8A / SPORTS / FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KU
TIPOFF
ATAGLANCE
No. 2 Kansas and No. 11 Kansas State square off in what Bill Self said was one of the best road atmospheres he has ever seen. This rivalry may not be as heated as the Border Showdown, but the stakes are much higher. K-State is 11-1 at home and has defeated four nationally ranked teams this season, including handing then-No.1 Texas its first defeat. The Jayhawks have won 38 of the last 40 games played between the two teams.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Tyshawn Taylor
Coach Bill Self said this would
tant game for Taylor because the Wildcats have quick guards the Jayhawks need him to defend. It's been a rollercoaster season for Taylor for various reasons. Most recently, his alleged desire to transfer out of Kansas has him back in the hot seat. He still isn't talking to press, so his play will have to do all the talking.
Taylor
Will the curse of No.1 befall Kansas?
QUESTION MARK
It isn't official, but all signs point to Kansas returning to the No. 1 position in college basketball with Kentucky falling to South Carolina. If Kansas is to snag the top ranking again, they need to go through K-State. The Jayhawks say they don't care about the top ranking, but if it comes as a result of victory then they'll take it. With a hostile crowd credited for already toppling a top team, K-State isn't going to be intimidated.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"I don't like to wear purple, so if I had to wear any colors it would be yellow and black. But I don't like either."
Brady Morningstar on if he preferred K-State or Mizzou growing up.
HEADING INTO HOSTILITY K-State is fierce, but its crowd may present Kansas'biggest challenge
NO.2 KANSAS VS.NO.11 KANSAS STATE 6 p.m., BRAMLAGE COLISEUM, ESPN
Collins
KANSAS
(19-1)
STARTERS
Sherron Collins, guard
Despite a season low six points against Missouri Monday, Collins is averaging 18.7 points in his last seven games. He puts himself into the action more when the Jayhawks need him, which is why his scoring was so low when they dismantled the Tigers. He leads the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.3 percent.
Morningstar
Brady Morningstar. guard
Morningstar scored a seasonhigh nine points against Missouri, but his greatest contributions have always come at the defensive end. He is disrupting teams by getting his hands on a lot of balls and breaking down the opposing defense to find
the open man. In league play, he's averaging 1.4 steals per game and 3.8 assists.
Xavier Henry, guard
Henry
Henry scored double figures in his first 11 games, but he's only averaging nine in the past five. He hit three three-pointers against Mizzou following an 0-4 loss.
Mizzou following an all- or performance from behind the arc against Iowa State. But he has come on strong on the defensive end, leading the Jayhawks with 38 steals. He ranks third in the Big 12 with 1.9 steals per game.
Marcus Morris, forward
Morris
third wheel to accompany
Morris has been Kansas' best player in Big 12 play, averaging 18.8 points per game. Throw in his 7.8 rebounds per game and 65.5 shooting percent and the Jayhawks have a legitimate
Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. One of Morris biggest weapons during this recent surge is his offensive rebounding. He leads the league with five offensive rebounds per game in conference play.
Aldrich
Cole Aldrich, center
Reed tied a career high with 14 points Monday and has shown he can do more than score. Self said last year Reed was just a scorer and if he didn't make shots, he wouldn't play. But now he can help the team just by being on the court with defensive savvy and the ability to still
Aldrich is coming off his most dominant game of the season, when he notched 12 points, 16 rebounds and seven steals. Since conference play began, Aldrich has led the league in blocked shots with 3.2 and ranks fifth in rebounding with
hit the big shot. 74.3 percent of his made field goals come from three-point range. He is shooting 9-for-15 in league play.
9. 4. Coach Bill Self said Aldrich could play with a free mind knowing that his grandmother is no longer in pain.
— Corey Thibodeaux
SIXTH MAN
Tyrel Reed, guard
Reed
KANSAS STATE (17-3) STARTERS
Denis Clemente, guard
Clemente is the hot head of Kansas State's devastating guard combination. His fire is unquestioned, but it can sometimes get him into trouble if he lets his temper get out of control. Last year he took a swipe at Tyrel Reed, slapping/punching him in the back of his head. If he contains himself, he's a lethal scorer that can put up 25-plus on any given night. He leads the team with 4.1 assists per game.
Jacob Pullen,guard
Pullen
Pullen is the other part of probably the best one-two punch from the perimeter in the conference. Pullen is the fearless leader of the Wildcats, and he and his beard are cult heroes in Manhattan. If he demonstrates the same cool under pressure he does against Baylor — he sank two free throws to bury the
Dominique Sutton, forward
Bears — the Wildcats' chances get a major boost. He leads the team with 19.2 points per game.
Sutton isn't a major of- fensive contributor (7.5 ppg) but he does the little things right. He takes care of the ball, rebounds well and doesn't take many bad shots, as evidenced by his E1.4 cheating
Sutton
Kelly
percentage. One thing he doesn't do well is shoot three-pointers. He's taken just three on the season and has missed all of them.
Kelly, a junior transfer from Connecticut, had been underwhelming all year after huge expectations followed him to Manhattan. Then he broke out and had a monster game against Texas, going for 17
points and eight rebounds and enabling the Wildcats to win with less-than-stellar play from their guards.
Luis Colon, center
The fifth starter has been a bit of a revolving door this year, but Frank Martin seems to have settled on Luis Colon. Colon, a
Colon
6-foot 10 senior, hasn't exactly blown anyone away with his production, averaging just 2.4 points and four rebounds while playing about 14.
minutes per game. Even though Colon will likely start, look for Jamar Samuels to take most of the minutes.
SIXTH MAN
Jamar Samuels forward
Samuels, a sophomore from Washington, D.C., is the team's third-leading scorer
despite coming on the bench in 18 of his 19 games. He
hasn't lived up to the high expectations that came with him as a freshman, but he's certainly a productive player, averaging 11.8 points and five rebounds per game.
Samuels
Tim Dwyer
KSU
TIPOFF
ATAGLANCI
Kansas State is one of the few teams in the country that has better guard play in the starting lineup than the Jayhawks. Here's the Wildcats' problem: If they can outplay Sherron Collins & Co. in the backcourt, then Cole Aldrich and the Jayhawk frontcourt can shoulder the load. The Wildcats knocked off Texas despite poor play from Clemente and Pullen. Against Kansas, they cannot afford a let down at any spot on the floor. The Wildcats' biggest advantage is playing at home. Bramlage Coliseum — or the Octagon of Doom, as the students at Kansas State started calling it — was always a safe haven for the Jayhawks. But this year's Kansas State squad has save for one slip, done a stellar job of protecting its home arena.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jacob Pullen
Pullen is averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game, but has slowed down a little since conference play.
Before exploding for 25 points in a 76-74 victory at Baylor Tuesday night, Pullen was 4-for-30 from the field in his last two games. Pullen actually seems to step up his game when he plays against better guards. He had 25 against Baylor's Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn and 21 against Missouri's stellar perimeter defense.
QUESTION MARK
Which Samuels and Kelly will show up?
If Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly play to their averages and contribute 20-25 points and 10-12 rebounds combined, the Jayhawks will walk all over Kansas State. If those two have the performances they did against Texas, combining for 37 points and 20 boards while holding Damion James and Dexter Pittman to a combined 15 points and 14 rebounds, the Wildcats would have a real chance to pull off another upset. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Samuels and Kelly's counterparts, Marcus Morris and Cole Aldrich, are playing their best basketball right now.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"I think he's mellowed out a lot. No, I'm joking. Frank and I are good friends. He's the kind of guy I'd enjoy having dinner with — as long as he bought."
— Bill Self, on Kansas State coach Frank Marti
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Game Time (CT) TV Channel
Nebraska vs. Oklahoma 12:30 p.m. Big 12 Network
Missouri vs. Oklahoma State 1:00 p.m. ESPN
Texas vs. Baylor 3:00 p.m. Big 12 Network
Iowa State vs. Colorado 8:00 p.m. CTN
Texas A&M vs. Texas Tech 8:00 p.m. FSNSW
Q
SCHEDULE
BRAMLAGE COLISEUM WILL ROCK IF..
Kansas' guards don't guard. K-State is very fast, especially in the back court. The defensive services of Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Sherron Collins and Tyrel Reel will be called upon more than usual in this one. Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente combine for almost 35 points. If K-State's top scorers get going, the crowd may never quiet down.
BABY JAY WILL JUMP FOR JOY IF...
Kansas State doesn't compete. It would be foolish for the Wild-cats to think just because they beat top-ranked Texas that it will translate over to this game. Kansas seems to have hit its stride while K-State recently lost to Oklahoma State and squeaked out a game against Baylor in the final seconds. The Jayhawks are on a different level than those teams, so the Wildcats must be prepared.
Prediction KANSAS 65,KANSAS STATE 61
Date Opponent TV Channel Time
Feb. 3 at Colorado ESPN2 8 p.m.
Feb. 6 NEBRASKA ESPNU 5 p.m.
Feb. 8 at Texas ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 13 IOWA STATE ESPNU 7 p.m.
Feb. 15 at Texas A&M ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 20 COLORADO Big 12 Network 3 p.m.
Feb. 22 OKLAHOMA ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 27 at Oklahoma State ESPN 3 p.m.
March 3 KANSAS STATE Big 12 Network 7 p.m.
March 6 at Missouri CBS 1 p.m.
M