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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CROSS COUNTRY
Crossing into enemy lines
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2012
On a typical football Saturday in Manhattan, Kan., a sea of purple and silver stream through the city and Aggieville, where the bars have watch parties that grant access to the game for those who can't be a part of the 50,000 people in Bill Snyder
Family Stadium.
But then welcome in the Kansas Jayhawks as an opponent and the "Beat KU" shirts start pouring out and anti-KU comics
"We're getting used to that Jayhawk being on the front instead of the power cat."
spread through The Collegian,
Kansas State's student newspaper.
Growing up in Manhattan, Reid Buchanan, who is now a sophomore at the University where he is majoring in electrical engineering, saw this scene every year. It was even more powerful because both of his parents received degrees from K-State, and his father works for the K-State football and basketball teams.
Mike said it's weird that his son decided to go to the University and that he still cringes when he has to put on a crimson and blue shirt.
"We're getting used to that Jayhawk being on the front instead of the power cat," Mike said. "I never thought I would've approved of it."
As Buchanan was looking at schools that allowed him to continue to run both cross country and track and field, he decided to make the visit 84 miles east to visit Lawrence.
"Before I took a visit to KU, it was very much anti-KU." Buchanan said. "I said I'd never go here. But after I took a visit, it kind of opened my eyes."
Buchanan's father, Mike, said it was a matter of courtesy that they took the visit to the University.
MIKE BUCHANAN
Father of runner Buchanan
Having such strong ties to K-State as the Buchanan family has, Mike said his colleagues give
"At the time, he and I thought there was no way, but KU was close." Mike said. "When the visit was done, we kind of knew this was a done deal. And as much as it might have pained us to realize that, I think it was the best fit."
him some odd looks for having to wear the "enemy" colors.
Switching from purple to crimson and blue isn't a common thing, especially when it comes to
cross country.
In the five years that assistant cross country coach Michael Whittlesey has been at the University, Buchanan is the first to come to the University from Manhattan.
"The hardest thing is getting Manhattan kids to come out, but once they do it's not hard to sell the program because you can show them what the program can give them." Whittlesey said.
Shelley, Buchanan's mother, graduated from K-State with two degrees. Though she's happy with Buchanan's choice because that's a motherly thing to do, she said, she still can't believe her son decided to come to the University.
Buchanan said if it were not for his athletic career, his feelings would've stayed the same.
"We were really shocked that Reid decided on KU because he was just as anti-KU as us," Shelley said.
"If it wasn't for running, I wouldn't care about KU, and I can honestly say that," Buchanan said.
— Edited by Stéphane Roque
Thunder fall as Grizzlies keep streak alive
NBA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY — Rudy Gay scored a season-high 28 points. Zach Randolph added 20 points and 11 rebounds before getting ejected along with Oklahoma City's Kendrick Perkins during a late-game alteration and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Thunder 107-97 on Wednesday night.
Marc Gasol chipped in 14 points as the Grizzlies continued the best start in franchise history by winning their sixth straight game. They took control by outscoring Oklahoma City by 21 in the second quarter, and never gave it up.
Kevin Durant scored a season-high 34 points and Russell Westbrook had 17 points and 13 assists as both Oklahoma City All-Stars logged more than 42 minutes for the second straight game while trying to lead a fourth-quarter comeback.
This time it fell short as the Thunder had their five-game winning streak snapped.
The Grizzlies went to their twin towers inside with Oklahoma City threatening to come back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter for the second straight game. Coach Lionel Hollins called for a timeout after Perkins' two-handed slam got the Thunder within 97-89 with 4:18 to play.
He sent his team back out with Gasol isolated against Perkins, and Gasol twisted his way in for a layup. After a missed jumper by Serge Ibaka at the other end, Gasol set up Randolph for a layup off a designed play.
After a pair of empty trips by both teams, referee Ken Mauer tossed both Perkins and Randolph after the two confronted each other between a pair of free throws by Westbrook. After the ejections, Randolph and Perkins tried to approach each other while being restrained by teammates before finally heading out tunnels at opposite ends of Chesapeake Energy Arena.
By then, Memphis had all but
NBA
locked up the latest in a series of testy games between the two young Western Conference playoff contenders who got to know each other all too well during a seven-game series in the playoffs two seasons ago.
Ibaka finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the Thunder.
Quincy Pondexter contributed 13 points and Jerryd Bayless scored 12 as Memphis' bench outperformed the Thunder reserves. Both teams retooled their reserves during the offseason, with the Grizzlies letting O.J. Mayo leave in free agency and the Thunder trading Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to Houston.
Strong guard play propels Bucks to victory
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beno Udhrid had nine points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Bucks, who shot 42 percent from the field and improved to 2-2 at home.
MILWAUKEE — Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis scored 16 points each to help the Milwaukee Bucks cruise to a 99-85 victory over the struggling Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Tyler Hansbrough scored 17 points for the Pacers, while Gerald Green and Paul George added 12 points apiece. Indiana, which shot 38 percent, lost its fifth straight on the road after a season-opening win at Toronto.
The Bucks scored the first seven points of the game and led throughout. Their lead was as high as 27 in the second quarter and 32 early in the third before they played their reserves throughout the fourth.
The Pacers' offense has struggled so far this season as the team adjusts to playing without Danny Granger, its leading scorer of the past five seasons. Granger is out
for about three months with a patella problem in his left knee.
Tobias Harris scored the first five points in the Bucks' opening spurt. Milwaukee, which lost all three games to Indiana last season, also had a 10-0 run midway through the quarter and held a 33-17 advantage at the end of the period.
The Bucks led 60-34 lead at halftime on 48 percent shooting. Indiana, meanwhile, shot just 32 percent in the first half. Milwaukee's lead was 82-53 heading into the fourth.
The bad blood between the Bucks and Pacers, who were involved in a couple of ugly oncourt alterations last season, continued Wednesday night when Larry Sanders was called for a flagrant foul on Hansbrough in the third quarter. The foul initially left Hansbrough sprawled on the court but he quickly jumped to his feet and ran toward the Buck's forward. The two were quickly separated and Hansbrough hit one of two technical free throws.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Indiana Pacers' Paul George (24) cannot contain the Bucks' Monta Ellis, left, who drove the lane during the second half of Wednesday night's game in Milwaukee.