Some more Simple Thoughts... mostly Big 12 hoops stuff.
Man, Bramlage rocked on Wednesday night! K-State played a great game and they got the help they needed from their guards. Going into the KU/K-State I was absolutely sure that the Wildcat guards would do something to turn the game in KU's favor. I couldn't believe how efficient Clent Stewart, Blake Young and Jacob Pullen were against KU's crew of Russell Robinson , Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins. Darrell Arthur's foul trouble certainly played a large role. It took away his aggressiveness on both ends of the floor.
It was really "the perfect storm" for K-State on Wednesday night. I've been wowed all year by KU's chameleon-like ability to shift styles, moving from run 'n gun to post-power depending on the opponent. KSU found a way to take both of those options away on Wednesday. The Jayhawks only had 3 steals and K-State shot 46% from the field; that drastically limited KU's ability to get out on the break and score in transition. K-State can thank its guards for that. Young/Pullen/Stewart protected the basketball and hit shots (they were a combined 8-17 from the field)... as a team, KSU was hot from the outside, canning 45% from 3 point land. And, as Bill Self pointed out afterwards, despite all Michael Beasley does you DON'T expect him to go 4-4 from 3. Throw in the fact that Arthur had foul trouble and KU didn't appear comfortable taking Darnell Jackson off Bill Walker (who scored 22 in only 25 minutes because of his own 1st half foul trouble) and KU suffered inside in addition to on the run. It will be interesting to see if K-State can replicate that performance when the two face each other in Lawrence.
Bigger picture-wise, K-State is now the last undefeated Big 12 team (league record, which is what determines the conference champion). I still like KU's chances to win the Conference. I don't think they'll lose again in the league. After A&M thrashed UT last night, I wouldn't consider Texas a threat anymore. What a crazy conference, though! Is UT good or bad? What about A&M? We had OU dead and buried after an (0-2) start and now the Sooners are back in the NCAA hunt. The jury is still out on Baylor... right now, it looks like the Big 12 could get as many as 6 teams into the NCAA Tournament just weeks after some "experts" mused that the conference only deserved to get 3 in! I still maintain that if you go (9-7) in a league like the Big 12, that should lock you into the Tournament. That may or may not be the case this season because the perception of the league has been so down since the beginning of the season... but maybe if teams like OU, A&M and Baylor keep playing well over the next 2-3 weeks they'll convince the pollsters and critics in the same way that Mizzou and KU football gradually won respect as they continued winning during football season.
Speaking of Missouri: Mike Anderson did the right thing suspending those players for the Nebraska game. He had to send the message that he's doing everything he can to turn around that program and stop all the embarassment that's plagued the Mizzou basketball team for the better part of the last 5 years. I know people here in Kansas hate Missouri and most of you think it's just the funniest thing in the world that Tiger basketball is such a magnet for the absurd lately. But really, isn't it better for the whole conference if Missouri is good? Shouldn't you be rooting for Mizzou to get this thing figured out for the better of the league? A win over Missouri used to mean something... now it doesn't. K-State is coming off its biggest victory in decades and now the Wildcats can look forward to following that up with a road victory at Mizzou that nobody will care about.... the same goes for KU on Monday night against the Tigers in Lawrence. The Conference needs Mike Anderson to get that thing turned around because a Big 12 Conference with a good Missouri team carries a lot more juice nationally than a Big 12 Conference with a good Baylor team. When the teams with a good tradition are playing well, the national view of the league is better. Nobody on the east coast cares if Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor are good. If teams like Oklahoma State, K-State, Missouri and Iowa State are good (teams that have won some Conference titles and made multiple NCAA Tournament runs) than people outside the league take notice and will give YOUR team more credit if you beat them.
That's all for now.... stay safe in the snow and hit me with your comments!
bpa
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