Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Men's Basketball Takes on Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday
Dec 24, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 24, 2001
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Game No. 11
Fairleigh Dickinson (0-10) vs. Kansas State (5-5)
Date:Saturday, Dec. 29
Tipoff:12:35 p.m. (Central)
Location:Manhattan, Kan.
Arena:Bramlage Coliseum (13,500)
Radio:Wildcat Radio Network (Flagship station: WIBW 580 in Topeka): Bruce Steinbrock (play-by-play) and Ben Boyle (color) have the call.
Television: None
Quick Hitters...
*After a 4-1 start, the Wildcats have dropped four of their last five games heading into Saturday's matchup with Fairleigh Dickinson. K-State lost to No. 12 Iowa, 89-70, Saturday. After being down as many as 17 in the first half, the 'Cats closed to within one midway through the second half before the Hawkeyes pulled away for the victory.
*The matchup with Fairleigh Dickinson will mark the final non-conference tilt of the season for the Wildcats. K-State will open the Big 12 season on the road at Texas Tech on Sunday, Jan. 6.
*Junior Pervis Pasco led the way for the Wildcats in the loss at Iowa. Pasco collected 16 points and 13 rebounds for his third career double-double. The transfer from Pensacola (Fla.) Junior College has led the 'Cats in scoring in two of the last three games.
*Senior guard Larry Reid leads K-State in scoring (13.9 ppg), assists (5.6 pg), free throw shooting (87.2 percent), steals (1.4 pg) and minutes played (35.4 pg).
* Jim Wooldridge is in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. Wooldridge owns a 245-170 (.590) career record in his 15th season as a head coach.
*Who's hot: Over the last six games, Pasco is averaging a team-best 15.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and shooting 60.9 percent from the field.
Kansas State's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F34Matt Siebrandt6-8240Jr.-1L4.73.1
F44Pervis Pasco6-9218Jr.-TR11.78.5
G24Nick Williams6-4185Fr.-HS8.12.4#
G11Larry Reid6-0170Sr.-1L13.95.6#
G32Gilson DeJesus6-5215Jr.-TR6.63.0
Fairleigh Dickinson's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F33Matt Hammond6-8215Sr.12.55.0
F/C3Greg McBain6-10245So.1.52.4
G12Marcus Whitaker5-9175So.11.33.2
G21Mensah Peterson6-2190So.8.11.5
G42Brandon Edwards6-3200Jr.9.96.8
# Indicates assists
Kansas State-Iowa 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 same starting lineup used against North Texas (Dec. 15)... Pasco and Reid have started all 10 games this season... Reid started his team-best 39th straight game.
*Iowa shot 46.2 percent from the floor, the highest field-goal percentage by a Kansas State opponent this season... The Hawkeyes also connected on 33 of 45 free throws. It marked the most made and attempted free throws by a K-State opponent since Arizona went 34-for-45 on Dec. 30, 1997.
*The 89 points surrendered by the 'Cats were the most scored by an opponent since Kansas notched 94 in the second round of the 2001 Big 12 Tournament.
*K-State placed five Wildcats in double figures for the second time this season. Pasco (16), Reid (12), Siebrandt (10), Williams and Travis Reynolds (10) all hit double digits... Five Wildcats also scored in double figures vs. Gardner-Webb (Dec. 1).
*Pasco posted his third career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds... He has also posted double digits in rebounding in four of the last five games.
*Luke Recker's 29 points were tied for the most surrendered to an opposing player this season... Kevin Martin of Western Carolina's scored 29 points vs. the 'Cats on Dec. 19.
*The Wildcats connected on a season-high 22 free throws... K-State's 78.6 percent success rate at the line was its second-best effort of the season... The 'Cats hit a season-high 81.0 percent (17 of 21) from the charity stripe vs. Mississippi (Nov. 24).
Fairleigh Dickinson At-A-Glance...
*Fairleigh Dickinson has dropped all 10 contests this season and is riding an 11-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Knights have, however, played a pair of Big East teams tough this season. They took Rutgers to overtime before losing, 70-66, on Nov. 16, and trailed Seton Hall by six with less than 10 minutes remaining before falling, 95-73, on Dec. 13.
*Head coach Tom Green is in his 19th season at Fairleigh Dickinson and owns a 302-226 (.572) mark at the Teaneck, N.J., school. Green, who is the Northeast Conference's all-time leader in wins, has led the Knights to three NCAA Tournament appearances (1985, 1988, 1998).
*The Knights have just one starter returning from last year, senior forward Matt Hammond.
*FDU is 0-2 in the Northeast Conference having lost to Wagner, 78-69, and Sacred Heart, 133-130, earlier this season.
*The Knights have three players scoring in double figures: junior guard Iman Mattox (12.8 points per game), Hammond (12.5 ppg) and sophomore guard Marcus Whitaker (11.3 ppg). Junior guard Brandon Edwards, who scores at a 9.9 point-per-game clip, leads FDU on the boards, grabbing 6.6 rebounds a contest.
Kansas State-Fairleigh Dickinson Series (First Meeting)...
*Kansas State and Fairleigh Dickinson are meeting for the first time.
K-State vs. The Northeast Conference...
*K-State is 2-0 all-time vs. the 11 members of the Northeast Conference. The Wildcats have only faced Central Connecticut State and St. Francis (Pa.).
*The 'Cats downed Central Connecticut State, 81-56, on Jan. 26, 1993 and defeated St. Francis (Pa.), 78-71, on Jan. 17, 1970. Both games were played in Manhattan.
*K-State has never faced the other nine memebers of the league, which includes Maryland-Baltimore County, Monmouth, Mt. St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (N.Y.) and Wagner.
Back on Track...
Forward Travis Reynolds may have gotten back on track with his performance vs. Western Carolina (Dec. 19). The 6-foot-7 senior, who scored just 15 points over the previous four games, posted his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 14 rebounds, the second-highest board total of his career (also 14 vs. Tennessee State, 11/28/00, 16 vs. Eastern Washington, 12/16/00). Reynolds also connected on six of his 10 shots from the field vs. the Catamounts. He went to score 10 points at Iowa Saturday. Over the last two games, Reynolds is averaging 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes of action.
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 39.1 percent from the field (fourth in the Big 12). The 'Cats held four of their first six opponents under 40 percent from the field, but KSU's last two foes have combined to shoot 45.5 percent (45 of 99) from the floor.
Scoring Distribution...
The Wildcats placed five players in double figures for the second time this season in their game at Iowa. In that contest, Pervis Pasco (16), Larry Reid (12), Matt Siebrandt (10), Nick Williams (10) and Travis Reynolds (10) all hit double digits. The 'Cats also placed five players (Pasco, 16, Janerio Spurlock, 12, Reid, 11, Williams, 11, Siebrandt, 10) in double figures vs. Gardner-Webb (Dec. 1). Last season, five Wildcats scored in double figures on two occassions (vs. Texas-San Antonio, Nov. 18, 2000, vs. Tennessee State, Nov. 28, 2000).
On the Rise...
A pair of Wildcats, Nick Williams and Pervis Pasco, have seen their scoring averages rise steadily over the last month. Over the course of the last six games, Williams' average has jumped from 3.8 points per game to 8.1 points a contest, while Pasco's has risen from 6.8 to 11.7.
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 vs. North Texas (Dec. 15). Pasco's 30 points vs. the Mean Green 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, who 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.
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 306 to 224 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 eight of their 10 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
Gm. 9: Western Carolina3220
Gm. 10: Iowa3432
Three's Company...
The Wildcat trio of Pervis Pasco, Larry Reid and Nick Williams has been carrying the scoring load over the last four games. After scoring 50 of the Wildcats' 56 points at Northwestern (Dec. 8), Pasco (30), Reid (13) and Williams (19) followed that up by scoring 62 of the 'Cats 84 points vs. North Texas (Dec. 15). Overall, in the last four contests the threesome has accounted for 62.8 percent (172 of 274 points) of the K-State scoring load. In addition each one of the three players has scored in double figures in three of those four games.
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 six of its 10 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 10 opponents by a 370-334 margin.
Distributing 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 getting his teammates involved. Over the last five games, the senior point guard has dished out 6.4 assists per game, including a pair of 8-assist efforts (vs. Wichita State/vs. North Texas). On the season, Reid ranks tied for fourth in the Big 12 in assists per game (5.6) and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6-to-1.
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 vs. the Mean Green. 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 game's 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. The 'Cats started the same lineup - Reynolds, Pasco, DeJesus, Reid and Williams - they used in game's three and four vs. Western Carolina, and matched their opening lineup at Iowa with the one that started vs. North Texas.
Jim Wooldridge at-A-Glance...
*Jim Wooldridge is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach with an overall record of 245-170 (.590).
*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.
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 (13.9 pg), assists (5.6 pg), steals (1.4 pg) and free-throw percentage (87.2/41 of 47). 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 also posted two of the top four scoring outputs for the Wildcats this season. He scored 22 points vs. Ole Miss (Nov. 24) and tallied 20 at Northwestern (Dec. 8). Reid even closed in on a triple-double vs. North Texas with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
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 eight games and provided a low-post presence, is averaging 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.4 minutes a game. The 6-foot-9 forward had his best outing vs. Ole Miss (Nov. 24) 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 and scored three points at Iowa Saturday. Williams, a first-year guard, seems to be getting more comfortable with each outing. He set a new career-high in scoring in two of the last four 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 12.8 points in 30.8 minutes of action. Williams matched his career-high in minutes played (32) at Iowa and has been on the floor for 30 or more minutes of action in the last four contests.
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 11th career double-double game vs. Western Carolina (13 points/14 rebounds) on Dec. 19. It was his third double-double of the season. Reynolds also performed the feat vs. Tennessee State (14 points/10 rebounds) and in the season-opener vs. Troy State (15 points/11 rebounds). 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.
Instant Offense...
The Wildcats' leading scorer from a season ago, Phineas Atchison has seen his role adjust this season. Atchison is averaging 3.5 points per game in 10.2 minutes of action, but has come up big in two of the Wildcats' 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 (Nov. 20) and then scored seven points in nine minutes vs. the Mean Green last Saturday.
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...
*Pervis Pasco, a 57 percent free-throw shooter, has connected on his last 10 attempts from the charity stripe.
*Larry Reid, who scored seven points vs. Western Carolina, had his six-game double-figure scoring string snapped vs. the Catamounts. Reid went on score 12 points at Iowa and has now hit double digits in scoring in eight of the 'Cats' 10 games. He has also dished out five or more assists in seven straight games.
*Reid has started a team-best 39 straight games. Pasco, who has started every game this year (10), is second on the team in that category.
*Pasco has shot 60 percent or better from the field in five of the last six games.
*Reid has led the Wildcats in assists in every game this season.
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 national 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.