10B GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KU TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Aside from in-state bragging rights, the Jayhawks don't want to slip into a funk during a crucial stretch of the season. Every game now will determine position in the Big 12. A high ranking within the conference is needed, because nationally the Big 12 is not getting a lot of respect this year.
The winner will also have the upper hand in recruiting battles within the state of Kansas. The Jayhawks recruit most of their players from other states, though, so this is a big deal
STAR WATCH
Junior forward Sasha Kaun has struggled recently, scoring only two points in the last two
games, if he can emerge from his shooting slump tonight, he can force the Kansas State defense to go into the paint to
stop him, which would help free up his teammates.
QUESTION MARK
CAN THE JAYHAWKS CLOSE
THE GAME OUT?
If Kansas takes a big lead, look for K.State to pressure them into making sloppy plays. The Jayhawks had the Aggies defeated Saturday, but two wasted possessions in a row let them back into the game, which ended with a Kansas loss.
3 REASONS KUWINS
ONE — Sherron Collins is unstoppable. If it weren't for Kevin Durant at Texas, Collins would be mentioned as a candidate for the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award. He's improved over the course of the season, and is shooting better in Big 12 play than he did in non-conference games.
TWO — The Jayhawks won't need a new game plan. The Wildcats are basically the same team that came to the Fieldhouse on Saturday, the Texas A&M Aggies. Whatever worked against A&M will work against K-State.
**THREE** — Bob Huggins is a thug. In Las Vegas, when K-State was playing USC, he got agitated with a heckler and yelled back into the stands. Will he be able to gracefully ignore the onslaught of insults the Jayhawk students will deliver tonight?
READY FOR SOME HUGGS? K-State coach makes first trip to Fieldhouse KANSAS VS. KANSAS STATE 8 Tonight, Allen Fieldhouse, Channels 8 and 15
Kansas 19-4,6-2 Big 12
OFFENSE
Freshman guard Sherron Collins has stepped up big in recent games, and now the Jayhawks have three legitimate options at the outside guard positions - Collins, sophomore guard Mario Chalmers and junior guard Russell Robinson.
Inside the paint, the play is a little more inconsistent between junior center Sasha Kaun and sophomore forward Julian Wright. When the two are playing at the top of their game, they can expertly move the ball around the court and keep opponents guessing as to where it will go. If the two are struggling, the Wildcats will be able to move their defensive focus to the guards, and keep the score low.
Kansas State 17-6,6-2
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
For the first time this season we have a question mark sur-
The Wildcats are similar to the Jayhawks in that they have multiple guys who could be the leading scorer any night. Cartier Martin, David Hoskins, Lance Harris and Akeem Wright all average more than seven points per game. Saturday against Texas, Kansas State had one its best offensive outputs of the season. The Wildcats scored 73 points mainly because of 51.9 percent three-point shooting. Martin and Harris combined to make 12 shots behind the arc. No one can expect them to do that again — Kansas State is 10th in the conference in three-point percentage — but Kansas will have to guard the perimeter tightly.
we have a question mark sur rounding the defense. The Jayhawks' inability to close out games is no longer a fluke, but rather something that has occurred several times now. What's the fix? The Jayhawks have to control the pace of the game down the stretch and not make sloppy passes when the other team is short on momentum.
MOMENTUM
Both teams will be fired up for this one so much so that the coaches will need to keep their players calm in the early minutes of the game. A full Allen Fieldhouse crowd will await the Wildcats, and the freshmen may not have experienced an atmosphere quite like this one before
Look for a slow start to the game while the teams feel each other out, but then the playmakers will be allowed to take over the game. Expect a moderate pace, with the winning team scoring in the 70s.
DEFENSE
Inconsistency has plagued the Wildcats' defense all season. Five of their first nine opponents this season cracked 70 points, but they have been getting better in conference play. During its seven-game win streak, Kansas State is allowing its opponents to score only 61 points per game. The Wildcats' undersized big men, Martin and Serge Afell, could have trouble stop-
ing Sissima Rahn and Dawn Attrut. Because of their size disadvantage, freshmen Luis Colon (6-foot-10) and Jason Bennett (7-3) will likely get significantly more playing time.
MOMENTUM
It took nearly twenty years, but the Wildcats are finally starting to resemble a serious college basketball team. Kansas State has matched its longest conference win streak since the 1987-88 season. Few would have seen this excellent stretch of play coming after losing freshman Bill Walker to a torn ACL in the first game of conference play. Much of the credit has to be given to first year coach Bob Huggins. In less than a year, he's already turned the team around and has them on the brink of an NCAA Tournament berth. Although the Wildcats have plenty of momentum, the Jayhawks still have significantly more talent and will be motivated after losing to them in Allen Fieldhouse last year.
KSU
TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Second place. The season isn't over after Wednesday's game but whoever wins has control of second place in the Big 12. Also, a victory would further enhance the Wildcats' status as an NCAA Tournament team. Beating Texas was nice, but defeating a top 10 Kansas team would all but guarantee a berth.
STAR WATCH
David Hoskins. Hoskins is the rare player who combines the outside shooting and quickness
of a guard and the toughness and strength of a power forward. He can beat a four-man off the dribble and post up against a two
Hoskins
guard. Against Texas on Saturday, Hoskins scored 13 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out five assists.
QUESTION MARK
CAN KSU DEFEAT TWO GOOD TEAMS ON THE ROAD?
Kansas State's victory against Texas wasn't necessarily a fluke, but it probably couldn't replicate that performance 10 times in a row. The Wildcats are unlikely to make nearly 52 percent of their three-pointers against the Jayhawks and will have a tougher time in a real road environment. The Erwin Center in Austin, Texas isn't nearly as hostile of an environment as Allen Fieldhouse.
3 REASONS KSUWINS
ONE — End of the streak — Kansas State's losing streak didn't reach Cal Ripken length, but it came close. The Wildcats broke a string of 31 losses last season by defeating their instate rival. Now they have confidence to do it again.
TWO — Bob Huggins — He's the new face of Kansas State and has proved to be worth the hype. Right now he has his team playing its best basketball of the season. if former coach Jim Wooldridge was able to luck out a win against Kansas, surely Huggins can do the same.
**THREE** — Rival Game — When rivals play each other the game is always close — see KU, Missouri from January 15. It also means the underdog always performs better. If Kansas State played against an equally talented non-rival opponent, it would lose.
JAYHAWK STATS
Player Avg.-Min FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA Avg.-Reb. Avg.-Pts.
Brandon Rush 32.6 114-270 43-108 6.0 14.1
Mario Chalmers 28.6 96-198 34-91 3.0 11.6
Julian Wright 27.2 106-200 3-10 7.8 11.3
Darrell Arthur 20.4 101-192 0-3 4.8 10.7
Sherron Collins 20.3 78-150 34-74 2.3 9.3
Russell Robinson 28.9 46-111 15-46 3.2 6.8
Sasha Kaun 18.3 54-102 0-0 3.8 6.2
Darnell Jackson 14.7 40-72 0-0 4.7 5.3
Brady Morningstar 6.4 9-20 2-6 1.0 2.2
Jeremy Case 6.2 6-18 5-16 0.7 1.4
Matt Kleinmann 5.0 3-6 0-0 1.0 0.7
Rodrick Stewart 5.8 4-16 3-8 0.7 0.6
Brad Witherspoon 1.3 0-3 0-1 0.2 0.0
Brennan Bechard 1.4 0-0 0-0 0.3 0.0
KEYMATCH-UP
Rush
Brandon Rush 6'4"210 vs.
David Hoskins 6'5"230
Hoskins
Bill Self talks so admiringly about Hoskins that one would think he is a close relative. Self said Hoskins was incredibly tough and would create match-up problems because of his ability to play inside and outside. Rush probably won't draw Hoskins for the entire game, but he usually gets the toughest assignment for at least part of it. Rush needs to come out and prove he is still a legitimate stopper after letting Texas A&M's Acie Law do whatever he wanted with him.
WILDCAT STATS
| Player | Avg. Min | FG-FGA | 3FG-3FGA | Avg. Reb. | Avg. Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Cartier Martin | 26.4 | 123-269 | 39-107 | 4.4 | 15.5 |
| David Hoskins | 26.2 | 103-229 | 9-45 | 5.9 | 14.7 |
| Bill Walker | 23.2 | 26-65 | 0-9 | 4.5 | 11.3 |
| Lance Harris | 26.1 | 90-194 | 40-101 | 3.7 | 10.9 |
| Akeem Wright | 25.9 | 60-146 | 9-29 | 6.1 | 7.3 |
| Clent Stewart | 23.3 | 46-123 | 24-66 | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Blake Young | 20.5 | 40-119 | 14-47 | 2.0 | 5.8 |
| Jermaine Maybank | 12.2 | 16-38 | 3-9 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Jason Bennett | 14.1 | 18-38 | 0-0 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Luis Colon | 11.2 | 18-30 | 0-0 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Serge Afeli | 5.8 | 13-28 | 0-0 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Deilvez Yearby | 3.8 | 3-6 | 0-1 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Brady Johnson | 1.0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Darren Kent | 7.1 | 5-17 | 0-5 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| Chris Merriewether | 2.7 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| James Franklin | 1.3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ryan Patzwald | 2.3 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
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