sunflower showdown 2008, I
by j.d. – 30 January 2008 at 18:57
It’s on. Unfortunately I lost my Photoshops of various KU-themed pictures done in purple and white. I’m sure I’ll think of some more during the game.
Liveblog and thoughts below the fold.
[15:37, first half]: 11-5 K-State. Sutton blocked a shot and then inexplicably took a 24-foot three-pointer. But, we’re playing solid defense. Two traveling calls on KU and one on K-State.
[13:03, first half]: 14-14. We’re raining in the threes. I’d like to see Beasley and Walker take their game outside a little more. KU has exploited the relative youth and inexperience of Sutton on Rush early.
[11:13, first half]: 18-18. This game is going to come down to whether or not K-State, mostly Walker and Beasley, can bait the Jayhawk big men, particularly Arthur and Jackson; and, whether the Cats can survive the inevitable scoring punches KU will deliver. Arthur just went out with two fouls.
[9:54, first half]: And the foul! Give-n-go from Kent to Pullen and Pullen gets the call. 26-22 K-State. We’re trading punches well. And they put Sasha Kaun (the Unfrozen Caveman Basketball Player) on Beasley? He just got his first two, and now it’s 28-22.
[8:14, first half]: Two fouls on Kaun now and two on Arthur. Maybe someone on the bench has the RSS feed? They’ll have to keep shuffling Arthur, Kaun, and Jackson — if one of them goes out, another must guard Walker, and Beasley will chew up whoever is left in the second half, as he has lit up the entire Big 12 in the second half of K-State’s games. KU can still deliver the punches, though, and even if we win, I still think they’re better than Memphis.
[7:22, first half]: Three fouls on Arthur! He and Jackson are the only KU players that would scare me. Keep baiting those big men - if Kaun gets three, it might be time to pound it down low.
[5:29, first half]: After Mario Chalmers’s Oscar-winning performance, Walker has three fouls - uh-oh. His acting talents will come in handy when he’s selling furniture in two years.
[3:51, first half]: Beasley starting to turn it on - hitting a three over Cole Aldrich (Junior Unfrozen Caveman Basketball Player) and then baiting him into an offensive foul. 36-31 K-State.
[Halftime]: K-State 38, KU 36. The game plan is good — but Beasley has to hit the gas pedal the way he has in the other games to put this one away. KU, dare I say, looked a bit rattled at the end, but both sides were a bit ragged. They’re interviewing David Hoskins at halftime, and I hate that he can’t be out there.
To think that there are people watching political “debates” right now. This is fun. On to the second half. Beasley and Walker (and Darren Kent) need to continue baiting the KU big men, and let’s put that ball in Beasley’s hands.
[16:16, second half]: Wow — catch your breath; a lot of furious action to start the half, including physical battles at each end for rebounds. It’s getting rough out there. And Beasley is starting to pour it on, fighting off double- and triple-teams to score. K-State 44, KU 38.
[15:00, second half]: Hang on tight — KU has all its firepower on the floor, they might be about to deliver one of those punches I’ve been talking about. The Cats played good defense, though, preventing a score after two offensive rebounds. Walker is coming back in — he needs to get back into it quickly.
[13:33, second half]: Walker baits Arthur into his fourth foul — and Beasley drains a three… but so does Collins. 47-45.
[11:58, second half]: Now it’s 49-45. The punch still hasn’t arrived, but it’s coming — you can expect it from a team like KU. The game plan of baiting KU’s frontcourt into perimeter defense has been great, but it’s not enough.
[11:19, second half]: Bill Walker visits the bank! And, a formerly moribund Texas A&M team is hammering Texas 29-9 early. Meaning if K-State hangs on, we’re in first place. Our game is 52-45.
[10:00, second half]: Oh. My. God. I think it’s going to happen — K-State 57, KU 45. Just take the next punch, boys…
[7:31, second half]: Beasley going to the line after a foul following a furious end-to-end stretch in which he blocked two shots and stole a rebound. There’ll be two more punches; one of them is ongoing. It’s 57-49. Beasley has 19, Walker with 15, Pullen with 13.
[4:10, second half]: Beasley with 24 — his last three coming as the shot clock ran out. It’s 67-59. KU has one punch left. Could we could box out Arthur more often?
O, to be young once again, with $40 in my pocket and a ride home from Aggieville tonight.
[3:01, second half]: Pullen with another traditional three-point play; it’s 73-61. Methinks that the Manhattan Saferide-equivalent will be busy tonight.
[2:36, second half]: Folks, say goodnight to Russell Robinson; 5 fouls, 6 points. 75-64. Also, say goodnight to Blake Young; 3 points and physical defense. Here comes the last punch. Correction: That was four - Robinson’s fifth came later.
[1:40, second half]: Here it comes — hang on… 77-70.
[Final]: Had to stop to get some phone calls from friends. The players have climbed atop the scorer’s table amongst the massive throng that poured onto the court as time expired. It sort of reminds me of my experience following a 1998 football game (hard to believe that was ten years ago) with Nebraska that was the first K-State win in 30 years. This is only the second victory against KU in 25 years and the first in Manhattan in that time.
I’d like to see the crestfallen expression on the Sportscenter anchors’ face when they have to announce this one. Final score: K-State 84, KU 75. K-State is undefeated in the Big XII and in first place. 25 for Beasley, 19 for Walker, 20 for Pullen. 19 for Chalmers, 12 each for Arthur and Jackson, 15 for Rush.
Frank Martin gave a hard-nosed speech to the fans during the radio post-game show where he said “it’s not a mistake, we earned our way to first-place” and that “we can’t go out and lose to someone we’re supposed to beat.” I think I’m going to have fun watching college basketball again.
Yahoo Sports front page (story):
J-World front page (story):
Wichita Eagle story accompanied by… a picture of Mario Chalmers dunking. This is what I have to live with, folks.
The Lazer (the FM home of the Jayhawks) has switched back to crappy music. The KLWN people are looking at each other and saying “Why, God? Why?” The first caller to their show ripped Self and Robinson, which warms my heart. Also warming my heart: the thought of nearly every sports editorial writer in Kansas crying themselves to sleep tonight.
Methinks tomorrow this will have to be commemorated in Photoshop.
[Final thoughts:] I pity the poor souls that Kansas plays in their next game. They are not as immature as they played tonight. They seemed rattled from late in the first half on, committing ticky-tack fouls and turning the ball over — when in their previous Big XII games they had coldly, efficiently run each and every one of their other opponents out of the gym. They are good, and they’ll show it again. As much as we gutted this one out, we’ll have to dial it up even more when we go to their place.
K-State has games against Nebraska and Missouri next. Both of these teams are horrible, but Nebraska’s Alexs Maric burned us for 40 last year, and I can’t imagine Martin will let the team forget it. Coach Martin was correct when he told the crowd during post-game that “this is just game number five to us”. We’ll need five more — at least — to get into the NCAA tournament. I think it’s going to happen.
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