Kansas State Faces No. 6 Oklahoma Saturday
Jan 30, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 30, 2003
Game 19
No. 6/6 Oklahoma (14-3, 5-1)
at Kansas State (11-7, 2-3)
Saturday, February 1, 2003
12:45 p.m. CST
Bramlage Coliseum (13,340)
Manhattan, Kan.
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Tip Time: 12:47 p.m. CST
Television: ESPN+Plus (ESPN Regional Television). Big 12 syndicated telecast. Available on WIBW-TV (CBS) in Topeka and Manhattan, KSCC (UPN) in Wichita, and WDAF (Fox) in Kansas City. Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) and Paul Splittorff (color) will serve as the on-air talent.
Radio: Live across the 27-station Mid America Sports Network. A live audio stream will also be available on www.k-statesports.com. Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Ben Boyle (color) will call the action.
The Records: Kansas State, 11-7 (2-3), has not played since its 79-66 loss at Texas A&M last Saturday. Oklahoma 14-3 (5-1), is coming off a 75-68 home win over Texas A&M on Wednesday.
K-State Coach Jim Wooldridge: Wooldridge (Louisiana Tech '77) is in his third season at Kansas State and owns a record of 35-41 (.461). Wooldridge, who has K-State off to its best start in four seasons, is in his 16th year as a collegiate head coach. He has amassed a 264-188 (.584) all-time record. In his first two seasons at K-State, Wooldridge lifted the Wildcats from the cellar of the Big 12 to a seventh-place finish in just his second year in Manhattan.
Oklahoma Coach Kelvin Sampson: Sampson (Pembroke State '78) is in his ninth season at Oklahoma. In that time, he has guided the Sooners to a 201-77 (.723) record. Prior to his arrival in Norman, Sampson served seven seasons as the head coach at Washington State and four at the helm at Montana Tech. His career record stands at 380-225 (.628) over 20 seasons.
The Series: Oklahoma leads, 98-89.
K-State puts nine-game home win streak on the line Saturday against No. 6 Oklahoma
After opening Big 12 action with three of its first five games on the road, Kansas State (11-7, 2-3) begins an 11-day stretch that will see the Wildcats host three of its next four games in the friendly confines of Bramlage Coliseum Saturday against No. 6 Oklahoma. ESPN+Plus (ESPN Regional Television) will be on hand to telecast the contest, which can be seen on WIBW-TV (CBS) in Topeka and Manhattan, KSCC (UPN) in Wichita, and WDAF (Fox) in Kansas City. Dave Armstrong will call the action with Paul Splittorff providing the color analysis.
The game is the first in a week for K-State, which will put its nine-game home win streak on the line against the Sooners. The Cats, who are also riding a three-game home win streak against Big 12 competition dating back to last season, will be looking to rebound from a 79-66 loss at Texas A&M last Saturday. Pervis Pasco scored 13 points and Matt Siebrandt added 12, but Kansas State could not overcome a six-minute scoring drought midway through the second half in suffering its third Big 12 road loss.
Winners of eight of its last nine games, Oklahoma will be putting is four-game win streak on the line after defeating Texas A&M, 75-68, in Norman on Tuesday.
The Sooners have also won four in a row over Kansas State, and lead the all-time series 98-89. However, the Wildcats have captured seven of the last 10 meetings in Manhattan, including two of the three since the two teams joined the Big 12 in 1996.
At stake for K-State
* Kansas State will be looking for its first .500 start in league play after six games since joining the Big 12.
* The Wildcats will be gunning for their 10th straight home win, third Big 12 home victory in a row dating to last season and second consecutive home win against a top 25 opponent.
* K-State has yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent this season and will be out to extend that streak to 19 games.
* The Cats will be out to end a four-game slide vs. Oklahoma.
A quick look at the Wildcats
Kansas State enters Saturday's game at 11-7 overall, 2-3 in the Big 12. Since the start of Big 12 play, the Wildcats have posted two 24-point wins at home, but have yet to win on the road, including a 79-66 loss at Texas A&M last Saturday.
Still, the Wildcats have been an impressive side -- at least statistically. Through five Big 12 games, Kansas State has been one of the leagues most statistically imposing teams, ranking in the top 5 in 13 of 19 categories, including scoring offense (4th) and defense (5th), field goal percentage offense (4th) and defense (3rd), 3-point field goal percentage (4th), rebound margin (2nd) and assists (1st).
And when K-State has been on, the Cats have been nearly unstoppable. On the year, ten of K-State's 11 wins have come by double figures. In fact, the Wildcats' average margin of victory in its 11 wins has been over 20 points (20.3).On the flip side, K-State has struggled in close games, winning just one of six contests decided by fewer than 10 points.
Overall this season, Kansas State has been one of the Big 12's hottest shooting teams. The Wildcats are shooting at a 47.9-percent clip and rank fourth in the league in field goal percentage. K-State, which has eclipsed the 50-percent mark from the field five times, has shot over 45 percent in eighth of its last 12 games, including 7 of its last nine at home.
On defense, K-State has held each of its 18 opponents this season under 50 percent from the floor. On the whole, foes are connecting on just 38.4 percent of their shots, with just four clubs eclipsing the 45-percent mark. In fact, 10 of the last 14 K-State opponents have failed to even reach the 40-percent plateau against the Wildcats, who rank second in field goal percentage defense and third in scoring defense in the Big 12.Individually, K-State has put forth a balanced attack on the offensive end as five different Cats are averaging between 9.4 and 12.8 points.
Senior forward Gilson DeJesus, who ranks 20th in the nation and first in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point shooting at 50 percent, leads that way with 12.8 points per game. He had 11 points at Texas A&M and has scored in twin figures in 10 of 12.
Senior forward Pervis Pasco, who has averaged 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds over the last 12 games, is averaging 11.4 points on the season. He has posted six double-doubles on the year, all in the last 11 games.
Junior guard Tim Ellis, the Big 12's No. 8 3-point shooter, has started each of the last seven games after coming off the bench in the first 11. He has scored in double digits in eight of the last 11 games and is averaging 10.8 points.Junior guard Frank Richards, who has led K-State in assists in all but three games and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in that category with 5.4 per game, is averaging just under double figures at 9.8 points.
Senior forward Matt Siebrandt is also just shy of double digits, averaging 9.4 points. He has reached double-digit points in six of his last eight games and is averaging 11.4 points on 59 percent shooting during that span.
On the glass, Pasco is the team's leader, averaging 8.3 per game to rank seventh in the Big 12. He has been even more dominant since the start of conference play, clearing 10.2 boards per game to rank second in league games. Overall, Pasco has eight double-figure rebounding performances, including five in the last seven games.
DeJesus collected a career-best 15 boards against Texas Tech, tying Pasco for the best single-game performance by a Wildcat this season. He is second on the team and 17th in the Big 12 with 5.9 per contest.
K-State vs. Oklahoma Series
* Oklahoma is just one of two Big 12 teams to have a winning record vs. Kansas State and leads the all-time series, 98-89.
* The Wildcats have dropped four in a row to the Sooners. However, just one of those games was played in Manhattan.
* Oklahoma's average margin of victory over K-State in the last three meetings has been just 7.6 points.
* K-State has captured seven of the last 10 games in Manhattan, including two of three since the two teams joined the Big 12 Conference.
* Including the 1989-90 season, the two teams have met 21 times with Oklahoma holding a slight 11-10 edge.
* Kansas State head coach Jim Wooldridge is 0-3 all-time against Oklahoma.
* Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson is 7-4 all-time vs. Kansas State.
* The Wildcats are a combined 189-157 (.546) all-time against Big 12 South opponents.
The book on Oklahoma
Hollis Price scored 24 points and Ebe Ere added 18 as Oklahoma (14-3, 5-1) won for the fourth straight time and the eighth time in its last nine games Wednesday night in Norman, defeating Texas A&M, 75-68.
The backcourt tandem has led sixth-ranked OU all season. The only two Sooners currently averaging double-figure points, Price ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring , averaging 19.0 points per game, while Ere ranks 15th with 15.5 points.
On the inside, freshman Kevin Bookout is collecting 6.2 rebounds per game to lead the Sooners. He also averages 9.9 points per contest.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson is in his ninth season at Oklahoma and has guided the Sooners to 201-77 (.723) record during his tenure, including five 20-win seasons, two Big 12 Tournament titles and a berth in the 2002 NCAA Final Four.
Wildcats enjoying strong start
Kansas State has won of nine of its last 12 games and enters the Oklahoma game with an 11-7 overall record. The Wildcats are off to their best start through 18 games since opening with a 12-6 mark during the 1998-99 season. K-State's has also strung together an eight-game win streak this season, its longest since winning the first nine games of the 1997-98 campaign.
Record Big 12 start on the line, too
It may not sound like a milestone, but if the Wildcats can get past Oklahoma Saturday it would mark the first time K-State has been .500 through six conference games since joining the Big 12. The 1997-98 and 2000-01 squads came close, opening league play with 2-2 records before dropping their next two. The last time the Cats were above .500 in league through six games was in 1995-96, when they opened Big Eight action 4-2 en route to a 16-10 (7-7) regular season. The 1995-96 team was also the last to earn an NCAA bid.
Cats tough on ranked foes at home
Despite its struggles on the road against ranked opposition, Kansas State has been anything but a cakewalk for top 25 teams in Bramlage Coliseum under head coach Jim Wooldridge.
* Since taking over prior to the 2000-01 campaign, Kansas State is 4-15 overall vs. ranked teams under Wooldridge, but 4-6 in Bramlage Coliseum, including wins in two of its last three opportunities against top 25 teams at home.
* The Wildcats are 1-0 against ranked opponents at home this season, opening Big 12 play with a rousing 68-44 victory over then-No. 23 Texas Tech on Jan 11. K-State has also claimed wins over ranked squads from Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma State under Wooldridge.
* Since K-State's last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996, the Wildcats are 6-40 vs. ranked teams, with four of the six wins coming under Wooldridge. In that time, K-State is 5-13 in Bramlage Coliseum, 0-21 on the road and 1-6 at neutral sites.
* Kansas State is 75-164 all-time against teams ranked in the Associated Press poll, including a 38-54 record in Manhattan, a 16-82 mark on the road and a 21-38 ledger in neutral site games.
* Kansas State's overall record in Bramlage Coliseum against top 25 opposition stands at 14-31 (.311) going into Saturday's game against the sixth-ranked Sooners.
K-State-OU Connections
* Kansas State head coach Jim Wooldridge and freshman forward Marques Hayden both prepped at Putnam City High School outside Oklahoma City. Wooldridge also got his coaching start in Oklahoma as an assistant at East Central Univ.
* Junior guard Jarrett Hart spent his freshman season in 1999-00 at Oklahoma.
* K-State women's golf coach Kristi Knight played collegiately at Oklahoma and graduated from OU in 1988.
* Wildcat pitching coach Mike Hensley pitched at OU from 1986-88, earning first team All-Big Eight honors in 1998.
* Kansas State academic counselor E.K. Franks wrestled at Oklahoma.
* OU media relations director Kenny Mossman served in the same capacity at K-State.
* Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops, along with assistants Mike Stoops and Brent Venables all served as assistant coaches at K-State.
Winning big
Kansas State has won 10 of its 11 games this season, including both Big 12 victories, by double figures. After a pair of 24-point wins over Texas Tech and Nebraska, the Wildcats' average margin of victory in its 11 wins is 20.3 points.The Wildcats' only victory by fewer than 10 points came against Monmouth. K-State defeated the Hawks, 73-64, with Monmouth hitting an uncontested layup as time expired.Last season, Kansas State racked up just six double-digit victories, four of which occurred during non-conference play. Of the six, only K-State's wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas A&M were by more than 20 points.
That '70s show
Through the first 18 games of the season, you might just want to call Kansas State the retro Cats. Kansas State has scored at least 70 points nine times and is a perfect 9-0 when doing so. On the flip side, K-State is just 2-6 when scoring less than 70 points.
Home improvement
Kansas State is 9-1 at home this season and has won each of its last nine home games. With only six games remaining in Bramlage Coliseum this year, the Wildcats' win over Nebraska Wednesday clinched K-State's 57th consecutive home winning season. It is also the 10th time in the last 12 years that K-State has won at least nine games on its home court.Dating to last season, the Cats have won 15 of their last 17 games in Bramlage, including three straight conference games. Overall, K-State is 29-13 at home under head coach Jim Wooldridge.
December to remember sets stage
During December alone this season, Kansas State won its final five games of the month to post a 6-1 record. It was the Cats' best December performance since going 6-0 in 1998 en route to a 20-13 campaign.Winning at least six games during December has been a positive omen for the Cats. Since 1990, K-State has won at least six games in December six times, resulting in five winning seasons and five postseason berths, including two NCAA bids.
Heads Up
Kansas State continues to make steady progress in both the RPI and Sagarin ratings. Heading into Saturday's game in College Station, the Wildcats' RPI has jumped from 119 to 99 in the past three weeks. K-State has made a similar advance in the Sagarin ratings, moving from 94 to 72. Last season, Kansas State ended the year with an RPI of 127. The Cats' final Sagarin rating of 2001-02 was 120.
Death, Taxes and Cats at the half
Kansas State has been a first-half team for much of the season and has led at halftime in 13 of 18 contests, including all 10 home games this season.
Kansas State trailed 38-31 at intermission at Colorado, snapping a run of eight straight games the Wildcats had led at the break.
Getting off to a fast start has been key for K-State, which is 11-2 when leading at halftime and a perfect 9-0 when holding a double-digit edge.
The Wildcats equaled their biggest halftime lead of the year against Texas-Pan American, racing to a 50-32 edge at the break. K-State also led Michigan by 18 at the break. The Wildcats' 29-28 halftime lead against Northwestern was its smallest of the season.
K-State earned just its second victory with a single-digit lead against Nebraska as the Cats led the Huskers by just five at the break. The Wildcats also led Monmouth by seven at intermission in their win over the Hawks.
By contrast, Kansas State has yet to come from behind when trailing at the half this season, dropping all five games when behind at the break, including all three Big 12 road losses.
Kansas State keeps hot hand
With conference play underway, Kansas State remains one of the hottest shooting teams in the Big 12 Conference.
* K-State ranks fourth in the Big 12 conference and has connected on 47.9 percent of its shots this season. By comparison, the Wildcats finished last year ranked ninth in the league after shooting 44.1 percent from the field.
* Kansas State has five players shooting at least 49 percent from the floor with Pervis Pasco and Gilson DeJesus ranking among the top 15 of the Big 12.
* Kansas State has shot 45 percent or better in eight of its last 12 games, including five games over 50 percent. The Cats are 7-1 when shooting better than 45 percent.
* Over the last 12 games, K-State is shooting a combined 49 percent from the field, including 44 percent in its four Big 12 games.
* The Wildcats have been held under 40 percent shooting just once this season, hitting 39.3 percent at Kansas.
Team Concept
Kansas State has been the epitome of a team throughout the 2002-03 season. The Wildcats are the only squad in the Big 12 to have all five starters averaging over nine points per game. K-State is also the league's only squad without a player averaging at least 13 points per contest.
The Cats have also been balanced across the floor. On the outside, Gilson DeJesus (50 percent) and Tim Ellis (45.1 percent) are both hovering around the 50-percent mark from 3-point distance. However, down low Pervis Pasco (55.2 percent), Matt Siebrandt (52.8 percent) and Marques Hayden (51.9 percent) are all shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
Dialing long distance
Led by two of the nation's top 3-point shooters in Gilson DeJesus and Tim Ellis, Kansas State has been among the nation's top 3-point shooting clubs all season. K-State enters Saturday's game against Oklahoma ranked No. 18 in 3-point shooting, canning 39.8 percent of its long-distance attempts this season. That figure also ranks second in the Big 12 Conference.
More from beyond the arc
* K-State has shot a solid 42.6 percent (83-for-195) from 3-point range in its last 12 games, including a season-high 75 percent (9-for-12) against Oregon State.
* Kansas State has hit at least six 3-point baskets in 14 of the last 15 games.
* The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting at 39.8 percent for the season. By comparison, Kansas State shot just 34.8 percent last year and only 30.4 percent during its pre-conference schedule.
* Two Wildcats, Tim Ellis (8th) and Gilson DeJesus (1st), rank among the top 10 3-point shooters in the Big 12.
* DeJesus also ranks 20th nationally and second among players with at least 90 attempts so far this season.
Cats taking aim a 3-point records
The 2002-03 Wildcats are making a strong run at Kansas State's 3-point record book. Through 17 contests, K-State is averaging just under seven triples per game and has connected on 41 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc.At their current pace, the Cats would end the regular season with 194 3-pointers, the second most ever. The school record for treys was set by the 1993-94 squad, which hit 246 3-balls during their 34-game schedule -- an average of 7.2.
The 1988 team owns the school record for 3-point shooting percentage, hitting 48.4 percent on 179-for-370 shooting.The Cats have already established themselves as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in school history, canning at least six 3-pointers in 14 of the last 15 games, including a run of seven straight with at least seven from Nov. 30-Dec. 22.
Wildcat defense staying stingy
Kansas State enters Saturday's game ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring defense (63.1 ppg) and second in field goal percentage defense (38.4 percent).
* Kansas State has held 13 of 18 opponents under 70 points this year, including seven below 60 points and three under 50 points.
* Only four opponents -- BYU, Northwestern, Kansas and Texas A&M -- have managed to crack 45 percent from the floor. In fact, K-State has held 10 of its last 14 opponents and 12 of 18 overall below 40-percent shooting, including Texas Tech (26.2), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (27.3), Nebraska (31.3) and Texas-Pan American (34.8), which were all held under 35 percent.
* No team has shot 50 percent or better from the field against Kansas State this season.
* Winning with defense has been a hallmark of Jim Wooldridge-coached teams. Last season, the Wildcats finished the year ranked No. 4 in the Big 12 in both scoring defense (70.7 points) and field goal percentage defense (41.5 percent).
Cats keeping the glass clean
Since being outrebounded in its first two games of the season, Kansas State has maintained the advantage on the glass in 13 of it subsequent 16 games. It has been one of the biggest areas of improvement for the Wildcats, who rank fourth in the Big 12 in rebound margin at +6.5 rpg after concluding the 2001-02 campaign ranked tied for ninth at -1.2.
K-State had its string of seven straight games with more rebounds snapped by Oregon State, which outboarded the Cats, 34-31. K-State bounced back to gain the advantage on the glass in five straight before being outboarded by three at Kansas (40-37). The Wildcats then outrebounded a much bigger Nebraska squad, 41-35, last Wednesday before again dropping a three-rebound edge at Texas A&M.
Over the last eight games, Kansas State has held a double-digit rebound edge four times, including a season-high 25-board advantage vs. Texas Tech and a 10-rebound edge at Colorado.
Kansas State's run of seven consecutive games with more boards was the best rebounding string for K-State since the Wildcats opened the 2000-01 season by outboarding its first nine foes.
Overall, Kansas State has posted double-digit rebound margins in 8 of 18 games. Last season, the Wildcats held the advantage on the glass in just 11 of 29 games overall, with only three double-figure margins. K-State's largest rebound margin in a Big 12 game last season was +7 vs. Texas A&M.
Lethal Weapon
Kansas State senior forward Gilson DeJesus continues to be one of the nation's hottest 3-point shooters. He has connected on 58 of 116 attempts (50 percent) from beyond the arc and ranks first in the Big 12 in percentage made.
* DeJesus, whose 58 treys leads the Big 12, is 20th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, but second among players with at least 85 attempts.
* The senior was a perfect 6-for-6 from beyond the arc against Oregon State, tying a Big 12 Conference record for 3-point percentage.
* DeJesus, who drilled 7 of 12 from beyond the arc against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, connected on 5 of 6 from outside 19-9 at Wichita State.
* His career-best seven treys against UAPB are tied for the fourth-most in a game at K-State.
* Fifty eight of his 79 field goals this season have come from 3-point distance.
DeJesus Big 12's most improved
Gilson DeJesus has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 14 games, including twice tying a career-high with 21 points, and is leading the team in scoring. The senior, who is averaging 12.8 points on the season -- more than double his 2001-02 average of 6.3 ppg -- and has been even better since the start of Big 12 play, averaging 14.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.
He can rebound, too
DeJesus has also picked up his rebounding of late, hauling down double-digit boards three times this season, including a career-high 15 vs. Texas Tech. DeJesus, who had 10 boards against Oregon State and 12 vs. Monmouth and is now second on the team in rebounding and 17th in the Big 12 with 5.9 per game. He has averaging 7.2 boards since the start of conference play, good for 12th in the league.
Double trouble
Pervis Pasco continues to elevate his play and has been one of the hottest players in the Big 12 Conference over the last 12 contests.
* Pasco has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games, averaging 13.3 points and shooting an impressive 58.8 percent from the field during that span.
* The senior tied a Big 12 record with his 9 of 9 shooting performance vs. Monmouth.
* He has has also become more active on the glass, grabbing an average of 9.8 rebounds and collecting six double-doubles in the last 12 games.
* Pasco's six double-doubles rank tied for third in the Big 12.
More on Pasco
Pervis Pasco has also been a defensive force down low.
* After tying a career high with five blocks against Michigan, Pasco added three more versus UTPA, one each vs. Wichita State, Lipscomb and Saint Louis, three versus Monmouth a pair against UCF, Texas Tech, Kansas and Nebraska.
* Pasco is now averaging 1.44 blocks per game to rank ninth in the Big 12. The senior is also moving up K-State's career blocks chart and ranks eighth all-time with 72. With three more he will move into a tie with Kevin Howell in the No. 7 position.
Siebrandt stepping up
Since getting off to a slow start at the Paradise Jam, senior Matt Siebrandt has been a constant force down low for the Wildcats.
* Siebrandt has scored in double figures in six of the his last eight games, including 21 points on 8 of 10 attempts vs. Oregon State and 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting against Nebraska. He also had 12 points at Colorado and at Texas A&M.
* Over his last eight games, Siebrandt has averaged 11.4 points and has connected on 59.1 percent (39 of 66) of his attempts from the floor.
* Siebrandt has also been solid on the glass over the span, averaging 4.9 rebounds.
* The senior had a career-high six assists vs. Texas Tech after missing the UCF game with the flu.
Focal point
Frank Richards' scoring may have dropped off since the start of conference play, but the junior continues to do his job of making everyone around him better. Here's a look at Richards' season to date.
* Ranks fourth on the team in scoring with a 9.8 points.
* Has score in double digits in eight games.
* Leads K-State and rank fifth in the Big 12 in assists with 5.44 per contest, including five games with at least seven assists, a 10-assists outing vs. Oregon State and an 11-assist performance at Texas A&M.
* Has led K-State in assists in 15 of 18 games.
* Ranks second on the team in steals with 15.
Hart attack is back
After sitting out three games with a back injury and serving a one-game suspension, Jarrett Hart has returned to the lineup and has not missed a beat. Coming off the bench in each of the last three games, Hart has averaged 9.0 points, including 13 vs. Nebraska, 3.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game. He is also 4-for-9 from 3-point distance.
