Kansas State Hosts Baylor In Crucial Big 12 Tilt Wednesday
Feb 18, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2003
Game No. 24
Baylor (11-10/2-8) at
Kansas State (12-11/3-7)
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
7 p.m. CST
Bramlage Coliseum (13,340)
Manhattan, Kan.
Complete K-State vs. Baylor Game Notes in PDF Format
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Tip Time: 7:05 p.m. CST
Television: None.
Highlights: First-half highlights from the Baylor at Kansas State game will be available from 9-9:15 p.m. (CT) on SBS 6, transponder 4 (analog).
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, 12-11 (3-7), suffered its fourth single-digit loss since the start of conference play, falling 71-63 at No. 21 Missouri Saturday. Baylor, 11-10 (2-8), is coming off a 74-72 victory at No. 13 Oklahoma State Saturday.
K-State Coach Jim Wooldridge: Wooldridge (Louisiana Tech '77) is in his third season at Kansas State and owns a record of 36-45 (.444). Wooldridge, who has K-State in the midst of its best season since the 1998-99 campaign, is in his 16th year as a collegiate head coach. He has amassed a 265-192 (.580) 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.
Baylor Coach Dave Bliss: Bliss (Cornell '65) is in his fourth season at Baylor and had guided the Bears to a 58-53 (.523) record during his tenure in Waco. Now in his 27th season overall, Bliss' career record stands at 523-324 (.617). Last summer he guided the Big 12 All-Stars to a perfect 6-0 record during their trip to Scandinavia.
The Series: K-State holds a 7-6 lead in the all-time series and has won five of the seven games in Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State returns home for crucial Big 12 tilt with Baylor Wednesday in Bramlage
Kansas State, 12-11 (3-7 Big 12) looks for its second straight Big 12 home win Wednesday night in Bramlage Coliseum, when the Wildcats entertain Baylor in a crucial conference match-up for both teams. The contest is the lone home game during a two-week stretch that has K-State playing 3 of 4 on the road.
The Wildcats, who won't return to Bramlage until their March first date with Missouri, opened the stretch with yet another hard-fought loss Saturday at Mizzou. Frank Richards tied a career-high with 20 points and Matt Siebrandt scored in double figures for the seventh straight game with 14 points for Kansas State. But the Cats were ice cold from the outside, shooting just 3 of 17 from beyond the arc, as the Tigers held on for a 71-63 win.
Baylor produced perhaps the league's biggest shocker of the season Saturday in Stillwater as the Bears knocked off No. 13 Oklahoma State, 74-72. John Lucas led five Bears in double figures with 20 points, while Lawrence Roberts added 11 points and an incredible 20 rebounds as Baylor snapped a 22-game conference road losing streak. It was also the Bears' second win in its last four games after opening league play 0-6.
There is no live television of the game. However, Kansas State will produce a highlights package of the contest. It will be available to media outlets via satellite between 9-9:15 p.m. (CT) on SBS 6, transponder 4.
On the line for K-State
* Kansas State will be looking for its first back-to-back Big 12 home wins since opening conference action with wins over Texas Tech and Nebraska.
* With a victory, K-State will avoid slipping to .500 overall for the first time since being 4-4 back on Dec. 20.
* The Wildcats will be gunning for their second straight win over the Bears. K-State notched a 74-73 overtime victory over Baylor in the opening round of the 2002 Big 12 Tournament.
A quick look at the Wildcats
Perhaps the most balanced offensive club in the Big 12 Conference, Kansas State is the only team in the league without a player averaging at least 12 points per game. However, the Wildcats are the also the only team in the Big 12 to have all five starters average at least 9.9 points per game.
As a team, K-State ranks 10th in the Big 12 in scoring offense with 70.9 points per game, but is one of the league's best shooting teams. Through 23 games, the Wildcats rank fourth in field goal percentage at 46.5 percent and fifth in 3-point shooting at 37.7 percent.
Defensively, Kansas State has also been tough, holding opponents to just 65.0 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting. Both figures rank third in the Big 12 this season.
Senior forward Gilson DeJesus, who last week ranked No. 2 in the nation on the NCAA's 3-point field goal percentage chart at 49.6 percent (new rankings not available at press time), is Kansas State's leading scorer with 11.6 points per game.
Junior guard Tim Ellis (10.7 ppg) and senior forwards Matt Siebrandt (10.6 ppg) and Pervis Pasco (10.4 ppg) are also averaging double figures for the Wildcats.
On the glass, Pasco has been the main man for K-State. One of the Big 12's top rebounders, he averages 8.0 boards per game to rank eighth in the conference. DeJesus (5.6 rpg) and Siebrandt (5.3 rpg) are also averaging over five caroms per game.
Junior point guard Frank Richards, who has led K-State in assists in 19 of 23 games, makes the offense go. He averages 9.9 points and ranks fourth in the Big 12 in assists with 5.4 per game. Last week, Richards averaged 15.5 points per game and had a 10:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Off the bench, the Cats have turned to freshman forward Marques Hayden and junior guard Jarrett Hart. Hayden has scored in double figures in eight games and averages 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. Hart, a starter in K-State's first 11 contests, averages 7.7 points overall but 8.6 points since the start of conference play.
K-State lately
Kansas State, which opened the season at 9-4 for its best non-conference record since the 1998-99 campaign, started Big 12 play with a 2-2 record before closing out the first half with four straight losses, including three during an eight-day run that saw the Cats face three top 12 opponents.
Still, K-State held its own during the stretch, dropping a pair of single-digit losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and giving KU all it wanted before fading in the final seven minutes.
It was enough to maintain the squad's confidence as the Cats avenged a six-point loss from earlier in conference play Tuesday with a 62-54 win over Colorado in Bramlage Coliseum before dropping yet another heart-breaker at No. 21 Missouri, 71-63.
Since the start of Big 12 play, K-State's average margin of victory in its three wins stands at 18.7 points. And though the Wildcats have dropped seven conference games, four have been by single digits, including 3 of 5 road losses.
The book on Baylor
Baylor, 11-10 (2-8 Big 12), has won two of its last four conference games, including a 74-72 upset of No. 13 Oklahoma State Saturday in Stillwater.
The Big 12's most active 3-point shooting team, the Bears are launching over 26 triples per game, making a league-leading 9.22 per contest. In fact, while Baylor has taken 522 3-pointers this season, only two other Big 12 teams (Missouri and Texas A&M) have tried more than 400.
Led by the sophomore tandem of John Lucas (14.7 ppg) and Lawrence Roberts (14.4 ppg), Baylor averages 69.8 points per game on 41-percent shooting. Defensively, the Bears are yielding 67.9 points on average, with opponents connecting on 44.8 percent of their shots.
The Bears are 1-5 on the road so far this season. Seven of Baylor's 10 losses have come against ranked opposition.
K-State vs. Baylor Series Notes
* Kansas State and Baylor have played just 13 times, with the Wildcats holding a 7-6 series edge.
* K-State is 5-2 all-time against the Bears in the Little Apple, but dropped the most recent encounter, 63-55, on Jan. 13, 2001.
* The Wildcats ended a three-game losing streak versus Baylor at the 2002 Big 12 Tournament, defeating the Bears, 74-73 in overtime.
* Each of the last five meetings have been decided by single digits, with the last four being decided by a total of 13 points.
* K-State head coach Jim Wooldridge is 1-6 all-time vs. Baylor and 1-2 since arriving at K-State.
More from the Missouri game
* The 21st-ranked Tigers were Kansas State's fourth ranked opponent in the last five games.
* Kansas State's eight-point loss was the Wildcats' eighth this season by less than 10 points and K-State's third single-digit loss to a ranked opponent in the last five games.
* The loss was K-State's 13th straight Big 12 road loss and the 22nd consecutive vs. a ranked opponent on the road.
* The Wildcats equaled a season-low with just six turnovers. Kansas State also had just six miscues against Oregon State on Dec. 22.
* K-State connected on 14 of 17 free throws (82.4 percent), marking the second straight game the Cats have topped 80 percent from the stripe. Kansas State had hit over 80 percent at the line just once of its previous 21 games.
* Kansas State, which trailed by just four points with 1:24 to play, limited Missouri to just 9 of 25 shooting (36 percent) in the second half and held the Tigers without a field goal for the final five minutes of the game.
* Junior Frank Richards tied a season high with 20 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 at the stripe.
* Senior Matt Siebrandt scored in double figures for the seventh consecutive game, finishing with 14 points. He also had a team-high four assists.
* Senior Gilson DeJesus grabbed a career-high five offensive rebounds, finishing with six total.
* Junior Jarrett Hart hauled down a career-high seven rebounds, all on the defensive glass.
Richards Big 12 Rookie of the Week
Kansas State picked up its second Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week award Monday afternoon as junior guard Frank Richards was selected as the conference's top newcomer for the week ending Feb. 16 by a media panel.
Richards easily had his best week since the start of Big 12 action, scoring in double figures in consecutive conference games for the first time this season and averaging 15.5 points. The junior also dished out 5.5 assists and hauled down 3.5 rebounds per game.
Richards opened the week by scoring 11 points, grabbing a career-high six rebounds and dishing out eight assists in K-State's 62-54 victory over Colorado. He was also a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line against the Buffs and had no turnovers in 27 minutes of work.
At No. 21 Missouri on Saturday, Richards had perhaps his finest offensive performance of the season, equaling a career best with 20 points, including tying a career-high with two 3-pointers, and again going perfect at the free throw line (6-for-6) in 28 minutes.
Supporting the Wildcats
With attendance down in many locales, Kansas State fans have reversed that trend in Manhattan.
Kansas State recorded its second sellout of the season as a crowd of 13,340 was in attendance for Saturday's game against Kansas. It is the first time K-State has had two sellouts the same season since the 1993-94 campaign, when the Wildcats had capacity crowds against Kansas (Feb. 12, 1994) and Oklahoma (Feb, 19, 1994).
Including the announced crowd of 6,924 for the Colorado game, Kansas State's per-game attendance figure now stands at 6,782 through 13 games, an increase of 867 per game or just under 15 percent over last season's home average.
Wildcats continue RPI Climb
Despite dropping seven of 10 games since the start of Big 12 Conference play, Kansas State continues to climb in both the RPI and Sagarin rankings. Heading into the week, the Wildcats' RPI rating has jumped all the way to 84, while its Sagarin rating has leaped to 69. On Dec. 30, K-State's RPI was 145, while its Sagarin rating was 106. Last season, Kansas State ended the year with an RPI of 127. The Cats' final Sagarin rating for 2001-02 was 120.
Positive trends
Kansas State has won 10 of its last 17 games, however each of the seven losses have come in Big 12 play, including five versus top-25 opposition. Nevertheless, the Wildcats continue to show incredible improvement under third-year head coach Jim Wooldridge. At 12-11, K-State is above .500 through 23 games for the first time since going 15-8 during the 1998-99 campaign. The Wildcats won just nine of their first 23 in Wooldridge's first season before capturing 10 of 23 out of the gate last year.
K-State has also strung together an eight-game win streak this season, its longest since winning the first nine games of the 1997-98 campaign.
Home improvement
Kansas State is 10-3 at home this season, which includes a nine-game winning streak. The Wildcats' victory over Nebraska back on Jan. 22 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 16 of their last 20 games in Bramlage. Overall, K-State is 30-15 at home under head coach Jim Wooldridge.
K-State heating up at foul line
Kansas State, the Big 12's least efficient free-throw shooting team has suddenly gotten hot. The Wildcats made nearly 83 percent of their attempts last week, connecting on 24 of 29 freebies, including a season-high 83.3 percent on 10 of 12 shooting against Colorado. K-State was also 14 of 17 (82.4 percent) at the stripe vs. Missouri. In the Cats' previous 21 games, Kansas State had only hit on 80 percent of its free throws just once (20 of 25/80 percent vs. Texas-Pan American on Dec. 11, 2002).
Crucial to the cause
Of all the statistics in college basketball, none is more telling for Kansas State than free throws. The Wildcats are a sparkling 12-2 with more free throw attempts than their opponents. When taking the same number or fewer free throws, K-State is 0-9. On the rare occasion that Kansas State shoots over 70 percent from the stripe, the Cats are 4-2.
Winning big
Ten of Kansas State's 12 wins this season, including 2 of 3 Big 12 victories, have been by double figures. After a pair of 24-point wins over Texas Tech and Nebraska and an eight-point win over Colorado, the Cats' average margin of victory in its 12 wins stands at 19.3 points.
The Wildcats' only two victory by fewer than 10 points came against Monmouth, 73-64, as the Hawks hit an uncontested layup as time expired and against CU as Michel Morandais scored the final points of the game at the free throw line with less than 10 seconds to play.
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.
Heart-break City
Even in defeat, Kansas State has been a gritty squad. Of K-State's 11 losses, eight have come by fewer than 10 points, including four of its seven conference losses. The common denominator in all nine losses -- slow starts and playing on the road. Kansas State is 0-8 when trailing at the half this season and just 2-8 in away/neutral site games. Two of K-State's three home losses this season have been by less than five points, including a two-point overtime loss vs. then-No. 6 Oklahoma.
Good luck with the Lone Star State
* Kansas State is 2-1 this season against Texas teams with wins over Texas-Pan American and Texas Tech and a loss at Texas A&M.
* All-time, K-State is 33-19 against the Big 12's Lone Star State schools.
* The Wildcats are 75-30 all-time against teams from Texas.
* During the early signing period last fall, Kansas State inked two Texans: Cartier Martin of Houston's Nimitz High School and Dez Willingham of DeSoto High School near Dallas.
70 points key number for Cats
Through its first 23 games, Kansas State has been virtually unbeatable when the Cats score at least 70 points. K-State lost for the first time when topping 70 against Oklahoma in a 91-89 overtime loss to the then-No. 6-ranked Sooners. Overall, the Cats are 9-1 when scoring at least 70. On the flip side, K-State is 3-10 when scoring less than 70.
Seniors playing with style
Kansas State's seniors continue to play a huge role in the success of the 2002-03 team.
* Through 23 games, Kansas State's senior class his provided 53 percent of the Wildcats scoring, while collecting 55 percent of the team's rebounds.
* The quartet has also had a huge impact in K-State's 10 Big 12 games, providing 50 percent of the offense and 55 percent of the team's boards.
* Wildcat seniors hold down three of K-State's top four spots in scoring.
* Kansas State's top three rebounders, Pasco, DeJesus and Siebrandt, are all seniors.
* K-State's top two shooters in terms of percentage are both seniors.
Shooting for the stars
Kansas State's most surprising statistic of the season just may be its shooting from the field, where the Wildcats are hitting at a 46.5-percent clip to rank fourth in the Big 12.
* Kansas State's field goal shooting percentage is the best by a Wildcat team in over 14 years.
* The last time K-State shot over 47 percent in a season occurred during the 1988-89 campaign, when the Cats shot a combined 48.8 percent during a 31-game schedule that included an NCAA Tournament berth.
* K-State has not shot over 50 percent in a season since the 1987-88 Elite Eight squad netted 50.6 percent of its attempts.
* From 3-point range, the Wildcats are shooting 37.7 percent and rank fifth in the Big 12.
* K-State's 3-point shooting percentage is its best since the 1989-90 team connected on 39 percent.
Boarding with the best
Kansas State's +4.2 rebound margin on the season is not only its best of the Jim Wooldridge era, it is the second best for any K-State team in a decade. Since the 1992-93 team posted an average rebound margin of +5.1 rebounds per game, only the 1998-99 squad's +8.0 rebound margin is better.
Good if it goes
Kansas State scoring average of 70.9 points per game may note be an eye-popping figure. Still, it marks just the second time in the last 11 years that the Wildcats have averaged over 70 points per game. K-State concluded the 1997-98 campaign averaging 74.5 points per game. Prior to that, the Wildcats had not scored over 70 points on average since the 1991-91 club averaged 71.6 points.
Spreading the wealth
Game-in, game-out this season, Kansas State continues to exhibit a balanced offensive attack. K-State's performance against Colorado was a perfect example as five Wildcats netted double-figure points with three players finishing with 11 and two others tallying 10. Gilson DeJesus, the only K-Stater to score in single digits, scored nine points. It marked the 12th time in the last 15 games and the 16th time overall this season the Wildcats have had at least four players score in twin figures. Last year, K-State had four players score in double digits in the same game just 14 times during its entire 29-game schedule.
Team concept
Kansas State has been the epitome of a team throughout the 2002-03 season. With four starters averaging double figures, the Wildcats are the only squad in the Big 12 to have all five starters averaging at least 9.9 points. K-State is also the league's only squad without a player averaging at least 12 points per contest.
The Cats have been balanced across the floor. On the outside, Gilson DeJesus is shooting 47.5 percent from 3-point distance, while Tim Ellis is hitting at a 47.7-percent clip from the field. However, down low, Matt Siebrandt (53.0 percent), Pervis Pasco (53.0 percent) and Marques Hayden (50.9 percent) are all shooting over 50 percent from the floor.
Overall this season, the Wildcats have had seven different players lead the team in scoring at least once.
As a team the Wildcats are connecting on just under 47 percent of their shots this season, which ranks fourth in the Big 12.
Early leads lead to victory
Kansas State has been a first-half team for much of the season and has led at halftime in 15 of 23 contests, including 12 of 13 home games.
Last Saturday against Kansas, the Wildcats led 36-35 at the break for K-State's first halftime lead over the Jayhawks since leading 31-30 in Lawrence on Feb. 22, 1997. The last time Kansas State held a halftime edge against the Jayhawks in Manhattan was a 30-28 lead on Feb. 2, 1994.
Getting off to a fast start has been key for K-State, which is 12-3 when leading at halftime and a perfect 9-0 when holding a double-digit edge.
By contrast, Kansas State has yet to come from behind when trailing at the half this season, dropping all eight games when behind at the break, including six Big 12 losses.
Kansas State keeps hot hand
Now in the second half of league play, Kansas State remains one of the hottest shooting teams in the Big 12 Conference.
* K-State has connected on 46.5 percent of its shots this season and ranks fourth in the Big 12 conference in field goal percentage. Last year, the Wildcats ranked ninth in the league after shooting 44.1 percent.
* Kansas State has five players shooting at least 46 percent from the floor with Matt Siebrandt and Tim Ellis both ranking among the top 15 shooters in the Big 12.
* Kansas State has shot 45 percent or better in nine of its last 17 games, including six games over 50 percent. The Cats are 7-2 when shooting better than 45 percent.
* K-State has shot better than 40 percent in 19 of 23 games on the year.
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 country's top 3-point shooting clubs all season. K-State entered last week ranked No. 13 on the NCAA 3-point shooting chart. Through 22 games, the Cats had canned 38.7 percent of their long-distance attempts on the season.
More from beyond the arc
* Kansas State has hit at least six 3-point baskets in 16 of the last 20 games.
* The Wildcats rank fifth the Big 12 in 3-point shooting at 37.7 percent for the season. By comparison, Kansas State shot just 34.8 percent last year.
* Gilson DeJesus (1st) and Tim Ellis (11th), rank among the top 3-point shooters in the Big 12. DeJesus entered the last week 2nd in the NCAA.
Cats taking aim at 3-point records
The 2002-03 Wildcats are making a strong run at Kansas State's 3-point record book. Through 23 contests, K-State is averaging just over six triples per game and has connected on 37.7 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 16 of the last 20 games, including a run of seven straight with at least seven from Nov. 30-Dec. 22.
K-State defense staying stingy
K-State enters Wednesday's game ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring defense (65.0 ppg) and third in field goal percentage defense (39.8 percent).
* Kansas State has held 15 of 23 opponents under 70 points this year, including eight below 60 points and three under 50 points.
* Only five opponents -- BYU, Northwestern, Kansas (twice), Texas A&M and Oklahoma-- have managed to crack 45 percent from the floor. In fact, K-State has held 12 of its last 19 opponents and 14 of 23 overall below 40-percent shooting.
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 14 times. It has been one of the biggest areas of improvement for the Wildcats, who rank seventh in the Big 12 in rebound margin at +4.2 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 Nebraska, 41-35, before again being outboarded by three against Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
Most recently, K-State finished with a 42-34 edge on the glass at Oklahoma State, but have been outrebounded by Kansas, 41-29, Colorado, 41-39, and Missouri, 41-33.
Lethal weapon
Kansas State senior forward Gilson DeJesus continues to be one of the nation's hottest 3-point shooters. He has connected on 67 of 141 attempts (47.5 percent) from beyond the arc and leads the Big 12 in percentage made.
* DeJesus, whose 67 treys are second in the Big 12, entered last week ranked No. 2 on the NCAA's 3-point shooting percentage chart.
* 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.
* An amazing 67 of his 91 field goals (73.6 percent) this season have come from 3-point distance.
DeJesus climbing 3-point charts
Gilson DeJesus continues to take aim at K-State's 3-point field goal records. Here's a look at where the senior stands on the Cats' game, season and career charts:
* Seven 3-pointers against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 4, 2002, ranks as the fourth-most on K-State's single-game chart, while his 12 attempts against the Golden Lions ranks eighth.
* Six-for-six 3-point shooting against Oregon State tied a Big 12 record for single game 3-point shooting percentage.
* With 67 treys this season, he ranks eighth on K-State's single-season chart.
* DeJesus is six 3-point attempts short of reaching the Cats' single-season top 10.
* His 103 career triples is tied for seventh all-time at Kansas State.
* If the season ended today, DeJesus would close out the year ranked No. 4 in single-season 3-point shooting percentage and No. 3 in career 3-point shooting percentage at Kansas State.
Richards chasing assist record
With 123 assists, junior Frank Richards is already tied for 12th on K-State's single-season chart for assists. At his current pace, he would finish the regular season with 160 assists, the third most ever in one season by a Wildcat.
Siebrandt having career year
Senior Matt Siebrandt is having the best statistical season of his career has been a constant force down low for the Wildcats.
* Siebrandt is averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, well above the 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds he averaged as a junior.
* Siebrandt has scored in double figures in 11 of the his last 13 games, including a season-high 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting against Oklahoma, 21 points on 8 of 10 attempts vs. Oregon State, 18 points on 8 of 9 shooting against Nebraska and 17 points on 8 of 12 at Oklahoma State.
* In K-State's last seven games, Siebrandt averaged 14.9 points on 57.1 percent shooting.
* Since the start of Big 12 play, Siebrandt is averaging 12.1 points on 53.6 percent shooting. His field goal percentage ranks third in league games.
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 17 contests.
* Pasco has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 17 games, averaging 11.4 points and shooting an impressive 56.0 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 also become more active on the glass, grabbing an average of 9.1 rebounds and collecting six double-doubles in the last 17 games.
* Since the start of Big 12 play, Pasco is averaging 9.5 points and 8.7 rebounds.
More on Pasco
Pervis Pasco has also been a defensive force down low.
* Pasco has had at least two blocked shots in 12 games this season, including a career-high five against Michigan.
* Pasco is now averaging 1.57 blocks per game to rank seventh in the Big 12. The senior is also moving up K-State's career blocks chart and ranks seventh all-time with 82, after notching eight rejections in the last four games. With four more he will tie Tony Kitt in the No. 6 position.
Spiderman to the rescue
Junior guard Tim Ellis has lived up to his Spiderman nickname this season, saving Kansas State on numerous occasions, including canning a 3-pointer with one-tenth of a second to play to force overtime against Oklahoma.
* Ellis came off the bench in K-State's first 11 games but is now second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.7 points. He ranks 15th in the Big 12 in shooting percentage (47.7 percent) and is 11th in the league in 3-point shooting (40.9 percent).
* The junior owns 13 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 21 points vs. Monmouth and a 15-point outbursts against Texas Tech and at Wichita State. He also led the Cats with 14 points vs. Kansas at home and at Colorado and had 13 at Kansas. * Ellis has now scored in double figures in 11 of the last 15 games.
Hayden heating up
Marques Hayden appears to be adjusting nicely to playing top 15 opponents.
* In the K-State's three games vs. top 15 foes, the freshman came off the bench to average 10.3 points on 52.4 percent shooting and 4.7 rebounds.
* Since the start of Big 12 play, he is averaging 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds with 21 of his 49 boards coming on the offensive glass.
* Hayden scored 10 points against Oklahoma State and added 13 points and seven rebounds vs. Kansas. It marked the first time this season that the freshman has scored in double digits in consecutive Big 12 games.
* Overall, Hayden has scored in double figures in eight games.
All Hart
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 seven games, Hart has averaged 8.4 points, including 18 against Oklahoma and 13 vs. Nebraska and 11 vs. Colorado and shot 44.4 percent from the field in 21.2 minutes per game. Prior to his injury, Hart averaged just 7.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest.
Home is where the Hart is
Jarrett Hart has been at his best when playing in Bramlage Coliseum this season, especially in his last eight home games. During that span, the junior has averaged 11.2 points on 60.7 percent shooting (34-for-56) -- including 10 of 12 from 3-point distance -- dishing out 25 assists (3.13 apg) and committing just nine turnovers.
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 fifth on the team in scoring with a 9.9 points and has scored in twin figures in 11 games.
* Has twice scored a season-high 20 points.
* Leads K-State and is fourth in the Big 12 in assists with 5.4 per contest, including 10 games with at least six assists, a 10-assists outing vs. Oregon State and an 11-assist game at Texas A&M.
* Last week, Richards had 10 assists and just one turnover.
* Has led K-State in assists in 19 of 23 games.
Walk-ons proving valuable
With just nine scholarship players on its current roster, K-State has relied heavily on walk-ons Schyler Thomas and Josh Eilert. In fact, the Wildcats would not even be able to scrimmage without them in practice.
The first walk-on ever to play at K-State under Jim Wooldridge, Thomas has appeared in 19 games, providing valuable minutes for the Cats. He is averaging just 1.3 points, but has a nine assists and has scored at least five points in twice since the start of conference play.
Eilert has seen action in just four games but has put forth a determined effort in practice every day and has proved to be a key member of the team.
Good hands people
Kansas State averaged just nine turnovers in its two games last week, including tying a season low with just six at Missouri on Saturday. Earlier this season, K-State committed just six miscues against Oregon State. Overall, the Cats posted a team assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 2-to-1 (32 assists-18 turnovers).
