve learned to live with it because I feel like I have no choice.

In years like this where it happens three times, it’s a bit more painful.

I was at least encouraged tonight by the crowd split, which was only about 60-40 Kansas fans, rather than 80-20 like past Big 12 tourney battles. That might have something to do with the fact that K-State was facing No. 1 seed KU as a No. 2 seed in the championship instead of as an 8 or 9 seed in the quarterfinals. Just a guess.

I could go on with several personal tales of tragedy in the KU-KSU series, or type out some numbers for those of you who don’t understand how bad it truly has been. In the interest of my self-esteem, though, let’s skip that part and take a look at some of the things Kansas State did right tonight.

Again, the ‘Cats brought the energy and proved beyond a doubt that they are not the team that lost to Iowa State last week and will be tough in the tourney. They couldn’t out-rebound the Jayhawks, but the Wildcats did force 11 turnovers and prevented KU from making one of its patented “time-to-take-over-this-game” runs.

Speaking of turnovers, Kansas State committed just five, which is incredible against a Kansas defense that forced almost 14 per game in Big 12 play. Denis and Jake had just one each, while Colon touched the ball and even dribbled it once without ever giving it to the Jayhawks. Amazing.

Clemente was Kansas State’s player of the tournament, and he did his best to make up for Pullen’s lack of offense Saturday night. The three-pointer he hit while trying to draw a foul from the baseline was perhaps the most ridiculous shot he’s made all season, which is really saying something.*

Jamar Samuels was excellent again, as noted earlier. I challenge anyone to find another team whose sixth man can play 33 minutes and not have it be too unusual. I’m not sure what this means, but if it’s what Samuels needs to be successful, then let’s keep it going.

Kansas State also did a decent job of adapting to the different Kansas defenses.

The Jayhawks did play a significant amount of the triangle-and-two that baffled the Wildcats in Lawrence (even when Clemente was out for a bit, which was odd), and Frank had obviously prepared a strategy. It worked fairly well, although it would have been a lot more effective if guys like Curtis Kelly could have actually made the shots found in the open spots in the zone.

After about 10 minutes of settling for too many jump shots, the Wildcats did a decent job of attacking the rim and challenging Kansas’ big men.

Kansas State even succeeded in the virtually impossible task of fouling out Cole Aldrich, for only the second time in the big man’s career.

Curiously, the team that leads the country with more than 30 free throws attempted each game got only 14 Saturday night, including zero (ZERO!) in the first half. I don’t like to blame officials, but that is one heck of a statistical anomaly.

At the end of the night, though, it’s going to be tough to beat the No. 1 team in the country when you’re only shooting 35 percent, missing layups, and can never seem to make more than two shots in a row. Kansas State’s Achilles heel, bench scoring, was especially weak Saturday.

I’m getting sick of writing about this, but it seems like the gap between Kansas State’s five best players and the rest of the team is widening, which is the opposite of good news. Frank has noticed, which is why four of those five played 30-plus minutes tonight, including 37 each for Pullen and Clemente. Kelly only played 22 minutes because he was in foul trouble the majority of the night.

Luis Colon and bench players who weren’t named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year scored just nine points on 4-of-15 shooting, and seven of those points came from Wally Judge. That would be the same Wally Judge who was a McDonald’s All-American and now looks so tentative and unaware going up inside that most 5′11″ guards could probably block half the layups he puts up in traffic. Wally, why not use that strength and incredible ups you possess?

Selection Sunday, of course, is tomorrow and it’s almost a lock that Kansas and Kansas State will be playing in the same building again next weekend in Oklahoma City. Fortunately, it won’t be in the same game. Kansas will be the No. 1 overall seed, and Kansas State will be a No. 2 seed.

It would be wonderful if the ‘Cats could get in a region with Duke, and then maybe Wisconsin or Purdue as a No. 3 seed, especially after the way the Boilermakers played today.^ Then again, Lunardi actually has dropped Purdue to a four-seed in his latest bracketology. Right now, Lunardi has Kansas State with Syracuse and Pitt, which terrifies me. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

 

The records show that in 1988, Kansas State beat Kansas in Lawrence and Kansas City by double digits. Sure, the Jayhawks won in Manhattan by a point, but it’s easy to see who dominated the first three games.

Of course, then Danny Manning and the miracles, as a No. 6 seed, shocked the fourth-seeded Wildcats by 13 in the Elite Eight en route to the school’s most improbable national championship. It’s time for some payback.

In my dream world, Kansas State would beat Kansas in Indianapolis on April 5, preferably by double digits. A last-second Jacob Pullen three to win would also be acceptable. I’m not sure if that could erase all the pain Kansas basketball has inflicted upon me in my lifetime, but it would be a great start.

I’ll be watching closely tomorrow to see if the committee can keep that dream alive. Here’s to hope….

*It should be noted it wasn’t even close to the craziest shot he’s attempted all season, but that’s a concern I’m going to overlook for now. He was surprisingly under control against Kansas, and I’m still amazed that he averaged seven assists per game this weekend.

^I exchanged the following text messages with my brother, a Purdue grad student, when the score was 36-9: Me–“Just saw the Purdue score. What the fuck?”
My brother–“Only etwaun has taken shots. He has not made any.”

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This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley  

Follow Ahearn Alley on Twitter: @AhearnAlley

Just one week ago, Kansas State was as much of a sure thing for at least a #2 seed as Brazil is to make the World Cup every four years.

Even after a predictable mid-week setback in Lawrence, the Wildcats seemed to have the inside track to the 4th No. 1 seed. Suddenly, though, Frank Martin’s squad is looking like it could Lemon its way into a No. 3 seed.

After that disaster on Saturday, Joe Lunardi has the ‘Cats as a No. 2 seed, but I don’t think they’re standing on solid ground. So, what do the Wildcats need to do to ensure they don’t slip all the way down to No. 3?

Well, a win in the first round of the Big 12 tourney would seem to be almost mandatory, barring other major upsets. That won’t be easy, with Oklahoma State the likely opponent if they can knock off Oklahoma. The Cowboys are a dangerous team, especially if First-Team All Big 12 caliber guard James Anderson gets hot. Plus, let’s not forget that Oklahoma State actually beat Kansas State in Manhattan.

Oddly enough, it might actually be a good thing that the Wildcats don’t play any more home games this season. Kansas State hasn’t been close to its best at Bramlage for a full 40 minutes since a hard-fought OT loss to Kansas on Jan. 30, and the Wildcats were 10-3 away from Manhattan this season. That should help them in the eyes of the selection committee.

But I wonder if it will mean bad news for Kansas State in Oklahoma City, their most likely destination for the first two rounds. It seems absurd to say, but maybe this team would actually do better if it was shipped out to one of the coasts, far away from its legions of adoring fans.

Maybe the biggest question mark in terms of seeding is the most obvious sore spot on the Wildcats’ resume: the lack of a signature win (thanks a lot, Texas). Brigham Young is the only other team in the AP Top 20 who does not have a win against a top 15 team. The Wildcats’ best win came at No. 21 Baylor.

Of course, that unsettling statistic does come with a major caveat. The only team in the top 20 that Kansas State has played is No. 1 Kansas, and there’s no shame in losing to the Jayhawks. Still, you have to wonder how the committee will factor that into their decision.

On the bright side, Kansas State has beaten a lot of above-average teams this season. The Wildcats are 6-2 against NCAA tournament teams not named Kansas, plus 2-0 against teams in the first eight out (according to Lunardi’s latest bracketology). That includes wins against Baylor, No. 23 Texas A&M and No. 24 Xavier. It would seem to be a strong indicator that Kansas State does belong in that upper tier, even if they haven’t gotten a chance to prove it definitively.

In the end, a win against Oklahoma State (or Oklahoma) on Thursday should be enough to help the Wildcats remain a No. 2 seed, but a win on Friday against Baylor or Texas (or Iowa St.?) would certainly cement that status. If Ohio St. and Duke lose their next game, and West Virginia and Purdue don’t pull any upsets, maybe the ‘Cats could even snag that final No. 1 seed with at least a decent performance against Kansas on Saturday.

But even if Kansas State were as successful and savvy as Jack Donaghy , that would be a bit ambitious.

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This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley  

Follow Ahearn Alley on Twitter: @AhearnAlley

Wally Judge began his stay at Kansas State this season and has been presented with the opportunity to spark this front court.

Wally Judge came into KSU, known as a dominating player after being featured in the ESPNU 100 and nabbed as a McDonald's All-American.

We all knew he possessed strong offensive talent. He has exceptional size and knows how to move his feet in the post very well. He can step out and shoot relatively well for a man of his size, and possesses great leaping ability.

He can bring you defensive intensity in the post. Have some of the quickest hands I have seen on a Kansas State big man in a while. On the offensive end, he doesn't have to always have his back towards the basket. He is known for the face up, where he shows off his dribbling skills to either get to the rim and finish or knock down the post jumper from the side.

This season Wally Judge was what I call a "reliever." When front court players needed a rest, Wally would step in and play the role. He was a high-energy man so no matter how long you kept him on the court; he was still going to play inspired basketball. 

With Wally in the game you can always expect him to go after the loose balls, and do all the little things right to get the Wildcats a basket.

Just today the whole Wildcat organization was notified about the player awards in the Big 12. Although Judge wasn't mentioned in any category, he is a freshman to look out for. This season he hasn't played to his full ability. One reason is his lack of playing time.

Yeah I know it sounds like I’m making excuses for the player but when presented with minutes you will get a lot out of Wally Judge.

In one of their recent games against soon number one Kansas, he had the duties of holding center Cole Aldrich. In that game Wally held the center relatively well. He held Cole shooting under his season average, while playing very physical on the center down low. If I’m Frank Martin, I don't mind the fouls on Judge. It shows you how physical he was playing against the All-American center.

In that game he also showed his leaping ability. Off a missed shot, Wally Judge followed it up with a vicious put-back dunk.

I don't know about you, but this sounds like a future superstar to me.

Wally is such a capable and skilled post guy, with time he is going to start using his size down-low to make him un-stoppable.

With talent on the Kansas State frontcourt Wally Judge was not able to showcase his whole arsenal, although the departure of Colon will open up minutes for 6'10'' forward.

Last season, the surprise team in the Big 12 was the Missouri Tigers.

As Missouri kept climbing the polls and entered the top 10, it became obvious that the Tigers were either going to have to pay Mike Anderson a lot more money or he would get that big paycheck somewhere else.

Missouri’s athletic department waited until April 13 —16 days after the Tigers were beaten in the Elite Eight—to finalize a seven-year contract that gave Coach Anderson a $700,000 raise to $1.55 million per year.

As a result, after nearly every game this month, Anderson was asked the same questions about whether he wanted to stay at Missouri—especially by the national media. Some rumors started that the Big 12 Coach of the Year was headed to Georgia, or back home to Alabama.

That’s why Kansas State should be commended for announcing the agreement of a new deal today, even if the timing is a little awkward after last night’s disaster.

It’s impossible to say whether situations like Missouri’s last year affect a team’s play on the court but, without question, it’s guaranteed that there will be no distractions this year.

Martin has to be the frontrunner for Big 12 Coach of the Year, so there’s little doubt that the market dictated that he should get the raise from $760,000 to $1.2 million per year, with that base increasing yearly until it hits $1.6 million in 2014-2015. Whether or not he deserves it given his job and the current economic climate is an entirely different debate, and one I really don’t want to get into on this blog.

The decision doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering how passionate Frank is about his players and how much he and his wife, Anya, seem to like living in Manhattan, but stranger things have happened.

This contract should go a long way in silencing the voices in the heads of Kansas State fans that remind them how much Frank Martin respects his former mentor, Bob Huggins—you know, the shady-looking character who slithered out of his contract just one year after Kansas State took a risk and saved him from coaching purgatory. Many fans (myself included) still haven’t forgiven him.

Although some fans at rival Big 12 schools might have liked to see Frank go, I think the biggest loser with this new contract has to be Jason Whitlock. In the last two years, his opinions on Frank have ranged from “inexperienced coach who boils from start to finish” (sorry, the column has been eliminated from the Star ’s website) to someone who needs to be rewarded immediately for his accomplishments.

After last night, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was just beginning to work on his column predicting that Martin would soon be driving out of Manhattan in a Hummer with his middle finger in the air.

This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley  

Follow Ahearn Alley on Twitter: @AhearnAlley

Unbelievable.

I’m still in a slight state of shock right now, but I feel like I’ll sleep better if I take a stab at analyzing what we can take from this game and where Kansas State goes from here.

First of all, let me say that I was unreasonably confident that Kansas State would win for most of the game. First half struggles? See Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri. Not a problem. Ice-cold perimeter shooting? This team is smart enough to use its favorable matchups inside (wrong).

I was growing concerned when it was still a two-three possession game when under five minutes left, but when Denis Clements hit that three to tie it, a huge part of my brain told me this game was over. After all, this is Iowa State, a team that has made an entire season of losing close games, and they’re only this close because they outhustled a Kansas State team that wasn’t 100 percent focused yet.

Then Brackins fouled out, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought the Wildcats couldn’t possibly lose a five-minute game to a 14-16 team without its star, who should be second team All-Big 12. Wrong again.

I think the part where I changed my mind was probably somewhere between the realization that Kansas State wasn’t adjusting to the obvious strategy of Iowa State screening to get Samuels on Garrett, and the eye-opening revelation that Clemente and Pullen couldn’t get a decent shot against those annoying Cyclone guards and weren’t willing to look hard for the big men. Curtis Kelly missed one shot all game! Give him the ball!

Anyway, we all saw what happened. Kansas State managed to lose to a terrible team, while shooting nine more free throws and making about 15 percent better than their season average. It got outrebounded by a team that is tenth in the Big 12 in rebounding (oddly, third in conference-only games, to be fair) on senior night, on its home floor.

Sources tell me that Frank skipped his usual postgame radio interview and no one came out of the locker room until about 90 minutes after the game. That sounds about right.

That’s enough of that, so now I want to turn to a painful but fair question asked by Hiphopopotamus * in the comments section of my last post. He asked: “was today cause for legitimate concern, or just one of those days?”

Upon spelling out this name, for the first time I took a close look at it and realized the clever play on words. Props to you, sir.

Certainly, it’s a bit alarming that Kansas State’s offense was fairly terrible for the third straight game, although at least they got 13 assists. Also, it’s a real concern that they continue to get absolutely no production from the bench.

For senior day and complete lack of talent based reasons, Dominique Sutton and Jamar Samuels count as starters, while Colon and Merrieweather are bench players. To underscore that point, Colon and Merrieweather played 16 and 8 minutes, respectively. Sutton and Samuels played 27 and 29.

However, for two reasons, I’m going to look through my purple-shaded glasses and say that Kansas State’s going to be OK.

First, I have to believe that Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente will not be shooting 3-21 from three-point range again anytime soon. I wish I could explain why it happened tonight, but this is like Kanye West’s massive botching of his set at Bonnaroo. It won’t happen again, and they’ll redeem themselves. Indianapolis is kind of close to Chicago.

Second, Kansas State lost this game largely due to the fact that they were outhustled. This one’s even harder to explain, considering it was senior night, but Frank probably blew a couple gaskets after the game that will hopefully prevent this from being a problem. Plus, I would think these guys would like a Big 12 championship and realize how important every game is from here on out.

That’s about all I can do for tonight. One final note of irony: Kansas State came into the night with free throw shooting as one of its biggest weaknesses (and it’s still a major concern for the postseason), but at one point made 20 in a row. Jacob Pullen even made one when he was trying to miss. Ay caramba.

There’s still a lot to be said about what this does to K-State’s tournament seeding, their psyche, and the scouting report for the Big 12 tournament, and even Frank Martin’s late-game coaching abilities, but they don’t play until Thursday. That leaves us* plenty of time.

P.S. Iowa State, I apologize for underestimating you. You do deserve some credit, and you really could be a good team in the not-too-distant future. Greg McDermott appears to be on the right track.

This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley .

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Well, that sure seemed familiar.

Yeah, 18-6 is slightly better than 18-0, and it was nice to tie the game at 45 rather than stop at 45-42, but the similarities between this year’s game and last year’s were just downright eerie. 82-65 feels just about the same as 87-71.

The fact is, when you go into Allen Fieldhouse and get down early, you might be able to crawl back with a monumental effort, but Kansas pulling away in the end is an almost inevitable third step. For a K-State fan, that recipe is almost as painful to watch as Cole Aldrich’s free throw shooting motion.

When Denis Clemente hit the three to even the score, I’ll admit it, I thought Kansas State had a chance to score the upset. Looking back, it should have been obvious that KU would regroup and put away the tired Wildcats, especially since Kansas has an impressive but also worrisome ability to switch gears unlike almost any team in the country.

The Jayhawks tried some unique things to stop Clemente and Pullen, including the rarely-used triangle-and-two defense. Still, Kansas State’s prolific guards still did what they needed and combined for 41 points by hitting some incredible shots, most notably a 30-footer from Pullen that might have gotten him benched if it hadn’t gone in.

Unfortunately, Kansas State’s third-leading scorer was Wally Judge with a whopping six points.

As a result, by the end of the night, Pullen and Clemente were being depended on so much that they were trying to score over (through?) the Big 12’s best interior defender, with predictably disastrous results.

Maybe I was the only one to do this, but I couldn’t help seeing the report on the Knicks game and wonder what last night’s game would have been like if would-be senior Bill Walker was still around. You know, if we lived in a universe where money didn’t matter .

Back in reality, Kansas State’s offense is suddenly a growing concern. A week ago, the Wildcats had one of the most efficient offenses in the country with more than 80 points per game. Then Frank’s boys were held under 68 points for the first two times all season. Last night, Kansas State averaged one assist for every ten minutes. Yikes.

So what’s the problem? Well, it certainly doesn’t help that Missouri and Kansas have the fourth and first-ranked scoring defenses in the conferences, respectively. But I’m afraid that’s not the whole story.

Dominique Sutton has taken a huge step backwards in his last three games after a combined 32 points against Nebraska and Oklahoma. The only two big guys that can really be depended on for scoring, Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels, seem to have lost some of their ability to create their own shots. For most of the season, backup guards Martavious Irving and Rodney McGruder have been fickle at best.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to quickly lay some blame on ESPN for making Wally Judge’s appearance on the offensive end so brief Wednesday night. After his putback dunk, one of the announcers yelled excitedly, “Wally Judge, welcome to the party!” and shortly afterward, someone decided it would be a good idea to show the audience that his season-high was 15 points, and he had six in the first half (gasp!)*.

Naturally, Judge dropped two easy passes shortly after that and did not score again.

*This is something that endlessly frustrates me about announcers. They don’t seem to understand that as season-highs or averages get smaller, the pace that a player is on becomes less and less relevant. The most egregious example is Luis Colon. Any time he makes two baskets in a row, announcers get really excited because “he only averages 2 points per game!”

That doesn’t somehow make 4 points a special accomplishment. It just means he’s sucking a little less today.

When the K-State offense is struggling, Pullen and Clemente (understandably) feel like they need to carry the team on their back, and that’s when things get ugly. These two guys need help, and Clemente especially needs to understand that he can be just as valuable to the team by creating plays and making the guys around him better.

Several times last night and throughout the season, Clemente got out of control with his incredible speed and forced up some ridiculous shot that really has no business going near the basket. Incredibly, some of these shots actually do defy the laws of physics and find their way into the basket, but that still doesn’t stop K-State fans (including me, occasionally) from yelling at Denis every time he misses one.

However, upon reflection, I think it’s unavoidable that Denis’ best weapon, his speed, is also his kryptonite. It’s kind of similar to the way that Adrian Peterson is only the best running back in the NFL because of his recklessness that also makes him prone to injury and will likely shorten his career by two or three years. It’s just something we have to live with as fans, and in Clemente’s case, the heartburn will be over with after this season.

On the bright side, Kansas State’s defense still looked fairly strong, although I would question Frank’s decision to move away from his team’s signature hard-nosed man-to-man defense so often last night. I understand the difficulties matching up with Aldrich, but Kansas State might have even been a little lucky that the ‘Hawks made 8-18 threes in front of that crowd, considering Sherron Collins made just 1 of 7.

Of course, the best thing that happened for K-State basketball last night — and the part that makes this loss completely different from last season or any other in my lifetime — came courtesy of an event that happened far away from Lawrence, in a place called College Park. T

hanks to an impressive effort by the Terps against the Dukies, Kansas State actually moved into a better position for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tourney. When was the last time you could say that about a 17-point loss?

This article was written by hongabear of Ahearn Alley .

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Kansas State lost handily 82-65 at Kansas last night, yet ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi awards the Wildcats with one of the four coveted No. 1 seed spots.

Considering Duke’s 79-72 loss at Maryland, Lunardi cites what he calls the “Duke/Robbie Hummel factor.” What does that mean? I have no idea. I don’t have an ESPN Insider account so I can’t read the rest of the story.

The strength of the Big 12 is likely driving this debate. I’m not sure what Robbie Hummel has to do with it, because that only affects Purdue not getting a No. 1 seed, and not whether Kansas State or Duke are deserving of it.

Since both Duke and Kansas State lost tough road games to ranked opponents, which deserves a No. 1 seed at this point?

Let’s breakdown both teams.  

Duke is 25-5 overall, and 12-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils are tied with Maryland for first place in the ACC. Duke has four “quality wins” in the RPI against Clemson (twice), at home versus Maryland and Wake Forest.

Duke has five true road wins in 10 tries this season.

Duke and Maryland are the only two teams in the top 25 and the ACC is ranked No. 3 in the RPI.

Kansas State is 24-5 overall, and 11-4 in the Big 12, the top-ranked conference in the RPI. Six Big 12 teams are in the RPI top 30. Kansas State has won four “quality wins” against Xavier, Texas and Texas A&M at home and Baylor on the road.

The Wildcats are 7-2 in true road games this season.

Duke is No. 3 and Kansas State No. 5 in the Sagarin computer ratings. Duke’s strength of schedule is No. 3 in that list behind K-State’s No. 11.

With Duke playing in the ACC I find that schedule rating hard to believe, because the Blue Devils played seven teams in its pre-conference slate ranked worse than 120 in the RPI.

Both teams have similar resumes, although K-State has a better road record. But I think the edge goes to Kansas State because it plays in a tougher conference.

One thing all of these late season road losses by top 5 teams tells me: the NCAA Tournament is wide open for those five teams.

I could easily see Kansas, Kentucky or Syracuse cutting down the nets in April. Duke and Kansas State aren’t far behind, but I question the Blue Devils' lack of depth. And the Wildcats’ inability to beat its in-state Jayhawks, which could be the only team standing between K-State and a national title.

Good thing there’s a big dance to sort it all out.

Follow Derek on Twitter: @derekpoore