6B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6 2006
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 6 2006
Wildcats excel in shooting, defense to beat Vikings
BY STEVE BRISENDINE ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
MANHATTAN — Kansas State
matched its best shooting night with some of its most intense defense of the year, and the results
Cleveland State forward Renard Fields, right, pressures Kansas State forward Jason Bennett (55) during the second half of a basketball game Tuesday in Manhattan. Kansas State won the game 93-60.
almost brought a smile to coach Bob Huggins' face.
"It's the first time I thought we were assertive through the whole game," Huggins said after the Wildcats beat Cleveland State 93-60 Tuesday night to snap a two-game losing streak. "We've talked to them for two days about trying to come out and impose our will on the opposition, which we haven't done."
Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
Cartier Martin scored 21 points and four other players reached double figures for the Wildcats, who shot a season-high 61.5 percent (33-for-52) from the field. They also forced 22 turnovers and didn't allow any Cleveland State players to score in double figures.
"We've seen what we can do when we come out and defend and force turnovers to get them out of their offense," said guard Akeem Wright, who had 13 points. "That's what we came out tonight and did."
David Hoskins added 17 points, 15 of those in the first half, for Kansas State (5-3). Jason Bennett had 11 points and five blocked shots and Lance Harris finished with 10 points for the Wildcats, who took control early and led 50-23 at the half.
Kansas State held the Vikings (5-5) without a field goal for more than 7 minutes to open the game.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, hit eight of their first 10 shots and 13 of their first 20. They opened up their first 20-point lead, 27-7, when Martin scored off the glass just before the midpoint of the first half.
Kansas State, which won despite being outrebounded 45-28, shot 67 percent (16-for-24) from the field for the half. They put together an 11-0 run, capped by Bennett's
dunk, to lead 45-18 with just under
230 left before the break.
Martin got to double figures faster than Cleveland State's entire team. His two free throws with 9:39 left in the half gave him 11 points, 17 seconds before the Vikings' Carlos English hit a 3-pointer to cut the Wildcats' lead to 29-12.
shooting. He was 0-for-9 before converting a 3-point play with just over 13 minutes left in the game.
Cleveland State missed its first eight shots before Joe Davis connected from the baseline with 12.21 left in the first half.
"Coach said he likes to drive right, so we forced him to his left," Hoskins said. "When he went to his right, Jason was right there waiting on him, and the rest of our big guys as well."
J Nathan Bullock, who came in leading the Vikings with 14.8 points per game, was held to eight points Tuesday night on 1-for-12
been very assertive. That's the best word I can use to describe what we haven't been."
The Vikings did not have a double-digit scorer for the first time this year. Patrick Tatham and Tristan Crawford also had eight points for Cleveland State.
Kansas State converted Cleveland State's turnovers, 16 of them in the first half, into 22 points.
The Wildcats' speed in transition and aggressiveness in attacking the basket also earned them repeated trips to the line. They drew 28 fouls and hit 25-of-35 free throw attempts.
"We didn't compete against them," Cleveland State coach Gary Waters said. "They were on a mission, and they wanted to win the game. They had lost two in a row, and they came out and played harder in every phase of the game."
"That's the way we were supposed to play," Huggins said. "We had not
when Self left Illimos, Kansas had to pay the Illini $500,000 because of a buyout clause in Self's contract there.
Kansas has been burned by not including buyout clauses in its coaches' contracts in the past. In 2003 when former men's basketball coach Roy Williams left for North Carolina, Kansas did not receive a dime because Williams did not have a buyout clause in his contract. But Perkins has said he wasn't afraid of losing coaches.
COACHES (CONTINUED FROM TB)
"Don't be fooled," he said.
"Because if Bill (Self) left, wed find someone really good."
Perkins doesn't want to keep someone around who doesn't want to be at Kansas.
"This is an attractive University to which you can attract coaches so I don't think Lew's ever been one to worry about what would happen if a coach left," Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said. "Lew believes we've got some really good coaches here and he wants them to stay, but Kansas is a place where you can attract good head coaches."
Perkins has not had much of a problem holding onto coaches since he arrived.
Only three coaches have left dur
ing his tenure. Former women's basketball coach Marion Washington retired in 2004. Former women's golf coach Megan Menzel resigned in 2004 to spend more time with her family and former tennis coach Kilmey Waterman resigned in August 2003. Every other coach that was at Kansas before Perkins arrived has since signed an extension with Perkins and the University.
Perkins said last week that he was big on continuity, as he showed with his commitment to Mangino in September, a decision he doesn't seem to regret.
"We qualified for a bowl this year," Perkins said. "In my four years here, we've been to two bowls and qualified for three out of four. That shows some consistency. That shows we've gotten better over the past three or four years."
"You don't build a football program in two or three or four years, you build it in five or six years."
As Self showed with his new contract, Perkins is a guy coaches want to work under. Self has an unusual clause in his contract that changes if Perkins leaves. Self will be paid an average of $225,000 per year if he stays at Kansas for the duration of his five-year contract. If he departs sometime during that five years, he does not receive any money from the retention agreement.
However, if Perkins leaves and then Self decides at some point to follow, Self will be compensated for the number of years he stayed under the new contract.
"I want Lew to be my athletics director," Self said. "I feel great being linked to Lew in that way."
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmore@kansan. com.
Edited by Erin Wiley