Though a former president (or at least his SNL portrayl) warned against it many times, on Monday night the K-State Wildcats messed with Texas. With a national audience and an arena packed so full that students were standing in the aisles, the Wildcats out-hustled, out-fought, and generally out-played the Texas Longhorns - the No. 1 team in the nation. Not bad for a team that finished 6-10 in conference play just four years ago.
Though they are ranked in top 10 by both nationally respected polls*, The Writings have yet to really delve into what makes the 09-10 Wildcats a team to talk about. You can probably chalk to that up to two-parts laziness, one-part fear of causing some sort of jinx. No, I'm not really superstitious and I haven't read Pedro Cerrano's Guide to Voodoo, but sometimes a person is just overly cautious. (I often push over ladders just to avoid the possibility of accidentally climbing and then falling off of them.) Nonetheless, some combination of my journalistic instincts (of which their are few) and my sheer excitement about what this team could potentially accomplish (of which there is much) has made this a topic The Writings can no longer ignore. If you're prepared to attempt to follow a rambling diatribe hitting on all things Wildcats, keep reading. If not, keep reading anyway. Maybe you'll learn something. (The Writings: We're here to teach.)
*That's the AP and the ESPN/Coaches' poll. Estimated date of the Derek Larson poll also being nationally respected: Nov. 4, 2342.
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An aside, as I watch the replay of the game as I type: nice work by the ESPN camera crew on zooming in on a college student wearing a cross on his neck while the crowd serenaded the referees with a chant that rhymes with gullspit... Yes, he was an integral part of the chant.
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If anything was made evident by last night's victory, it was that this team's true identity lies in sweating the small stuff. When the team is grabbing offensive rebounds, beating the opposing squad down the floor and making hustle plays is when it's at its best. Before last night, the argument could have been made that the Wildcats would stand no chance in games where guards Jake Pullen and Denis Clemente (the team's top two scorers) were not hitting shots. The fact that the Pullmente duo combined to shoot 4-for-24 on Monday night should help obliterate such theories.
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Bob Knight - who was an excellent coach, by the way... seriously, a legendary coach... I hold great respect for his coaching ability - referred to K-State center Luis Colon (pronounced like "cologne" - a pleasing thought) as Colon (pronounced like the part of the body - a not-so-pleasing thought).
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Unlike teams from the past few years, this Kansas State squad is assembled in such a fashion that it can recover when its top scorers are rendered ineffective. Two years ago, in Frank Martin's inaugural campaign, if a team was able to negate Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, the scoring load fell to a freshman Pullen (who was not yet ready to be a go-to guy) and senior Clent Stewart (who averaged just under 7 points per game). Last year, Pullen and Clemente led the Wildcats in scoring, but beyond that pair, K-State depended on Darren Kent (whose best sport was golf) and Jamar Samuels (who a year ago was so skinny he was nearly invisible from a profile view).
This year, even when Pullen and Clemente are putting up enough bricks to build a new practice facility, the Wildcats have options. There's the sophomore version of Jamar Samuels, who tracks down offensive rebounds as if he's using GPS and is able to somehow complete shots after absorbing crushing contact from players like Dexter Pittman - a man so large he seems destined to one day battle The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. There's Curtis Kelly, who may not be well versed in consistency, but who is one of the top low-post scorers in the Big 12 when he's on his game. There's Rodney McGruder, a freshman whose playing time has varied, but who has made the most of the opportunities he's been given and has shown versatility in doing so. Against Texas, McGruder scored 11 off the bench with most coming around the rim. Earlier this season, McGruder showed off his long-range game, connecting on four 3-pointers and scoring 20 points in just 22 minutes.
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Reason #3,271 why sideline reporters are not necessary in basketball: by the end of the game, in-depth reports concern electrolyte jellybeans.
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It's a shame that the ESPN announce crew couldn't do enough homework to realize that Big 12 North teams only play those in the South once during the regular season... and one of them even coached in the conference.
---
While the 2009-2010 season has shaped up to be far more than anyone (other than those that sit on the Wildcat bench each game) might have hoped so far, it is true that not everything is perfect surrounding this team. Depth in the post is questionable. The offense lacks movement. The team is prone to fouling. (A lot.) The freshmen are raw. All told, there's plenty of improvements this squad can still make. There are plenty of reasons to think that things could go awry.
Guess what... I don't care.
I once convinced myself to be optimistic about a K-State team whose top player was named Phineas and ended up winning a whopping 11 games. Annually, I talk myself into thinking the Kansas City Royals have a chance to compete in their division, only to wonder what in the world I was thinking by the time the calendar reads June. (Still working on that for 2010... Give me time.) My favorite NFL team has won a combined 10 games over the last three seasons. Based on my rooting history, you could almost argue that I'm a foul-weather fan. You will have to excuse me if I take a little pride when one of "my teams*" actually ascends to national prominence. Each Monday I'm going to wait impatiently for new polls to be released like a kid waiting to open Christmas gifts. After each victory, I'm going to watch Sportscenter solely to see K-State highlights. After each loss, I'm going to feel like someone just kneed me in the kidney. I'll continue to wear more purple than most people own think about K-State basketball far more than any person should.
I've always liked purple Kool-Aid.
*To the extent of my knowledge, I hold no actual legal ownership over any of the aforementioned teams. Despite the fact that a lot of my money has gone to the university throughout the years, administrators assure me that this is still the case.
Though they are ranked in top 10 by both nationally respected polls*, The Writings have yet to really delve into what makes the 09-10 Wildcats a team to talk about. You can probably chalk to that up to two-parts laziness, one-part fear of causing some sort of jinx. No, I'm not really superstitious and I haven't read Pedro Cerrano's Guide to Voodoo, but sometimes a person is just overly cautious. (I often push over ladders just to avoid the possibility of accidentally climbing and then falling off of them.) Nonetheless, some combination of my journalistic instincts (of which their are few) and my sheer excitement about what this team could potentially accomplish (of which there is much) has made this a topic The Writings can no longer ignore. If you're prepared to attempt to follow a rambling diatribe hitting on all things Wildcats, keep reading. If not, keep reading anyway. Maybe you'll learn something. (The Writings: We're here to teach.)
*That's the AP and the ESPN/Coaches' poll. Estimated date of the Derek Larson poll also being nationally respected: Nov. 4, 2342.
---
An aside, as I watch the replay of the game as I type: nice work by the ESPN camera crew on zooming in on a college student wearing a cross on his neck while the crowd serenaded the referees with a chant that rhymes with gullspit... Yes, he was an integral part of the chant.
---
If anything was made evident by last night's victory, it was that this team's true identity lies in sweating the small stuff. When the team is grabbing offensive rebounds, beating the opposing squad down the floor and making hustle plays is when it's at its best. Before last night, the argument could have been made that the Wildcats would stand no chance in games where guards Jake Pullen and Denis Clemente (the team's top two scorers) were not hitting shots. The fact that the Pullmente duo combined to shoot 4-for-24 on Monday night should help obliterate such theories.
---
Bob Knight - who was an excellent coach, by the way... seriously, a legendary coach... I hold great respect for his coaching ability - referred to K-State center Luis Colon (pronounced like "cologne" - a pleasing thought) as Colon (pronounced like the part of the body - a not-so-pleasing thought).
---
Unlike teams from the past few years, this Kansas State squad is assembled in such a fashion that it can recover when its top scorers are rendered ineffective. Two years ago, in Frank Martin's inaugural campaign, if a team was able to negate Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, the scoring load fell to a freshman Pullen (who was not yet ready to be a go-to guy) and senior Clent Stewart (who averaged just under 7 points per game). Last year, Pullen and Clemente led the Wildcats in scoring, but beyond that pair, K-State depended on Darren Kent (whose best sport was golf) and Jamar Samuels (who a year ago was so skinny he was nearly invisible from a profile view).
This year, even when Pullen and Clemente are putting up enough bricks to build a new practice facility, the Wildcats have options. There's the sophomore version of Jamar Samuels, who tracks down offensive rebounds as if he's using GPS and is able to somehow complete shots after absorbing crushing contact from players like Dexter Pittman - a man so large he seems destined to one day battle The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. There's Curtis Kelly, who may not be well versed in consistency, but who is one of the top low-post scorers in the Big 12 when he's on his game. There's Rodney McGruder, a freshman whose playing time has varied, but who has made the most of the opportunities he's been given and has shown versatility in doing so. Against Texas, McGruder scored 11 off the bench with most coming around the rim. Earlier this season, McGruder showed off his long-range game, connecting on four 3-pointers and scoring 20 points in just 22 minutes.
---
Reason #3,271 why sideline reporters are not necessary in basketball: by the end of the game, in-depth reports concern electrolyte jellybeans.
---
---
It's a shame that the ESPN announce crew couldn't do enough homework to realize that Big 12 North teams only play those in the South once during the regular season... and one of them even coached in the conference.
---
While the 2009-2010 season has shaped up to be far more than anyone (other than those that sit on the Wildcat bench each game) might have hoped so far, it is true that not everything is perfect surrounding this team. Depth in the post is questionable. The offense lacks movement. The team is prone to fouling. (A lot.) The freshmen are raw. All told, there's plenty of improvements this squad can still make. There are plenty of reasons to think that things could go awry.
Guess what... I don't care.
I once convinced myself to be optimistic about a K-State team whose top player was named Phineas and ended up winning a whopping 11 games. Annually, I talk myself into thinking the Kansas City Royals have a chance to compete in their division, only to wonder what in the world I was thinking by the time the calendar reads June. (Still working on that for 2010... Give me time.) My favorite NFL team has won a combined 10 games over the last three seasons. Based on my rooting history, you could almost argue that I'm a foul-weather fan. You will have to excuse me if I take a little pride when one of "my teams*" actually ascends to national prominence. Each Monday I'm going to wait impatiently for new polls to be released like a kid waiting to open Christmas gifts. After each victory, I'm going to watch Sportscenter solely to see K-State highlights. After each loss, I'm going to feel like someone just kneed me in the kidney. I'll continue to wear more purple than most people own think about K-State basketball far more than any person should.
I've always liked purple Kool-Aid.
*To the extent of my knowledge, I hold no actual legal ownership over any of the aforementioned teams. Despite the fact that a lot of my money has gone to the university throughout the years, administrators assure me that this is still the case.
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