As a wave of purple exuberance flooded the Bramlage Coliseum court on Wednesday night, I was not sure what was racing faster - my heart thanks to 40 minutes of standing, shouting, living, and dying (figuratively) with every foul, turnover, and basket; or my brain while attempting to comprehend just how perfect the night had been and how big of a victory the Wildcats' 84-75 win over the Kansas Jayhawks really was.
One day later, my heart has slowed to the point that I'm no longer feating cardiac arrythmia, but thoughts are still zipping through my head like Wildcat point guard Jacob Pullen breaking a Jayhawk press.
With my mind as crowded as the Bramlage floor seconds after the clock hit 0:00, truly illustrating my thoughts in written form would look something like this:
HolysmokestheCatsfinallybeattheHawksatBramlage.NotonlythatbuttheybeattheNo.2teaminthecountry. OntopofallthatK-StateisnowinsolepossessionoffirstplaceintheBig12.Sweetmercy.Hallelujah.
As you can see, following that writing strategy may not be the most effective way of conveying my thoughts. This process needs deep, serious thought... like an award acceptance speech. And, well, I have a feeling winning an award could not have me feeling much better than this win has left me feeling, so consider this my speech at the podium (... it's a figurative podium).
Ahem...
First, I'd like to thank Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. It's been a long, long time since the best player on the court in the Sunflower Showdown has donned purple... Wednesday night, the Wildcats had the top two players. They may both be freshmen, but the young bucketization specialists do not seem to know the meaning of the phrase "big game jitters," and combining for 47 points seems to illustrate that rather well. They simply play the game, and as Beasley says, they "play for keeps."
... Oh, and thanks for following through on Beasley's prediction. Beat KU in Manhattan - check. Now there's that game in Lawrence... and one in Africa if they're feeling salty.
I'd like to thank coach Frank Martin. Efforts like this should help people realize that he's got a few things going for him other than being a friend of Bob Huggins and a key to keeping Beasley and Walker after Huggins' departure. The offense-defense rotations of Walker-Kent and Young-Sutton were moves that paid off. The switches between man and zone defenses were obviously effective as well.
Also, when some coaches speak of taking one game at a time, it can seem like lip service, but something about Martin shows it's 100-percent genuine in his case. He's chasing a championship, which is a mindset that hasn't exactly been associated with K-State basketball for awhile.
I'd like to thank the aforementioned Pullen, along with fellow guards Clent Stewart and Blake Young. Prior to the 7 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday, popular (unanimous?) opinion seemed to be that the Wildcats' backcourt would be their downfall. After all, KU's backcourt was simply too talented for the Stewart-Pullen-Young trio (that's SPY for you acronym fans out there). Funny how little popular opinion matters once a game starts. Pullen, continuing his transformation from a high school kid learning the college game into a legitmate threat on a legitimate team, scored 20 points while shooting a perfect 10-10 from the foul stripe - including several clutch free throws as the game neared an end. He also showed off his ballhandling capabilities, proving too quick for the Jayhawk defense while breaking presses and finding lanes to the basket on a consistent basis. Stewart scored 11 points while continuing to serve as the model of quiet consistency, and Young tallied five assists and no turnovers against a KU perimeter defense touted as the best in the conference.
I'd like to thank the rest of the Wildcats:
- Dominique Sutton for a harrassing defensive effort. Matched up for much of the game against Brandon Rush, Sutton responded to a push into the starting lineup and forced two steals. He also came up with a huge play, streaking in from the weak side to swat a Jayhawk layup.
- Darren Kent for playing his role in outstanding fashion. Sure his shots didn't fall, but Kent stepped in when Walker got in foul trouble and held his own in the post defensively. Seeing Kent play a key role for a Top 25 team may not be something I ever expected, but I certainly don't mind being wrong.
- The rest of the bench for keeping the crew energized.
I'd like to thank my cellphone for having a digital camera (or at least a poor excuse for one) allowing me to snap the above picture.
I'd like to thank the Bramlage crowd. From the students that arrived the night before and hid in shrubbery to avoid security to the 60-year-old man sitting next to me that exhibited his excitement through the wonder of hogcalls (suuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey), the atmosphere was the best I'd ever experienced in organized basketball. Constant standing, continuous noise and clever signs all added to an environment that I will not soon forget. I'm pretty confident the top five loudest moments ever at Bramlage may have all occurred in this game (sorry, debut of Joe Leonard... you'll have to settle for 6th place). Even a held ball 30 seconds into the game elicited a gigantic roar.
Also, a big thanks goes to the student section for realizing that the "o-ver-rate-ed" chant is not a flattering one and avoiding it completely. It's never fun to admit, but KU is a very good team. Fortunately, a 5-0 in conference play K-State team is showing that they may deserve that label, as well.
In closing, I'd like to thank my family for raising me to be what every Kansas kid should be... a Wildcat.
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