Tuesday, March 9, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
Low seeds challenge Big 12
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With five schools in the NCAA tournament, but none seeded higher than sixth, some Big 12 Conference teams find themselves in the unusual role of underdog.
The past two tournaments, Kansas entered as a top seed, only to exit in the early rounds in stunning upsets.
This year Kansas is seeded sixth in the Midwest region. If the Jayhawks win their opener Friday against Evansville, they face a possible second-round game against the third seed Kentucky.
The Wildcats won an early season matchup against Kansas 63-45 and have been picked by several analysts as a favorite to repeat as NCAA champions.
Rnere have been some unbelievable underdogs that win one game," said coach Roy Williams, whose tournament teams lost to Rhode Island and Arizona the past two years. "Some weird things happen. Maybe we can be a part of some weird things."
Texas, the seventh seed in the East, is coming off a Big 12 tournament loss to Oklahoma State after winning its first Big 12 regular season championship.
The Longhorns play 10th-seeded
Purdue on Friday in Boston. Texas is in the same region as Duke, the top seed and the No.1 team in the nation and also faces a potential second-round game against the second seed, Miami.
The long odds are just fine with Texas coach Rick Barnes.
"In tournament play, the best teams don't always win." Barnes said. "I think a couple years ago, Kansas was the best team in college basketball, and they got knocked out of it. In tournament play, anything can happen."
Other first-round pairings have Missouri seeded eighth in the West and playing New Mexico in Denver; Oklahoma State seeded ninth in the South, playing Syracuse in Indianapolis; and Oklahoma seeded 13th in the Midwest, playing Arizona in Milwaukee.
the outcome of Missouri's game Thursday against New Mexico could hinge on whether standout center Kenny Thomas is in the lineup. The Lobos' leading scorer and rebounder suffered a pulled groin in the WAC tournament and did not play in the team's loss Saturday to Utah.
Missouri coach Norm Stewart said if Thomas played, much of the Tiger defense would be centered on the first-team, all-conference center.
Oklahoma State used three straight Big 12 tournament wins to earn its postseason berth. Looking beyond the first round, the Cowboys would be paired against top-seeded Auburn in the South regional if both teams win their first round games.
you're talking to While Stutton said he'd prefer being in a new seed, Oklahoma coach Kevin Sampson was mystified why his Sooners dropped to number 13. Sampson said he felt all of the tour-
"I personally think eight and nine (seeds) is about as bad as you can get," said Cowboys coach Eddie Sutton. "Even if you're fortunate enough to win that first game, you're facing that first seed."
Sampson said he felt all of the tournament teams from the Big 12 had comparable seasons and deserved similar seedings. The Sooners play the four seed in Arizona on Friday.
"We're kind of used to being the underdog, and that's a role we don't mind," Sampson said. "Other than Duke and maybe Stanford and Michigan State, I don't know that there are any teams where you say, 'Whoa, I don't want to play them.'"
K-State to miss NCAA tournament
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas State fans might have hoped that a 20-win season and an upset of No. 24 Missouri in the Big 12 tournament would translate into the Wildcats' first NCAA bid since the 1995-96 season.
The Associated Press
But coach Tom Asbury said he knew better — and he was right.
The Wildcats, 20-game winners for the first time in five years under Asbury, accepted their second straight bid to the National Invitation Tournament on Sunday night.
"I've said all along that we had to win the tournament to get in (to the NCAA field). We've known that for a couple of weeks now." Asbury said in a conference call from Manhattan, Kan.
Kansas State (20-12) will open tomorrow at home against Texas
Christian (19-10) and could meet another Big 12 team in the second round. The winner will play either Nevada-Las Vegas or Nebraska on March 15 or 16.
"It's not where we'd prefer to be, but the NIT is a quality tournament with a long history. I'm sure the players will be excited." Asbury said. "Given the choice between playing and not playing, I think I know which they'd take.
"We've still got some kids who want to put their stamp on this team. 'I think they'd like to be remembered as a solid team — a good team, even if it wasn't good enough to be considered for the NCAA tournament."
Kansas State's last NCAA bid came after a 17-12 season. The difference is in how the Wildcats placed in conference play.
They were fourth in the Big Eight in 1996 but tied for seventh
in the Big 12 this season before beating Texas A&M and upsetting Missouri 84-74 in the post-season tournament.
"They weren't going to take us over a team (Nebraska) that had won 10 league games," Asbury said.
The Wildcats put up season lows for points and shooting percentage in a 59-39 first-round loss to North Carolina State.
"We wouldn't go back to that game at all, even if it had been a positive experience," Asbury said. "With two and a half days to get ready, we don't have time to look back. We have to figure out TCU."
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