The regular season is on its final leg.  We are approaching the time of year that matters most, and the Wildcats couldn’t be playing better.

In a conference where road wins are at a premium, K-State marched into Austin, Texas and completely shut down the Longhorns.  Despite struggling on the boards early, the Wildcats kept Texas within reach in the first half.  Once the clock started in the second, it was all KSU.

Jacob Pullen scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half, and led his team’s defensive attack.  When taking on a team of Texas’ stature, however, you must have help from your teammates.   Curtis Kelly and Rodney McGruder couldn’t have been better.

McGruder produced a team-high 22 points, while draining four three pointers.  He also responded to his team’s rebounding struggles by grabbing five key boards.  Kelly eventually fouled out, but before doing so, managed a stellar 16 points and 8 rebounds to go with his 5 blocked shots.

Freshman guard Shane Southwell also impressed.  Faced with the task of shuttin down Texas superstar Jordan Hamilton, Southwell responded in a big way.  The Wildcat combo-guard handcuffed Hamilton, forcing a 5-18 effort from the field.

The Wildcats were also faced with answering the offensive attack of Tristan Thompson.  The Longhorn’s freshman scored 18 in the first half.  Eventually, the Wildcats found a way to slow the offense down and force him out of his comfort zone.  The Cats held him to eight second half points, while attacking him offensively and forcing him into foul trouble.

Just two weeks ago, the Wildcats were heading into a Big Monday with rival Kansas.  They were fresh off a devastating loss at Colorado, and many feared they would be taking their talents to the NIT.  Now, the Cats have won seven of their last eight and are clearly one of the most dangerous teams in the country. 

In a season that was nearly left for dead, Kansas State basketball appears poised to play themselves right back into the Elite Eight.

With the season winding down and the tournament nearing.  Here is a look at the potential configuration of the NCAA Tournament.

East:

1 – Ohio State

16 – Bethune-Cookman/Texas Southern

8 – Temple

9 – Cincinnati

5 – Louisville

12 – Virginia Tech

4 – Arizona

13 – Colorado State/Alabama

6 – Vanderbilt

11 – Florida State

3 – San Diego State

14 – Long Beach State

7 – Villanova

10 – Illinois

2 – Texas

15 – Vermont

Southeast:

1 – Duke

16 – Coastal Carolina

8 – Old Dominion

9 – Memphis

5 – Kentucky

12 – Michigan State/California

4 – St. John’s

13 – Belmont

6 – Texas A&M

11 – Butler

3 – Georgetown

14 – Long Island

7 – West Virginia

10 – Washington

2 – Purdue

15 – Fairfield

Southwest:

1 – Kansas

16 – McNeese State/Northern Colorado

8 – UCLA

9 – UAB

5 – Connecticut

12 – Saint Mary’s

4 – Wisconsin

13 – Oakland

6 – UNLV

11 – Missouri State

3 – Florida

14 – Kent State

7 – Kansas State

10 – Cleveland State

2 – Notre Dame

15 – Bucknell

West:

1 – BYU

16 – Murray State

8 – Missouri

9 – Tennessee

5 – Utah State

12 – Boston College

4 – Syracuse

13 – Princeton

6 – Xavier

11 – Marquette

3 – North Carolina

14 – Charleston

7 – George Mason

10 – Georgia

2 – Pittsburgh

15 – Florida Atlantic

The Valentine’s Day Massacre in Manhattan, Kansas is complete.  Led by Jacob Pullen’s scoring barrage, the Jayhawks reign as #1 ended the same day it began.

Up to this point, Kansas State had been an enigma.  The expectations entering the season were sky high.  Star guard Jacob Pullen let the world know the Big 12 championship would go through Manhattan.  Then, the team struggled through the first half of their conference season and saw all the early hype fly out the window.  Many prognosticators have placed the Cats squarely on the bubble.  Now, K-State has found a way to push forward.  Once again, they are making a late season push to improve their tournament standing.

Tonight, Pullen simply couldn’t miss.  The Preseason All-American drained early threes, and even managed to find the charity stripe 19 times.  Pullen poured in 5 three pointers, while scoring a career high 38 points. 

Helping throughout, was the effort of reserve center Jordan Henriquez-Roberts.  JHR showed up in a big way as he managed to shoot 5-7 from the field to produce 10 points and 5 rebounds. 

Early, it appeared the Jayhawks simply weren’t up to the challenge.  Both Morris brothers found themselves in foul trouble in the first half, while playing catch up from what felt like the opening tip.  Despite Tyrel Reed’s best effort (14 points, 4 assists, 3 steals), they Jayhawks simply had no answer to the suddenly explosive Wildcat offense.

K-State shot 56.3% from the field and made 24-29 free-throws as they stormed passed the Jayhawks and never let up. 

If KSU wants to make this win matter though, they will have to erase the memory of this game immediately and prepare themselves for a resurgent Oklahoma Sooners squad that comes to the Little Apple on Saturday.  This team has officially given themselves a chance to get back into good standing with the selection committee, now they must finish.

If you want to watch a must win game in February, tonight is your night.  The Wildcats host the Jayhawks.  The rivalry is upon us again, the Cats are battling to get themselves back in the mix.  They were embarrassed in Lawrence.  Do they find their redemption tonight, or do they fold and let the season pass them by?

The Jayhawks come to Manhattan at the worst possible time.  Freshman phenom, Josh Selby, and interior threat Thomas Robinson will both be forced to watch from the sidelines.  The teams are coming off a short rest, and Bramlage Coliseum is electric tonight.

If the Cats are going to emerge victorious, they will need a quick start and a big game from Preseason All-American Jacob Pullen.  Pullen will have a favorable matchup of sorts.  With his defense, they Cats will hope to harass KU early and create some quick momentum. 

With their current lack of frontcourt depth, the key to this game may be foul trouble.  If Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels can give the Wildcats minutes, the team should challenge to knock off a #1 team on Big Monday for the second time in two seasons.

Kansas State needs this game as much as any this season.  They enter tonight firmly on the tournament bubble, and are running out of opportunities for a marquee win.  ESPN lists the Wildcats as 36^th which puts the pressure at an all-time high.  K-State is looking at one of their final opportunities to gain their first victory against an RPI top 25 program.

Last year the Texas Longhorns came into town riding high, and saw their season begin to deflate as they stepped into the Octagon of Doom.  The crowd will hope to will their team to another similar game this year.

It is now just an hour until tipoff, the tension is so thick you can smell it.  How does this story unfold? 

Jayhawks 72

Wildcats 74

The Wildcats have won back to back games; they are right back in the mix for a top four finish in the Big 12.  Everything is back to normal in Wildcat country, right?  False, once again, that senior leadership has taken a grasp over this team.

It appears that Curtis Kelly may have played his final game in a Kansas State uniform.  Kelly, who has already missed 9 games, appears to once again be breaking rules.  Tuesday, Kelly was absent from practice, and may be gone for the remainder of the year. 

It appears Kelly has violated a condition in the student-handbook.  This violation may result in a permanent suspension from Wildcat athletics as well as the loss of financial aid.  Kelly is currently appealing the decision.  While he is still currently a member of the team, there is no guarantee he will continue to be.

If the Preseason All-Big 12 selection has played his last game, where does that leave this year’s team?  Jamar Samuels will likely continue to start.  Joining him in the frontcourt will either be, Jordan Henriquez-Roberts or Rodney McGruder.  It will be up to coach Martin to determine how this team will operate.  McGruder shows great rebounding instincts, which may allow the Cats to play him as part of a four guard lineup.  The only other big men on the roster would appear to be walk-on Victor Ojeleye, who is still only 6’6” and seldom used walk-on Alex Potuzak.

This team has been plagued by drama since December.  Will they find a way to overcome the latest setback, and continue trudging along toward the NCAA Tournament?  Only time will tell, but you can guarantee Frank Martin is ready for some good news.

This K-State team looks to have that it factor back.  Pullen has shut down Nebraska go-to-guy Lance Jeter.  The Wildcats have forced 13 turnovers in one half against a team that averages only 13 per game.  KSU has used their defense to generate fast break opportunities at a rate we haven’t seen from this club all year.  Simply put, this is a game featuring a pair of bubble teams, and the Wildcats are on the verge of separating themselves from another fringe tournament team. 

If Rodney McGruder and Curtis Kelly continue their inspired play, and the defense stays aggressive, this game will be out of reach by the 5 minute mark of the 2nd half.

1st Half Statistics:

Leading Scorers:  Curtis Kelly 8, Rodney McGruder 7 (Kelly avg 9.7, McGruder 11.4)

Nebraska 7-19 (36.8%) FG (Nebraska is shooting 47.7% on the year)

Foul Trouble:

Nebraska:  Jorge Brian Diaz:  2 Fouls

K-State:  Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels:  2 Fouls

Breaking News:  Andre Almeida, Huskers backup center, will not suit up for tonights matchup with the Wildcats.  This will be huge for K-State.  Almeida had the potential to give Nebraska power inside and could have forced foul trouble on an already depleted front line for the Cats.  Big positive for KSU.  Look for Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels to take advantage.

The Wildcats enter tonight in desperate need of a turnaround.  The Huskers bring intense defense, much like we saw last season from Kansas State.  The Wildcats have many advantages, but must truly bring their A-game if they want any shot at knocking off Nebraska.

Viewing matchups, the Wildcats appear to be in excellent shape.  Nebraska’s four guard lineup composed of Brandon Richardson, Lance Jeter, Caleb Walker and Toney McCray will look to spread the floor offensively and hound KSU on defense.  This should give the Cats a giant advantage on the boards.  Up to this point, the Wildcats have rebounded 47.8% of their missed shots, and could improve on that number tonight.

The key to gaining their rebounding edge will be boxing out, which has been an issue at times.  The Wildcats focus will be tested by a team that features a group who rebound well as a unit, though nobody stands out.  6’11” center Jorge Brian Diaz grabs only 4.6 rpg, while four starters average more than 4 per game. 

In order for the Wildcats to open up looks for Jacob Pullen, they will need offensive production from a depleted front court.  Jordan Henriquez-Roberts is the only player off the Wildcats bench that can make an impact in the post.  The seven footer has shown flashes, but must be consistent and under control if he wants to contribute to this game. 

Depth may be a serious concern for the Cats, as the Huskers have three players 6’10” or taller.  One of those players is reserve center Andre Almeida.  Almeida is most certainly going to be a load.  Cats fans, think back to Marshall Moses of Oklahoma State.  Almeida is 300+ pounds, and will force Kelly and Samuels to toughen up inside.  If the bigs cannot control themselves, foul trouble could easily decide this matchup.

This game will be much like the Big Monday game the Wildcats played last week.  In that matchup with Baylor, K-State shot just 36.5% from the field on their way to a 69-61 victory.  Home court will certainly be an advantage.  Look for the Wildcats to pull together and get the W. 

Kansas State 61

Nebraska 56

One step forward and two steps back, has become the dance of the Wildcats, as of late.  The Cats came out and battled their way to a win over Baylor on Monday, only to follow up with a blowout loss to Kansas and another player defection. 

Now Kansas State, at a crossroad, prepares for their matchup with Nebraska tomorrow.  The immediate impact of the Wally Judge transfer will not likely be felt.  Judge was a kid who simply never put the pieces together to truly contribute to this team.  The problem may lie in whether or not Curtis Kelly can provide an impact.

At times this year, Kelly has shown flashes of brilliance, but those flashes were short lived.  At the biggest moments, Kelly disappears.  In K-States games against Florida, Missouri and Kansas Kelly has scored a TOTAL of 5 points.  This is not what leaders do.  Kelly must find that energy and passion he had in KSU’s close loss to Texas A&M and their win over Baylor.  If he can find that, the Wildcats could get themselves back on track Wednesday.

Tomorrow I will break down the matchups, for now, you can only hope the team is practicing well enough to put them in position to take on a rugged Nebraska group.

Wally Judge entered Kansas State with all the hype in the world.  Just two years after Michael Beasley exploded onto the college scene, Another 5 star McDonald’s All-American was coming to campus.  However, that is when the similarities end.  Now the only thing the two have in common is that they are both FORMER Wildcats.

Rivals rated Judge as the 18^th prospect in his entire class.  He was supposed to come in and contribute immediately.  His athleticism was off the charts.  His rebounding ability was well documented.  For whatever reason, Judge just never really got that motor going at KSU.

Judge came to college as a player who was always simply the most talented kid on the floor.  It appeared that as soon as the slightest turmoil entered, he had no knowledge of how to overcome it.  Coach Martin appeared to try everything in the playbook.  He gave the kid time.  That didn’t work.  He took minutes away.  That failed as well.  Frank Martin’s demands of a high motor and attacking defense appeared lost on Judge.  At many times, Wally simply appeared to be lost on the floor when competing against elite foes. 

Finally it was time to part ways.  Now, Judge will have an opportunity to sit out and may be available to play as early as next January.  For what team is still to be determined.