Sunflower State Showdown: KU vs KSU Gamethread!!!

[dallaskd]

Winner takes the sole lead in the big 12. I think Beasley steps up in the prime time spot light and the cats take this one. The kstate players have done alot of talking about this one. cats about to go beast mode!!!

8:00 PM ET ESPN
(2)Kansas (20-0, 5-0 Big 12)
(24)Kansas State (14-4, 4-0 Big 12)

W-L PF PA HOME ROAD STK
KU 20-0 83.4 58.5 13-0 5-0 W20
KSU 14-4 80.6 65.9 9-1 2-1 W5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Any problem Frank Martin has with his Kansas State players brashly predicting victory over Kansas is staying strictly in-house.

To the outside world, Kansas State's first-year coach insists it doesn't matter what his star freshman Michael Beasley or anyone else says about Wednesday night's Sunflower State showdown between the No. 2 Jayhawks and Wildcats (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP).

"Do you think [Kansas forward] Darrell Arthur is going to become a better player because of what Michael says?" Martin said Monday. "Is Kansas going to be a better team? Do you think that's going to make them any better?"

It may not make the unbeaten Jayhawks (20-0, 5-0 Big 12) any better. But for as long as players have laced up sneakers or strapped on helmets, coaches have cringed at anyone's saying anything that might provide the compe ion with one ounce of extra motivation.

Nevertheless, both of Kansas State's freshmen sensations, Beasley and Bill Walker, have predicted the Wildcats (14-4, 4-0) would snap the amazing, and for the Wildcats embarrassing, 24-game win streak Kansas has on its rival's home floor.

"Mike said what he felt in his heart," Martin said during the Big 12's Monday coaches call. "It's what he believes. He didn't come here to lose to Kansas."

If they do come in for a chewing-out behind closed doors, the players would seem to have a better excuse than the dog ate their homework. Coach Bob Huggins also predicted Kansas State would beat the Jayhawks last year in what turned out to be his only season in charge of the Wildcats. Kansas proceeded to prove Huggins wrong by whipping him 67-61 in Lawrence and 71-62 in Manhattan.

"I don't want guys around me who don't believe we can't win every game on our schedule," Martin said.

Kansas coach Bill Self says he hasn't mentioned the streak to his players. But he agreed the crowd at Bramlage Coliseum, where Kansas is 19-0, will be the loudest his players have seen all year.

"This will certainly be the toughest test we've had to date, without question," Self said. "It could be as hard a test as we have this year. Hopefully, we'll be prepared. We'll find out a lot more about ourselves from a poise standpoint."

In the meantime, Self said he was surprised that he must continually deny speculation that wealthy Oklahoma State boosters are raising funds to entice him back home. An Oklahoma native, Self played at Oklahoma State in the mid-80s and was an assistant coach there from 1987-93.

"I am surprised because if anyone is speculating like that, it's people who are not in the know at all," he said. "That's how rumors get started. But there's nothing there. Addressing it, all it does is bring attention to it. So that's a dead issue."

If any group of athletes ever had reason to feel mentally and physically drained, it was Baylor and Texas A&M after their exhausting five-overtime marathon Wednesday night. Baylor's 77-71 loss on Saturday at home to Oklahoma in their next game seems in retrospect almost predictable.

But A&M's 59-56 win at Oklahoma State on Saturday may have been as encouraging as any victory the Aggies have had in many seasons.

Most critically, it snapped a three-game losing streak.

"I think we're going to be OK," said coach Mark Turgeon. "Adversity's brought us closer together. Ten minutes into the Oklahoma State game, I didn't think we were going to have enough in our tank to win. We were so sluggish. After the five-overtime game, I thought it was asking a lot. But they got it done."

The condition of Missouri senior guard Stefhon Hannah was upgraded from serious to good at a Columbia hospital on Monday. In an altercation at a Columbia bar, Hannah's jaw was broken several hours after the Tigers' victory over Colorado on Saturday.

"Stef's doing well," Anderson said. "The surgery went well. He was sitting up. He's doing well. Right now, that's the most important thing."

Anderson said he still did not know what happened. He also said Hannah would be out at least four to six weeks and that Keon Lawrence would probably replace Hannah at point guard.

Nebraska (11-6, 0-4) continues to be the only Big 12 team without at least one conference win. But the Huskers are also the only team to have to play Kansas twice already. They drew the powerful Jayhawks twice in two weeks and got smashed 79-58 and 84-49.

Coach Doc Sadler joked that he must have angered someone in the conference office where the schedules are put together. But on a serious note, he knows that Nebraska's being routed twice in its first four conference games won't do the young team's confidence any good.

"We just got our brains beat in twice," he said. "You've got to hope in some small way your team is storing up character because if it's not, I don't care who you are, you're going to take a step back."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3219158

[K-State Spur]

a lot of people do not realize that on the eve of the 1988 regional final between KSU & KU (in which Mitch Richmond and K-State were the favorites over Danny and the Miracles), you could make a pretty strong argument that the two programs were roughly equal historically - with the caveat that KU did have a le back in the 50s.

Now, KU won that game, the '88 le, & hired Roy Williams while KSU allowed Lon Kruger to go to Florida and diverted all their money into the football program, and the rest is history.

[K-State Spur]

and, if anybody's wondering what kind of luck the Cats have had to deal with over this quarter century streak, just look at tonight.

We have a team that has two potential lottery picks as early as next year...and KU comes in with arguably their best all-around team of all-time.

[MajorMike]

No offense, but even before the 1988 Elite Eight KState was no where near KU's stature. Ku went to the FF in 86 and KState hadn't been to one since 64.

[K-State Spur]

Just talking about their histories. If you line up their accomplishments side-by-side going into that game, it's pretty close - with KU's 1952 Championship being the big difference.

[MajorMike]

KU had nearly twice the B6/7/8 les as KSU did.

[K-State Spur]

KU had nearly twice the B6/7/8 les as KSU did.

25 to 17 isn't nearly twice as much, it's half again (which is semi-skewed by KU's 12 Big 6 les, KSU actually had more Big 7 & Big 8 les).

KSU actually had more tournament appearances (21 to 18), more elite 8s (11 to 10), more sweet 16s (16 to 15), and had four final 4s of their own (compared to KU's 7).

With the huge exception of KU's le, it was a lot closer than most people today would realize.

[MajorMike]

25 to 17 isn't nearly twice as much, it's half again (which is semi-skewed by KU's 12 Big 6 les, KSU actually had more Big 7 & Big 8 les).

KSU actually had more tournament appearances (21 to 18), more elite 8s (11 to 10), more sweet 16s (16 to 15), and had four final 4s of their own (compared to KU's 7).

With the huge exception of KU's le, it was a lot closer than most people today would realize.

The NCAA didn't start until 1939. KU and KState were both in the B6 and Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association before that. During this period KU had 21 conf les to KState's 2. All total, KU has 42 to KState's 17.

Again, I ain't trying to say KState is historically a slouch... but your purple glasses are tainting you.

There is a reason KU was named the 4th best college basketball program of all time and KState was a respectable 22nd. Look at the company - the teams above KU are UK, UCLA and UNC and the teams right after are Duke and Indy; the teams above KState are St John's, Princeton and Temple while right after are UT and uo. (OSU was 13th by the way, while atm didn't make the top 100).

[K-State Spur]

There is a reason KU was named the 4th best college basketball program of all time and KState was a respectable 22nd.

Yeah, that reason is their national les in '52 & '88, and the fact that they never went through a 20 year stretch of absolute futility like we have seen in Manhattan. And, they have been the most consistent top level program in the country (save maybe Duke) over the past 20 years.

I'm not arguing that KU isn't a significantly higher profile program (and deservedly so).

All I'm saying is that on the even of the '88 regional final, it was closer than many younger people would think (with the exception of KU's '52 le, and I freely adamantly admit that le makes a huge difference).

Bear in mind that since that game, KU has the highest winning % of any program in the country, has made the NCAA tournament 19 straight years, has 4 final fours, a le game appearance, and 12 conference championships.

If you took that poll in 1987, there would have been some different rankings. No, K-State would not have been on par with KU, but KSU would have been higher than 22 and KU certainly would have been lower than #4.

**By the way, since I am a Cat, I will point out that Larry Brown's le team promptly put the program on probation.

[dallaskd]

rebounds are winning it for KSU right now. Beasley is a little off tonight. It sucks walker is in foul trouble, he was hot early, but it levels out with arthur out. KSU had way to many to many traveling calls in the 1st half and looked a little sloppy only relying on their 3 pt jump shot. but theyve settled down and are up by 10!

[dallaskd]

Michael Beastly

[SrA Husker]

Someone better lock up all furniture stores in manhattan, since there's gonna be a party tonight if this gets wrapped up, the likes of which the town has never seen

[dallaskd]

billy walker with the moves and the finish. man this is good.

[dallaskd]

What a crowd tonight.

[dallaskd]

who knew they could shoot the trey like that!?!?!?! BEastly with another one!!!!!!1

[SrA Husker]

What a crowd tonight.

It's KSU's super bowl. The crowd is to be expected.

[dallaskd]

AHHHHHHHHHHH. wax!!!!!!

ahahahahahah ...woooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dallaskd]

we'll beat em here, there, and in africa too!!! ahahaha

[K-State Spur]

3 weeks into the season and SOLE possession of first place.

hopefully, this young team can avoid the letdown in Columbia on Saturday.

Frank Martin is looking like a heck of a hire right now. Yes, he kinda lucked into Beasley/Walker, but he's more than sound with his in-game tactics, and the team seems to really respond to him.

Absolutely amazing that with KU's backcourt, Jacob Pullen was the best guard on the floor tonight.

[johngateswhiteley]

great win for k-state, congrats. makes A&M's loss look better even thought we played like ...

[K-State Spur]

glad a&m won as well, was starting to get a little worried that win wouldn't look as good.

when beasley and walker are clicking, they can make a lot of teams look like . KU has one of the better defenses I have ever seen, and those two led an 80+ point assault on them. they are strong enough to defend the post and control the boards, but quick enough to produce absolute match-up nightmares on the other end of the court.

if the Cats can continue to get just solid (not great, just solid) play from their backcourt, i can't see any team looking forward to playing them in March.

however, all that said, with this young group, i won't be suprised if they drop a game or two that they shouldn't as well.

[RonMexico]

I'm impressed with KSU and Beasley.

while atm didn't make the top 100

And of course, Capt is at it again... bringing A&M into a Kansas/Kansas State discussion. I'm sure his excuse will be something like, "I just did it to see if you guys would notice... you do it all the time to me" or some bull .

Just admit it, , you're obsessed and your basketball team blows.

[MajorMike]

You know what is even scarier about KState right now, is they have a major creampuff upcoming sched (assuming the Mizzou suspensions go thru this weekend).
@ Mizzou
Neb
OSU
@ ttek
Mizzou
@ Neb
@ BU
UT
@ KU
CU
@ ISU

[RonMexico]

I can't believe this guy actually admitted that OSU is a creampuff.

[K-State Spur]

Congrats the students at Bramlage:

"We will not play in an environment like this again this year," said Kansas coach Bill Self. "This was fabulous. I couldn't even hear the whistle blow. It's the loudest place I've been in."

Being an alum from a period when there was routinely more crimson and red in that stadium for this game, it was terrific to see the purple out in full force and LOUD. The broadcasters couldn't stop talking about the noise. Terrific job students.