Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Hosts Wichita State Wednesday
Dec 04, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2001
Manhattan, Kan. -
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Game No. 6
Wichita State (3-3) at Kansas State (4-1)
Date:Wednesday, Dec. 5
Tipoff:7:06 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 Bruce Steinbrock (color) have the call.
Television: Metro Sports (K.C.): Former Voice of the Wildcats Mitch Holthus (play-by-play) and Ben Boyle (color) call the action. Satellite coordinates for the telecast are SBS 6, transponder 9, downlink 11921 H.
Highlights: None
Quick Hitters...
*The Wildcats, who have won two straight games, renew their intrastate rivalry with Wichita State this evening. The Shockers defeated K-State, 76-66, in Wichita last season.
*The 'Cats are closing out a season-opening, six-game homestand tonight. K-State hits the road for the first time Saturday to face Northwestern.
*Senior guard Larry Reid is shooting 52.9 percent from the field (18 of 34 FGs) over the last three games. On the season, Reid is leading KSU in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (4.8 pg), steals (1.0 pg) and free throw shooting (88.9 percent).
*Senior forward Travis Reynolds leads K-State in rebounding (7.4 pg) and is second on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg). Reynolds has also connected on 55.6 percent of his shots from the floor.
* Junior Janerio Spurlock, who started his first career game vs. Gardner-Webb, has averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over the last three games, and has connected on four of his eight three-point attempts in those contests.
*The Wildcats, who are holding teams to 37.2 percent from the field (third in the Big 12), have been even stingier over the last two games, holding the opposition to just 33.1 percent shooting (46 of 139 FGs) from the floor.
* Jim Wooldridge is in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. Wooldridge owns a 244-166 (.595) career record in 14-plus seasons as a head coach.
Kansas State's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F42Janerio Spurlock6-6215Jr.-TR7.43.6
F5Travis Reynolds6-7210Sr.-2L12.67.4
F44Pervis Pasco6-9218Jr.-TR8.66.6
G24Nick Williams6-4185Fr.-HS5.22.6#
G11Larry Reid6-0170Sr.-1L15.04.8#
Wichita State's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F4Jamar Howard6-5184Fr.10.24.2
F22Troy Mack6-8205Sr.6.04.5
F33Rob Kampman6-8190Fr.9.75.2
G15Terrell Benton6-5210Sr.13.52.8
G32C.C. McFall6-4195Sr.9.53.5
# Indicates assists
Kansas State-Gardner-Webb Postgame Notes...
*Larry Reid, and Nick Williams started at the guard positions, while Travis Reynolds, Janerio Spurlock, and Pervis Pasco at the forward slots... Reid started his team-best 34th straight game for Kansas State, while Spurlock made his first career start.
*The Wildcats held the rebounding advantage for the fourth straight game, outrebounding the Runnin' Bulldogs 48 to 42.
*Five Wildcats scored in double figures...Reid finished with 11 points, Williams scored 11, Matt Siebrandt posted 10, Janerio Spurlock 12, and Pasco 16. The last time the Wildcats had five players put up double-digits in scoring was on November 11, 2000, against Tennessee State.
*Spurlock, who scored a career-high 12 points, has connected on at least one three-pointer in each of the last four games...Spurlock also set a career high for rebounds, pulling down 9.
*Pasco led the Wildcats in scoring for the first time this season, netting a season-high 16 points, including 10 points in the first half...Pasco also set career-highs in free throws, making 10-of-13 from the line.
*Gilson DeJesus came off the bench for the first time this season and scored a season-high eight points, shooting 3-for-8 from the floor, including 2-for-6 from behind the three-point line.
*Matt Siebrandt set season-highs in both scoring and rebounds, scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
*Kansas State dominated the inside game, posting a 34-10 advantage in the paint against the Bulldogs.
*The 'Cats held the lead at halftime for the first time this season, leading Gardner-Webb 30-25.
*The 18-point margin of victory for K-State is the largest since the Wildcats defeated Texas Tech on February 18, 2001 by 19.
Rally Caps...
The Wildcats have proved to be a resilient squad this year, rallying for victories in three of their five games. K-State has found itself behind at the half in four of those contests this season, including last Tuesday's matchup with Tennessee State when they rallied from a six-point deficit. While K-State didn't quite complete its comeback bid vs. Ole Miss, the 'Cats took a second-half lead over the Rebels after being down by 17 in the first half. KSU also rallied for wins in their first two games, including a nine-point comeback vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay. 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. Overall, K-State has outscored its five opponents this season by a 201-141 margin in the second half.
Wichita State At-A-Glance...
*Wichita State is led in scoring by freshman Randy Burns who is averaging 14.5 points per game. He has started four of WSU's six games, but came off the bench to score 21 points in Saturday's 61-59 loss at Oklahoma State. Terrell Benton is second in scoring (13.5 ppg) and has led the Shockers in that category in three games.
*The Shockers and Wildcats have a common opponent this season, both played Mississippi. WSU lost 80-68 to the Rebels at the Top of the World Classic on Nov. 18, while Ole Miss edged the 'Cats, 67-65.
K-State-Wichita State Series...
*The Wildcats own an 18-10 advantage in this intrastate series that dates back to 1932.
*Wichita defeated K-State last season, but the Wildcats have won three of the last five in the series.
*Over a three-year stretch (1969-70 through 1971-72), the Wildcats and Shockers faced each other twice each season. The teams split those six games.
*By not playing each other during the 1999-00 campaign, the teams broke a string of 12 straight seasons in which they faced each other.
* K-State is 13-1 all-time vs. the Shockers in Manhattan, with the lone loss coming in 1996.
*KSU owns the two longest winning streaks in the series capturing six straight (1987-92) and five in-a-row (1946-69).
K-State vs. The Missouri Valley Conference...
*K-State is 60-30 (.667) all-time vs. the 10 members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
*Kansas State has faced all 10 current members of the Missouri Valley Conference. KSU's record vs. each team is: 2-2 vs. Bradley, 7-8 vs. Creighton, 20-6 vs. Drake, 1-1 vs. Evansville, 1-0 vs. Illinois State, 1-0 vs. Indiana State, 6-1 vs. Northern Iowa, 6-0 vs. Southern Illinois, 0-2 vs. S.W. Missouri State and 18-10 vs. Wichita State.
Controlling the Paint...
A key to the four Wildcat victories this season has been their scoring dominance in the paint. In fact, over the last two games, both K-State wins, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 76 to 32 in the paint. The disparity in interior scoring was especially evident in the second half of the Tennessee State game when KSU erased a six-point Tiger halftime lead with a 24-6 inside scoring advantage over the final 20 minutes. The Wildcats have held a low-post scoring edge in all five of their games this season.
Here's a look at what the Wildcats have done in the paint vs. each of their opponents 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
Role Reversal...
A starter in 25 of the Wildcats' 29 games last season, junior Matt Siebrandt's has seen all of his action as a reserve this season. The 6-foot-8 forward, who scored in double figures 15 times last season, has averaged 6.2 points in 18.2 minutes of action this year, but has been even more impressive recently. In the last two games, Siebrandt has averaged 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in his 19.5 minutes on the floor. He has also shot 70.0 percent from the floor (7 of 10 FGs) and has dished out four assists, while turning it over just once.
Lineup Change...
With forward Janerio Spurlock earning his first career start vs. Gardner-Webb Saturday, the Wildcats employed their third different starting lineup of the season. Travis Reynolds, Quentin Buchanan, Pervis Pasco, Larry Reid and Gilson DeJesus started the first two games, before Nick Williams started in place of Buchanan for games three and four. Spurlock then replaced DeJesus, who went on to have his best outing of the season off the bench (career-high eight points/2 of 6 three-pointers), last Saturday.
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 (15.0 pg), assists (4.8 pg), free-throw percentage (88.9/24 of 27) and steals (1.0 pg). 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. In his team-high 34.6 minutes of play, Reid is connecting on 46.0 percent from the field (23 of 50 FGs). 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 and 18 in the win over Tennessee State.
What a Difference a Year Makes...
The Wildcats have improved in a number of statistical categories this year. Here's a look at where K-State stands through five games this year as compared to the first five contests of the 2000-01 season...
Statistic2000-012001-02% change
Scoring Avg.61.670.2+14.0
Scoring Defense66.862.4-6.6
FG%39.944.3+11.0
FG% Defense40.337.2-7.7
3PT FG%27.028.6+5.9
3PT FG% Defense33.628.2-16.1
FT%63.669.5+9.3
Rebound Avg.41.838.2-8.6
Opp Rebound Avg.35.235.4+0.5
Turnovers per game16.615.4-7.2
Turnovers Forced pg12.815.4+20.3
Steals pg4.47.2+63.6
Blocks pg3.45.4+58.8
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. 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.
Double Digit Effort...
In the Wildcat's 79-73 win over Tennessee State, Travis Reynolds hit double figures in scoring for the seventh straight game and the 14th time in the past 20 games, dating back to last season. The Wildcats were 5-2 during his seven-game streak, which was broken vs. Gardner-Webb (two points). He has hit double figures in four of five games this season and his 18 points vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay were the second most in his career (22 vs. Eastern Washington, 12/16/00).
Better on the Boards...
After getting outrebounded 42-38 in the season-opener vs. Troy State, the Wildcats have reversed that early trend. K-State has grabbed more rebounds than its opponent in each of the last four games. The Wildcats edged Wisconsin-Green Bay on the boards, 27-26, before outrebounding Ole Miss, 34-28, including a 19-12 advantage in the second half. K-State continued its strong board work vs. Tennessee State by holding a 44-39 advantage in that game and a 48-42 margin over Gardner-Webb.
Target Practice...
The Wildcats, who shot 41.2 percent from the field last season, are off to a better start shooting the ball this season, especially in the second half of each of the first four games. K-State has connected on 44.3 percent of its field goal attempts this season, including a 49.2 percent mark (63 of 128) in the second half of its four games. That second-half shooting percentage has led to a 60-point scoring edge (201-141) in the final half of the Wildcats' five 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 three games, is averaging 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds 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 grab a career-high five boards vs. Gardner-Webb last Saturday. Williams seems to be getting better with each game. He is coming off a career-high 11-point performance vs. Gardner-Webb and has seen his minutes increase nearly each game. Over the last three games, Williams is averaging 30.7 minutes, 6.7 points and 3.3 assists. Maybe the most impressive stat is number of turnovers, or lack thereof. He has turned the ball over just three times in his 129 minutes on the court.
Charity Stripe Success...
The Wildcats, who connected on 54 percent of their free throws during the two-game exhibition season, have improved tremendously at the charity stripe in the early portion of the season. In the last three games, K-State has connected on 74.3 percent (55 of 74) of its free throw attempts. KSU started the season with a 3-for-9 first-half performance vs. Troy State, but rebounded with a 14-for-20 second half showing. That 70-percent final half included some key free throws in the final four minutes which helped seal the win. Junior Quentin Buchanan connected on a pair of free throws, Matt Siebrandt hit three of four from the charity stripe and freshman Nick Williams hit one of two in the final five seconds. The second half showing vs. the Trojans is more in line with six returning players performances in 2000-01 when they combined to hit 72.5 percent of their free throws. In fact, Larry Reid, a 74-percent free throw shooter a year ago, hit all four of his attempts in the final two minutes vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay, while the 'Cats connected on 13 of 18 FTs (72.2 percent) in the second half of that game. K-State posted its best free-throw shooting night of the season vs. Ole Miss when the 'Cats hit 17 of their 21 attempts (81.0 percent). It marked KSU's best night from the line since going 11 of 12 (91.7 percent) vs. Iowa State last season.
Veteran Leadership...
The Wildcats will certainly look for contributions from their eight newcomers throughout season, but head coach Jim Wooldridge has gotten key buckets and board work from his veterans in each of the Wildcat victories. In fact, the returning players scored 47 of the Wildcats' 64 points in the win over Troy State, including three of four free throws from junior forward Matt Siebrandt in the last three minutes to seal the win. The newcomers contributed as well, though, as junior Pervis Pasco collected 10 points and eight rebounds, while freshman guard Nick Williams hit a game-sealing one of two free throws with four seconds remaining in the contest. In the victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay, seniors Travis Reynolds, Phineas Atchison and Larry Reid combined for 33 of the Wildcats' 44 second-half points. Reid (22) and Reynolds (14) continued to shine vs. Ole Miss, combining for 36 points of the 'Cats 65 points. On the season, the Reid-Reynolds duo has accounted for 38.5 percent of the Wildcats' offense. The twosome has combined to scored 27.0 of the 'Cats 70.2 points per game.
Streaks...
*Larry Reid has connected on his last 17 free throw attempts and is hitting 88.9 percent from the line overall this year.
*Travis Canby was perfect from the field this season until is 0-for-2 performance vs. Gardner-Webb. Canby still has not missed from the line, going a modest 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.
*Travis Reynolds had his seven-game double-figure scoring string snapped vs. Gardner-Webb (two points).
*Reid has started a team-best 34 straight games, Reynolds is next on the list with nine consecutive starts.
Jim Wooldridge at-A-Glance...
*Jim Wooldridge is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach with an overall record of 244-166 (.595).
*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.