Kansas State University Athletics
Wildcats Hit Road For First Time This Season
Dec 06, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2001
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Game No. 7
Kansas State (4-2) at Northwestern (4-1)
Date:Saturday, Dec. 8
Tipoff:7:05 p.m. (Central)
Location:Evanston, Ill.
Arena:Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)
Radio:Wildcat Radio Network (Flagship station: WIBW 580 in Topeka): Voice of the Wildcats Greg Sharpe (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (color) have the call.
Television: None
Quick Hitters...
*The Wildcats, who have won two of their last three games, venture on the road for the first time this season. K-State is coming off a 65-56 defeat at the hands of intrastate rival Wichita State. The 'Cats were lead by a pair of newcomers. Junior Gilson DeJesus scored a career-high 21 points, while junior Pervis Pasco grabbed a career-best 11 boards and posted six points and three blocked shots.
*The 'Cats closed out a season-opening, six-game homestand Wednesday and are playing their first of two non-conference road games vs. Big Ten foes (also at Iowa, 12/22).
*Senior guard Larry Reid leads K-State in scoring (14.3 ppg), assists (5.3 pg), free throw shooting (90.3 percent) and minutes played (35.3 pg).
*Senior forward Travis Reynolds is tied for the team lead in rebounding (7.3 pg) and is second in scoring (12.0 ppg). Reynolds has also connected on 57.1 percent (28 of 49 FGs) of his shots from the floor.
*The Wildcats, who are holding teams to 37.1 percent from the field (third in the Big 12), have been even stingier over the last three games, holding the opposition to just 34.0 percent shooting (64 of 188 FGs) from the floor.
* Jim Wooldridge is in his second season as head coach of the Wildcats. Wooldridge, who owns a 244-167 (.594) career record in 14-plus seasons as a head coach, is making a homecoming of sorts. He served two seasons (1998-00) as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls.
*Who's hot: Pasco is averaging 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over the last two games, while DeJesus is averaging 14.5 points and 3.5 boards in the last two contests.
Kansas State's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F42Janerio Spurlock6-6215Jr.-TR7.03.5
F5Travis Reynolds6-7210Sr.-2L12.07.3
F44Pervis Pasco6-9218Jr.-TR8.27.3
G24Nick Williams6-4185Fr.-HS5.02.2#
G11Larry Reid6-0170Sr.-1L14.35.3#
Northwestern's Projected Starters
Ht.Wt.Yr.-ExpPPGRPG
F11Vedran Vukusic6-8220Fr.8.22.4
F22Winston Blake6-5197Jr.15.65.6
C33Tavaras Hardy6-8236Sr.13.47.2
G25Jitim Young6-2192So.17.24.6
G32Collier Drayton6-2190Sr.4.04.8#
# Indicates assists
Kansas State-Wichita State Postgame Notes...
*K-State started Larry Reid, Nick Williams at the guard positions and juniors Matt Siebrandt, Janerio Spurlock, and Pervis Pasco at the forward slots... It was the fourth different starting line-up of the season for the Wildcats... Pasco and Reid have started all six games this season... It was Siebrandt's first start of the season... Reid started his team-best 35th straight game for Kansas State.
*Kansas State was outscored 35-34 by Wichita State in the second half... It marked the first time this season the Wildcats have been outscored after intermission... The Shockers' 35 points were the most allowed in the second half by the Wildcats this season... However, WSU shot just 32 percent in the second half, marking the sixth straight game that K-State has outshot its opponent in the second half... The Wildcats have held their opponents to less than 36 percent shooting in the second half.
*Kansas State outshot Wichita State 37.3 percent to 36.7 percent for the game and turned it over less (16-15)... However, the Shockers connected on more opportunities at the free throw line... WSU converted on 24-of-32 free throws for 75 percent, while K-State made just 10-of-21 free throws for 47.6 percent.
*Gilson DeJesus posted a season-high 21 points against the Shockers... He tied his season-high with eight points in the first half... He broke his season-best with a three-point basket in the opening minutes of the second half... His six three-point baskets were the most by a Wildcat since Larry Reid connected on seven at Iowa State on Feb. 3, 2001... DeJesus connected on 6-of-12 three-point opportunities.
*With his 11-point effort, Reid has scored in double-figures in five of the Wildcats' six games this season... He also posted a season-high eight assists, the most by a Wildcat since he tallied nine against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 18, 2000... Reid extended his free throws made streak to 21 with his 4-for-4 performance from the charity stripe.
*Pasco turned in a season-high 11 rebounds against the Shockers, his most since grabbing eight rebounds against both Troy State (11/16) and Mississippi (11/24).
*Kansas State trailed at halftime for the fifth time in six games this season... The Wildcats hold a 3-2 record when facing a deficit at halftime... The 22 points scored in the first half was the lowest of the season.
Rally Caps...
The Wildcats have proven to be a resilient squad this year, rallying for victories in three of their four wins. K-State has found itself behind at the half in five of those contests, including last Wednesday's matchup with Wichita State. While K-State didn't quite complete its comeback bid vs. WSU, the 'Cats took a second-half lead over the Shockers after being down by eight at the half. KSU rallied for wins in three of their 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. Overall, K-State has outscored its six opponents this season by a 235-176 margin in the second half.
Northwestern At-A-Glance...
*The Wildcats of Northwestern also possess a second-year head coach. Bill Carmody came to NU after an 18-year stint at Princeton, his final four as head coach. Carmody has a career record of 107-45 (.704).
*Northwestern is paced by three players who score in double figures. Jitim Young leads the team at 17.2 points per game, while Winston Blake (15.5 ppg) and Tavaras Hardy (13.4 ppg) come in second and third, respectively. Hardy, a senior, also grabs a team-high 7.2 boards a game.
*The Wildcats have just two seniors, Hardy and Collier Drayton, on their roster.
Kansas State-Northwestern Series (KSU leads 1-0)...
*The KSU Wildcats and the NU Wildcats have only faced each once. On Jan. 2, 1926, Kansas State, then nicknamed the Aggies, defeated Northwestern in Evanston, 30-28.
*The teams will face each other again next season in Manhattan.
K-State vs. The Big Ten...
*K-State is 39-49 (.443) all-time vs. the 11 members of the Big Ten Conference. The 'Cats have played each one of the teams at least once.
*The KSU Wildcats are facing two Big Ten teams for the second straight season. They will match up with Iowa on Dec. 22 and played the Hawkeyes and Illinois last season. K-State lost to No. 9 Illinois, 76-56, before upsetting No. 19 Iowa, 86-78.
*This is the fourth straight season the Wildcats have faced at least one Big Ten opponent. K-State lost to No. 22 Illinois on Dec. 11, 1999 and fell to No. 17 Indiana, 71-70, on Nov. 23, 1998.
Wildcats in Road Openers...
* K-State has won three of its last four road openers and is 50-47 (.515) all-time in its first game away from home.
*This is latest the Wildcats have played a game away from home since the 1993-94 season (Hawaii Nike Festival, Dec. 17, 1993).
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 three games, both K-State wins, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents 94 to 56 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 five of their six 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
Gm. 6: Wichita State1824
Role Reversal...
A starter in 25 of the Wildcats' 29 games last season, junior Matt Siebrandt has seen action as a reserve in five of the six games this season. The 6-foot-8 forward, who scored in double figures 15 times last season, has averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes of action this year. In last Saturday's victory over Gardner-Webb, Siebrandt posted season-highs in points (10) and rebounds (8) as well as dishing out a career-high tying four assists. In the Wildcats' four wins, the junior is averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds and hitting 78.6 percent from the floor (11 of 16 FGs). On the year, Siebrandt is shooting 64.7 percent from the field.
Lineup Changes...
With forward Matt Siebrandt earning his first start of the season vs. Wichita State, the Wildcats employed their fourth 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. Janerio 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.
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.
Jim Wooldridge at-A-Glance...
*Jim Wooldridge is in his 15th season as a collegiate head coach with an overall record of 244-167 (.594).
*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 (14.3 pg), assists (5.3 pg) and free-throw percentage (90.3/28 of 31). 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. Over the last four games, Reid is averaging 15.5 points and shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. 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 six games this year (4-2 record) as compared to the first six contests of the 2000-01 season (2-4 mark)...
Statistic2000-012001-02% change
Scoring Avg.59.867.8+13.4
Scoring Defense66.062.8-4.8
FG%38.743.2+11.6
FG% Defense40.137.1-7.5
3PT FG%24.728.9+17.0
3PT FG% Defense33.829.2-13.6
FT%63.466.4+4.7
Rebound Avg.41.337.5-9.2
Opp Rebound Avg.35.735.70.0
Turnovers per game15.815.3-3.1
Turnovers Forced pg11.815.5+31.4vSteals pg3.86.3+65.8
Blocks pg3.55.3+51.4
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). Reynolds just missed double figures vs. Wichita State when he scored nine points. He has hit double figures in four of the six games this season and his 18 points vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay (11/20) were the second most in his career (22 vs. Eastern Washington, 12/16/00). Larry Reid leads the 'Cats in double-digit scoring, hitting double figures in five of the six games.
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 stopped 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.
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 six games. K-State has connected on 43.2 percent of its field goal attempts this season, including a 47.4 percent mark (74 of 156) in the second half of its six contests. That second-half shooting percentage has led to a 59-point scoring edge (235-176) in the final half of the Wildcats' 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 four games and provided a low-post presence, is averaging 2.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 12.0 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 last Saturday. Williams, a first-year guard, seems to be getting more comfortable with each outing. Before his foul-plagued game vs. Wichita State, he scored a career-high 11 points vs. Gardner-Webb and has seen his minutes increase steadily through the early portion of the season. Over the last three games, Williams is averaging 7.3 points in 26.3 minutes of action. Maybe the most impressive stat is his number of turnovers, or lack thereof. Williams is averaging just 1.37 turnovers per 40 minutes of action despite handling the ball considerably on the offensive end.
Home Cookin'...
With eight new players on this year's roster, the Wildcats 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 to start 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).
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. Siebrandt had his best outing of the season in the win over Gardner-Webb. On the season, the Reid-Reynolds duo has accounted for 38.7 percent of the Wildcats' offense. The twosome has combined to scored 26.3 of the 'Cats 67.8 points per game.
Streaks...
*Larry Reid has connected on his last 21 free throw attempts and is hitting 90.3 percent from the line this year.
*Travis Canby was perfect from the field this season until his 0-for-2 performance vs. Gardner-Webb. Canby still has not missed from the line this season, going a modest 2-for-2.
*Travis Reynolds had his seven-game double-figure scoring string snapped vs. Gardner-Webb (two points).
*Reid has started a team-best 35 straight games. Reynolds was next on the list at nine until that streak was snapped vs. Wichita State. Pervis Pasco, who has started every game this year (6) is now second on the team in that category.