Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Hosts Western Carolina Wednesday
Dec 17, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2001
Manhattan, Kan. -
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Game No. 9
Western Carolina (5-3) at Kansas State (5-3)
Date:Wednesday, Dec. 19
Tipoff:7:05 p.m. (Central)
Location:Manhattan, Kan.
Arena:Bramlage Coliseum (13,500)
Radio:Wildcat Radio Network (Flagship station: WIBW 580 in Topeka): Voice of the Wildcats Greg Sharpe (play-by-play) and Ben Boyle (color) have the call.
Television: None
Quick Hitters...
*The Wildcats got back on the winning track with an 84-70 win over North Texas Saturday. Forward Pervis Pasco led the way with a career-best 30 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds.
*Over the last four games, Pasco is averaging a team-best 16.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and shooting 65.7 percent from the field.
*Senior guard Larry Reid leads K-State in scoring (14.9 ppg), assists (5.6 pg), free throw shooting (90.2 percent), steals (1.3 pg) and minutes played (35.4 pg).
*K-State ranks third in the Big 12 in defensive field goal percentage. The 'Cats are holding teams to 37.8 percent shooting from the field and have held four of their last five opponents under 40 percent.
*The Wildcats have posted a 31-4 mark in non-conference home games over the last five seasons.
* Jim Wooldridge is in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. Wooldridge owns a 245-168 (.593) career record in his 15th season as a head coach.
*Who's hot: Freshman Nick Williams is averaging 12.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over the last four games. Williams is also shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 85.0 from the free throw line over that span.
Kansas State's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F34Matt Siebrandt6-8240Jr.-1L4.13.1
F44Pervis Pasco6-9218Jr.-TR11.88.1
G24Nick Williams6-4185Fr.-HS8.02.1
G11Larry Reid6-0170Sr.-1L14.95.6#
G32Gilson DeJesus6-5215Jr.-TR6.02.9
Western carolina's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F30Kevin Wylie6-7210Sr.-TR11.05.1
F33Terrence Woodyard6-9180Fr.-HS5.41.4
F24Willie Freeman6-6235Sr.-1L12.67.3
G11Kori Hatcher5-9165Jr.-2L5.54.6#
G32Kevin Martin6-6175Fr.-HS21.06.1
# Indicates assists
Kansas State-North Texas Postgame Notes...
*Larry Reid, Gilson DeJesus and Nick Williams started at the guard positions, while Matt Siebrandt and Pervis Pasco opened at the forward slots... It was the sixth different starting line-up of the season for the Wildcats... Pasco and Reid have started all eight games... Reid started his team-best 37th straight game.
*Kansas State's 84 points were the most in a game this season and the most since the team scored 79 in a win over Tennessee State (11/27)... It was also the most points scored since the Wildcats collected 86 in a win over Iowa (12/23/00).
*Kansas State turned the ball over just eight times against North Texas, the fewest this season for the Wildcats and the lowest total since posting eight vs. Texas Tech on March 6, 1997... The previous season-low of 10 turnovers came against Wisconsin-Green Bay (11/20)... The team also tied a season-high with 18 assists, which they also had against Tennessee State (11/27).
*Pasco posted a season-best 30 points against the Mean Green... It was the most points scored by a Wildcat this season and most since Larry Reid also collected 30 against Iowa State (2/03/01)... His 15 points in the opening half were the most by a Wildcat in a half this year... He broke his season-best of 16 points against Gardner-Webb (12/1) with a basket in the opening minutes of the second half.
*Pasco posted his second double-double of the season and the second in as many games with a season-high tying 11 rebounds... He turned in his first double-double against Northwestern (12/8)... He also had 11 boards against Wichita State (12/5)... Along with tallying a season-best 30 points and 11 rebounds, he also broke his season-high with five blocked shots.
*Williams collected a season-best 19 points against North Texas... His previous season-best was 15 points against Northwestern (12/8)... It marked the third time in the last four games he has tallied double-digit points.
*With his 13-point effort, Reid has scored in double-figures in seven of the Wildcats' eight games this season... He also posted a season-tying eight assists... He also had eight assists against Wichita State (12/5)... He came within one rebound (seven) of his season-best of eight boards against Troy State (11/16).
*Kansas State led at halftime for just the second time this season and for the first time since the Gardner-Webb contest (12/1)... The 44 points scored in the first half was the highest of the season... The Wildcats shot 50.0 percent (18-of-36) from the field in the first half, the highest shooting percentage in the opening half this season... The team also tied a season-best in three-point shooting percentage, connecting on 50.0 percent (5-of-10) of its shots... K-State also shot 50.0 percent against Wisconsin-Green Bay (11/20).
Kansas State-Western Carolina Series (KSU leads 1-0)...
*The Wildcats and Catamounts have faced each other just once. K-State defeated WCU, 93-74, on Nov. 14, 1997, the Wildcats' season opener. That victory marked the beginning of a nine-game winning streak for the 'Cats.
*Manny Dies, who scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, led five K-State players in double figures in the Wildcat's 1997 meeting with WCU. Also hitting double digits were Adam Lopez (11), Shawn Rhodes (10), Ayome May (10) and Duane Davis (10). K-State, which shot 54.7 percent from the field for the game, jumped out to a 41-24 halftime lead and never looked back in posting the 19-point win.
Western Carolina At-A-Glance...
*Western Carolina is playing its first game in eight days. The Catamounts last took the floor on Dec. 11 when they downed Guilford, 77-73, in Cullowhee. That win came three days after upsetting Florida State, 79-69, in Tallahassee. The triumph over the Seminoles broke an 18-game road losing streak for WCU.
*Steve Shurina is 11-28 in his second season as head coach of Western Carolina. Shurina, who played at St. John's from 1984-88, served one season as an assistant coach under Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt (1999-2000) and seven years as an assistant at Davidson (1992-99), the final three as the associate head coach.
* The Catamounts are led by freshman guard Kevin Martin who scores at a team-high 21.0 point-per-game clip. Martin is shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 86.8 percent from the line. Also scoring in double figures are senior forwards Cory largent (12.7), Willie Freeman (12.6 ppg), and Kelvin Wylie (11.0).
*WCU is shooting 51.2 percent from the field, but only 30.2 percent from beyond the arc. The Catamounts, meanwhile, are averaging 11.3 steals and forcing 21.6 turnovers per game.
K-State vs. The Southern Conference...
*K-State is 1-0 (1.000) all-time vs. the 11 members of the Southern Conference. The Wildcats only meeting vs. a league member came in their 1997 meeting with Western Carolina (93-74 K-State win).
*The other 10 members of the Southen Conference include Appalachian State, College of Charleston, The Citadel, East Tennessee State, Furman, Georgia Southern, UNC-Greensboro, Tennessee-Chattanooga, VMI and Wofford.
Forward Thinking...
It's been a while, nearly 15 years in fact, since a Wildcat big man posted as many points as Pervis Pasco did Saturday night. Pasco's 30 points vs. North Texas were not only a career high, but also the most points scored by a Wildcat forward/center since Norris Coleman checked in with 34 in K-State's 87-75 win at Iowa State on Feb. 7, 1987. There were, however, a number of Wildcat guards, including Steve Henson, Eliot Hatcher, Askia Jones and Larry Reid, that scored 30 or more points over the previous 15 seasons.
30-10 Night...
Pervis Pasco and Norris Coleman, a former Wildcat All-Big Eight player, also have something else in common. With his 30 points and 11 rebounds vs. North Texas, Pasco became the first K-State player since Coleman to post at least 30 points and 10 boards in the same game. Coleman performed that feat with 30 points and 10 rebounds vs. Oklahoma State on Feb. 19, 1986. In fact, Coleman posted 30 and 10 seven times during the 1985-86 season.
Three's Company...
The Wildcat trio of Pervis Pasco, Larry Reid and Nick Williams has been carrying the scoring load over the last two games. After scoring 50 of the Wildcats' 56 points at Northwestern, Pasco (30), Reid (13) and Williams (19) followed that up by scoring 62 of the 'Cats 84 points vs. North Texas Saturday. Overall, in the last two contests the threesome has accounted for 80 percent (112 of 140 points) of the K-State scoring load.
On the League Charts...
Pervis Pasco's recent success has vaulted him among the Big 12's elite in a number of offensive and defensive categories. Pasco ranks fourth in field goal percentage (58.2), sixth in rebounding (8.1 pg), fourth in blocked shots (1.9 pg) and 29th in scoring (11.8 ppg). In fact, the junior forward is one of only two players in the league to rank among the top 10 in field goal percentage, rebounding and blocked shots. Nick Collison of Kansas is first in field goal percenatge (66.3), fifth in rebounding (8.2 pg) and third in blocked shots (2.0 pg).
Rally Caps...
The Wildcats have proven to be a resilient squad this year, rallying from a deficit in three of their five wins. K-State has found itself behind at the half in five of their eight contests and rallied for wins in three of its first four games, including a nine-point comeback vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay (11/20) and a 10-point come-from-behind victory vs. Tennessee State (11/27). The win over UW-Green Bay marked the biggest halftime comeback (33-24 deficit) since Dec. 1, 1999 when the Wildcats trailed St. Louis 42-30 at the end of the first half and scored 39 points in the second half to clinch the win, 69-68. On the season, K-State has been a strong second-half team, outscoring its eight opponents by a 309-248 margin.
Holding On to the Ball...
A key to the Wildcats offense is Larry Reid and his ability to direct the attack. Reid, who posted 109 assists last season (t-14th on the Wildcat single-season list), has been especially careful with the basketball lately. The senior point guard has dished out 21 assists and turned it over just eight times the past three games (assist-to-turnover = 2.63-to-1). On the season, Reid ranks fifth in the Big 12 in assists per game (5.6) and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.9-to-1.
Controlling the Paint...
A key to the five Wildcat victories this season has been their scoring dominance inside. On the season the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 240 to 172 in the paint. The disparity in interior scoring was especially evident in the last three Wildcat wins. K-State held the inside scoring edge vs. Tennessee State (42 to 18), Gardner-Webb (34 to 14) and North Texas (42 to 24). The Wildcats have held a low-post scoring edge in six of their eight games this season.
Here's a look at what the Wildcats have done in the paint vs. each opponent this season...
K-State pts.Opp. pts.
Gm. 1: Troy State2822
Gm. 2: UW-Green Bay2822
Gm. 3: Ole Miss3028
Gm. 4: Tennessee State4218
Gm. 5: Gardner-Webb3414
Gm. 6: Wichita State1824
Gm. 7: Northwestern1820
Gm. 8: North Texas4224
On the Defensive...
K-State has been steady at the defensive end throughout the season and its healthy defensive field goal percentage is one indicator. The Wildcats are holding the opposition to just 37.8 percent from the field (third in the Big 12) and have allowed just three opponents to shoot above 40 percent (Wisc.-Green Bay/Ole Miss/North Texas).
Jim Wooldridge at-A-Glance...
*Jim Wooldridge is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach with an overall record of 245-168 (.593).
*This is his second season as the Wildcat head coach and his fourth career head coaching position (Central Missouri, 1985-91, Southwest Texas 1991-94, Louisiana Tech, 1994-98). Wooldridge is the 20th head coach in the history of the K-State program.
*Before coming to Manhattan last season, Wooldridge served two seasons (1998-99, 1999-2000) as an assistant coach under Tim Floyd with the Chicago Bulls.
*Wooldridge turned around two struggling programs - Southwest Texas and Louisiana Tech - in his career. Wooldridge took over a SWT program in 1991-92 that had posted seven-straight losing seasons. He had them above .500 in year two and in the NCAA Tournament by year three (1993-94). Wooldridge went on to his alma mater, La. Tech, where he took an NCAA probation ridden 2-25 team to 14-13 in his first season on the job (1994-95).
* All three of his assistant coaches (Mike Miller, Robbie Laing, Charles Baker) have served as a head coach at least once during their careers.
Instant Offense...
The Wildcats leading scorer from a season ago, Phineas Atchison has seen his role adjust this season. Atchison is averaging 3.4 points per game in 9.9 minutes of action, but has come up big in two of the Wildcat wins. The 6-foot-1 senior, who connected on 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts last season (No. 9 in the Big 12), has provided some instant offense in victories over Wisconsin-Green Bay and North Texas. Atchison scored 14 points (6 of 9 FGs) in 16 minutes vs. the Phoenix (11/20) and then scored seven points in nine minutes vs. the Mean Green last Saturday.
Lineup Changes...
The Wildcats used their sixth different lineup of the season vs. North Texas. The 'Cats started Larry Reid, Nick Williams, Gilson DeJesus, Pervis Pasco and Matt Siebrandt for the first time this season Saturday. Siebrandt earned his first start of the season vs. Wichita State (12/5) before K-State started the fivesome of Reynolds, Pasco, Janerio Spurlock, DeJesus and Reid vs. Northwestern (12/8). Reynolds, Quentin Buchanan, Pasco, Reid and DeJesus started the first two games, before Williams started in place of Buchanan for games three and four. Spurlock then replaced DeJesus, who had his best two outings of the season off the bench (eight points vs. Gardner-Webb/21 points vs. Wichita State), vs. Gardner-Webb. Siebrandt then started in place of Travis Reynolds vs. WSU.
Picking up Where he Left off...
Senior Larry Reid continues to be the Wildcats' go-to player. Reid, an honorable mention All-Big 12 performer last season, leads the team in most offensive categories - points (14.9 pg), assists (5.6 pg) and free-throw percentage (90.2/37 of 41). The 6-foot point guard started off the season by scoring 15 points and collecting eight rebounds and seven assists in the 'Cats 64-60 win over Troy State and has since continued to spark K-State. Even when he has not shot the ball well, he has continued to be an integral part of the offense. Despite a 1-for-9 shooting performance in the win over Wisconsin-Green Bay (11/20), Reid made major contributions in his 37 minutes on the floor. He was 7 of 8 from the free throw line, dished out four assists and scored all of his nine points in the decisive second half in which the Wildcats rallied from a nine-point deficit at the break. Reid has picked up his offense even more recently, scoring 22 points vs. Ole Miss, 18 in the win over Tennessee State and 20 at Northwestern. Reid even closed in on a triple-double Saturday with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Doubling Up...
Travis Reynolds continues to be a force for the Wildcats not only on the boards, but also in the scoring column. Reynolds, who tied for sixth in the Big 12 last season with six double-doubles, notched his 10th career double-double game (14 points/10 rebounds) vs. Tennessee State (11/27). It was his second of the season after posting 15 points and 11 rebounds in the season opener vs. Troy State. The 6-foot-7 senior is now within striking distance of reaching the Wildcat career top 10. Four players (Deryl Cunningham, 1992-94, Norris Coleman, 1986-87, Jerry Venable, 1969-70, Wally Frank, 1958-60) are all tied for 10th on the chart with 15 career double-double games.
Fairleigh Dickinson Game Time Changed...
In an effort to accommodate Wildcat fans, Kansas State University has moved the tipoff of the Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 29 from 7 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CT). The adjustment was made in order to allow Wildcat fans to the opportunity to see the men's basketball game live in Bramlage Coliseum and then watch the Insight.com Bowl, which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. (CT), on ESPN2 later that day. The K-State football team faces Big East foe Syracuse in its ninth straight bowl appearance.
Better on the Boards...
After getting out-rebounded 42-38 in the season-opener vs. Troy State, the Wildcats have reversed that early trend. K-State went on to grab more rebounds than its next four opponents before Wichita State ended that streak. The Shockers edged the 'Cats 37-34 on the boards. The Wildcats out-rebounded Wisconsin-Green Bay (27-26), Ole Miss (34-28), Tennessee State (44-39) and Gardner-Webb (48-42) in successive games and out-boarded Northwestern 47 to 33 on Dec. 8. In Saturday's win over North Texas, each team grabbed 40 boards. Overall, the Wildcats have out-rebounded five of their eight opponents and hold a 41.2-to-36.5 board advantage over the last six games.
Frosh Acts...
The Wildcats have gotten solid contributions from a pair of freshmen this season. Travis Canby and Nick Williams have proven to be important cogs in the K-State arsenal. Canby, who has played in five games and provided a low-post presence, is averaging 1.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 9.8 minutes a game. The 6-foot-9 forward had his best outing vs. Ole Miss (11/24/01) when he scored eight points (3 of 3 FGs/2 of 2 FTs) and grabbed four boards in 10 minutes. He went on to snag a career-high five boards vs. Gardner-Webb on Dec. 1. Williams, a first-year guard, seems to be getting more comfortable with each outing. He set a new carrer-high in scoring in each of the last two games (15 points at Northwestern/19 points vs. North Texas) and has seen his minutes increase steadily through the early portion of the season. Over the last four games, Williams is averaging 12.3 points in 27.0 minutes of action. Williams matched his career-high in minutes played (32) vs. North Texas.
Home Cookin'...
With eight new players on this year's roster, the Wildcats have looked to acclimate the newcomers in the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum. K-State will play nine of its 11 non-conference games at home, including a six-game homestand that started the season. The Wildcats have not played nine home games vs. non-league foes since facing the same number of out of conference teams during the 1991-92 season. The six-game string is also the longest homestand since 1994-95 when the Wildcats played seven-straight games at home (11/29/94 - 12/19/94).
Streaks...
*Larry Reid had his consecutive free-throw streak come to an end at Northwestern. Reid had hit 21 straight entering that game, but missed his sixth attempt of the evening. He went 7 of 8 on the night and 2 of 2 vs. North Texas. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in free throw shooting percentage (90.2).
*Reid has scored in double figures in six straight games and has averaged 15.8 points over that stretch.
*Reid has started a team-best 37 straight games. Pervis Pasco, who has started every game this year (8) is second on the team in that category.
Janerio Spurlock Out For Season...
Kansas State University junior forward Janerio Spurlock, who injured his right knee during the second half of the Wildcats' game at Northwestern, will miss the remainder of the season. Further tests revealed Spurlock fractured his right patella. The 6-foot-6 transfer from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College had succcessful surgery Monday to repair the injury and be sidelined approximately three months. Spurlock, one of the top junior-college players in the nation over the previous two seasons, played in all seven games this year, starting the last three at small forward. He averaged 6.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.1 minutes of action per game, and posted career-highs in points (12) and rebounds (9) in the Wildcats' 75-57 win over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 1. Tabbed as one of the Top 60 junior-college players in the nation by CNNSI.com in 2000-01, Spurlock averaged 20.2 points per contest as a sophomore at Chipola.
Kansas State's Recruiting Class Ranked Again...
The Wildcats' 2002-03 fall recruiting class is ranked t-25th nationally, and third among Big 12 Conference schools, by Hoop Scoop, a recruiting publication. K-State inked three student-athletes in the November signing period. High school forwards Marques Hayden and Justin Johnson, along with junior college point guard Frank Richards signed national letters of intent for the 2002-03 season. The 'Cats 2001-02 recruiting class was ranked 19th on Hoop Scoop's list of the Top 130 recruiting classes in the nation. That was a jump from the fall of 2000 when K-State's signees were ranked 29th on Hoop Scoop's list of the Top 40 fall recruiting classes. In addition, PrepStars had the Wildcats at No. 48 on its Top 50 recruiting classes for the 2001-02 season., while recruiting analyst Bill Hodge had the 'Cats' incoming class of newcomers ranked in the Top 40 nationally. KSU inked three student-athletes in the November 2000 recruiting period, junior college players Gilson DeJesus and Janerio Spurlock, and prepster Nick Williams, along with four more last spring, junior college transfer Pervis Pasco, and freshmen Marcelo DaBarrosa, Travis Canby and Marcus Hayes. CNNSI.com rated the Wildcats' three junior-college transfers among the Top 60 JC sophomores in the country.