Game 2: Denver (1-0) at Kansas State (1-0)
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Bramlage Coliseum (13,340)
Manhattan, Kan.
Tipoff: 7:07 p.m. CST
Television: Fox Sports Midwest TV. The game will be distributed to a statewide audience to cable and satellite homes in the state of Kansas and Kansas City market. Ben Boyle (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (color) will call the action.
Radio: Live across the 29-station Mid America Sports Network. A live audio stream will also be available on www.k-statesports.com. Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Chris Allison (color) will call the action.
The Records: Both teams enter the game at 1-0 after wins over North Dakota State. Kansas State posted a 70-61 win over the Bison on Friday night, while Denver earned a 79-62 victory on Sunday.
K-State Coach Jim Wooldridge: Wooldridge (Louisiana Tech ’77) is in his fifth season at Kansas State and owns a record of 52-65 (.444). He has amassed a 281-212 (.570) all-time record in this his 18th season as a collegiate head coach. Wooldridge guided the program to its highest win total in five years with last season’s 14-14 record.
Denver Coach Terry Carroll: Carroll (Northern Iowa 78) owns a 40-48 (.455) record in his third season at DU. He has a 309-98 (.759) record in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach. Carroll is a former assistant coach at Iowa State (1998-2001) under Larry Eustachy.
The Series: K-State leads the all-time series, 3-0. However, all three meetings came more than 40 years ago, all in Manhattan. The teams last met on Dec. 18, 1963, a 72-65 Wildcat win.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Kansas State - Projected Starters
5 Clent Stewart G 6-4 195 Fr.-HS
12 Fred Peete G 6-4 200 So.-TR
15 Jeremiah Massey F 6-7 220 Sr.-1L
20 Cartier Martin F 6-7 220 So.-1L
23 Marques Hayden F 6-7 225 Jr.-2L
Denver - Projected Starters
5 Rodney Billups G 5-10 165 Sr.-1L
20 Erik Benzel G 6-1 175 Sr.-3L
10 Antonio Porch F 6-6 190 So.-1L
32 Andrew Carpenter F 6-2 205 Jr.-TR
25 Yemi Nicholson C 6-10 240 Jr.-TR
Key Reserves
1 Schyler Thomas G 6-0 185 Jr.-2L
3 Lance Harris G 6-5 190 So.-1L
4 Curtis Allen G 6-4 200 Fr.-HS
40 Travis Canby F 6-10 237 Sr.-3L
54 Justin Williams F 6-10 245 Sr.-1L
55 Tyler Hughes F 6-11 240 So.-1L
Injuried
21 Dramane Diarra F 6-8 245 Sr.-1L
K-State continues five-game homestand against Denver on Wednesday
Fresh off a come-from-behind victory over North Dakota State, Kansas State (1-0) continues its five-game homestand to open the season, as the Wildcats play host to Sun Belt Conference member Denver (1-0) at Bramlage Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m.
The game will be the first of 12 televised by Fox Sports Midwest this season, as Ben Boyle (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (color) will be handling the broadcast duties. It will be distributed to a statewide audience to cable and satellite homes in the state of Kansas and Kansas City market.
The contest will also be broadcast on the 29-station Mid-America Sports Network with Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play) and Chris Allison (color) calling the action.
Kansas State rallied from a six-point halftime deficit on Friday to claim a 70-61 victory over North Dakota State in its season opener. After shooting just 24.2 percent in the first half, the Wildcats connected on 50 percent of its field goals in the second half, including 40 percent from the 3-point arc, to rally for the nine-point win.
Denver also opened its season against North Dakota State, as the Pioneers shot 52.4 percent from the field en route to a 79-62 win. Senior guard Erik Benzel and junior center Yemi Nicholson led a balanced attack with 16 points each.
A quick look at the Cats
Kansas State had three players in double figures in the opening win over North Dakota State... The reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jeremiah Massey has started off where he left off last season, registering his ninth career double-double in leading the team in both scoring (21) and rebounding (10) against the Bison... Sophomores Cartier Martin and Fred Peete also notched double-figure games with 13 and 10 points, respectively... Peete was impressive all-around, adding nine rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Recapping North Dakota State
With the win, Kansas State moved to 77-24 all-time in season openers, including a 63-9 mark when debuting in Manhattan... The Wildcats have won 10 of their last 13 season openers with all three losses coming on the road... The team is 4-1 in season openers under head coach Jim Wooldridge.
Senior Jeremiah Massey registered his ninth career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds... It marked the 19th time he has reached double figures, while he has tallied 20+ points 11 times.
Clent Stewart became the first freshman to start at point guard since Nick Williams in 2001-02... Overall, the Wildcats started Stewart and Fred Peete (first starts) in the backcourt and Massey, Marques Hayden and Cartier Martin in the frontcourt.
North Dakota State’s 20 turnovers were the most by a K-State opponent since Lipscomb had 21 in 2003, while the Wildcats’ nine steals were the most since registering 12 on Dec. 22, 2003 vs. Bethune-Cookman.
Second Half Heroics
Kansas State improved nearly every aspect of its game in the second half against North Dakota State. After shooting 24.2 percent (8-of-33) in the first half, including 14.3 percent (1-of-7) from the 3-point line, the Wildcats connected on 50 percent (17-of-34) in the second half, including 40 percent (5-of-8) from 3-point distance... The team also improved its rebounding and assist-to-turnover ratio from the first half... K-State had a 13-rebound advantage in the second frame (23-10) after being tied (21-21) in the first half, while the Wildcats had four more assists than turnovers (12-8) in the second half after having one more turnover than assists (5-6) in the first half.
Cats End Exhibition Season
Kansas State capped its exhibition season with a 5-1 record after an 88-69 victory over Pittsburg State on Nov. 11... The Wildcats, who played four games during an exhibition trip to Vancouver, British Columbia in early October, opened the home season with a 71-59 victory the EA Sports All-Stars on Nov. 3.
K-State averaged 80.5 points on 51.6 percent shooting and had a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging six or more points, including five in double figures. Senior Jeremiah Massey led the team with 17.8 points per game, while sophomore Fred Peete averaged 14.2 points.
The book on Denver
A member of the Sun Belt Conference, Denver enters Wednesday’s game with a 1-0 record after a 79-62 win over North Dakota State on Sunday.
Denver were incredibly efficient in the victory, shooting 52.4 percent from the field, including 64.3 percent in the first half, to go with 22 assists and just nine turnovers. The team had a balanced attack, led by senior Erik Benzel and junior Yemi Nicholson’s 16 points.
The Pioneers went 2-0 in exhibition play, posting wins over Regis (88-55) and Mesa State (77-68) in early November.
Denver returns two starters and six overall lettermen from a team that posted a 14-13 overall record and a 6-9 mark in Sun Belt play. The team’s top returner - Rodney Billups - is the younger brother of NBA Finals MVP and Detroit Pistons’ star
The Pioneers are coached by third-year head coach Terry Carroll, who has a 40-48 record at the school and is 309-97 in 12 seasons as a head coach. Carroll is a former assistant coach at Iowa State (1998-2001) under Larry Eustachy.
Up Next: Washington State (1-0)
Kansas State continues its stretch of three games in six days on Saturday, Nov. 27 when the Wildcats play host to Washington State at at 12 p.m.
The Cougars opened the regular season on Nov. 19 with a 59-42 win over Montana State at home. The team shot just 39 percent in the victory, including just 20.8 percent in the second half, but the Cougars relied on their defense in the victory, holding the Bobcats to just 35.7 percent shooting while forcing 22 turnovers.
Senior guard Thomas Kelati led all scorers with 12 points, while senior Daven Harmeling added 10.
WSU returns four starters and six overall lettermen from a team that posted a 13-16 overall record and a tied for seventh place in the Pac-10 with a 7-11 mark.
The Cougars are coached by second-year head coach Dick Bennett, who has a 14-16 record at the school and is 468-273 in 26 seasons as a head coach.
The series is tied 1-all. WSU won the first-ever meeting, 47-22, in Pullman on Dec. 20, 1941, while K-State posted a 63-39 win at home on Dec. 22, 1949.
Solid Debut for Peete
Heralded sophomore Fred Peete didn’t disappoint in his home debut against Pittsburg State. The guard showed flashes of brilliance, as the junior college All-American scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 26 minutes. The team’s second-leading scorer during the exhibition season, Peete averaged 14.2 points on 50.9 percent shooting with 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He scored in double figures in three of the five contests, including an impressive 26-point effort in the overtime loss to British Columbia, where he played all 45 minutes. A solid ball-handler, he has an excellent 4.3 assist-turnover ratio with 17 assists to just four turnovers.
Sir Lance-A-Lot
Although it was just exhibition play, sophomore Lance Harris showed the ability to make a big impact in his second season. Harris, who saw more action than any freshman last season, finished the preseason slate as the team’s fourth-leading scorer at 10.0 points on 44.9 percent shooting, while leading the squad in assists (23) and steals (9). Harris showed his talent in the win over the EA Sports All-Stars, as he led both squads with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go with seven rebounds and three blocks. He had more field goals (22), rebounds (24), assists and steals in six exhibition games than he had in 27 games last season. As a freshman, he averaged 2.1 points on 28.8 percent shooting with 0.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists
Preseason Accolades for Massey
Reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jeremiah Massey enters his senior season with high expectations. The Wildcats’ leader in both scoring (14.7 ppg.) and rebounding (6.5 rpg.), Massey was selected to preseason All-Big 12 second team by The Sporting News, CBS Sportsline and Lindy’s. Massey is one of only two returning players (along with Kansas’ Wayne Simien) to rank among the league’s top 10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Last season, Massey became the Wildcats’ first conference Newcomer of the Year since 1993. He was named to the coaches’ third team all-conference and to its all-newcomer team, while he was honorable mention all-league by the Associated Press.
Injury Bug
Kansas State will have all but one player - Dramane Diarra - available for Wednesday game. Diarra has not see action in any of the team’s preseason or regular season games due to a foot injury. He re-injuried the foot in practice last week and is set to have surgery which will put him out indefinitely. Two other Wildcats - Fred Peete and Cartier Martin - left the Pittsburg State game early due to injury, but both started against North Dakota State. Peete did not play against the EA All-Stars due a back injury.
Noting K-State’s newcomers
Kansas State welcomes the addition of three players in 2004-05, sophomore guard Fred Peete and freshmen guards Curtis Allen and Clent Stewart. Peete was added on April 29 after one year at NE Oklahoma A&M, while Allen and Stewart were inked during the early signing period.
As a freshman at NEO, Peete was honored as a third team NJCAA All-American after averaging a team-leading 18.3 points on 49 percent shooting. He was one of just four freshmen among the 30 players named to the first, second or third teams.
In leading Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School to a 28-4 record, Allen averaged 12.2 points on 41.4 percent shooting with 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. He ranked first on the team in steals and second in rebounds and assists.
A 6-foot-3 guard out of Tulsa (Okla.) Union High School, Stewart was named the Tulsa World state Player of the Year and Class 6A All-Tournament MVP after leading Union to its first-ever state title. He averaged 15.3 points in the state tournament after averaging 16.9 points during the regular season.
New Additions
K-State has two new players on its basketball roster with the addition of walk-ons Josh Campbell and Kyle Taylor. Campbell was a two-year letterman and one-year starter at Cloud County Community College. Taylor joins the team after starting one year at Butler County Community College.
The Wildcats are hoping for one more addition, as they await clearance from the NCAA on sophomore Milton Barros. Barros was a member of the junior national team in his native Angola.
O, Canada!
Kansas State started the 2004-05 season north of the border in Canada, as the Wildcats embarked upon a five-day, four-game game trip through Vancouver, British Columbia Oct. 8-12. The Wildcats posted a 3-1 record on its trip with wins over Simon Fraser University (80-73), Langara College (68-55) and University of Victoria (92-64) to go with an overtime loss to the University of British Columbia (89-84).
The team averaged 81.0 points during its tour on 53.6 percent shooting with 36.5 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 5.5 blocks.
Senior Jeremiah Massey paced the Wildcats with a team-high 19.7 points per game on 68.4 percent (26-of-38) shooting to go with a team-best 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Sophomores Fred Peete and Cartier Martin also averaged in double figures at 12.8 and 11.5 points per game, respectively. Sophomore Lance Harris led the team in both assists (4.3) and steals (2.0) to go along with 7.5 points per game.
Tube Time
Kansas State will make a total of 19 regular-season television appearances during the 2004-05 season, including 12 on Fox Sports Net Midwest. K-State signed a three-year contract with Fox Sports in September 2003 to be the exclusive third-tier television right holder. In addition, ESPN Plus will broadcast seven games during the Big 12 season.
Names on uniforms
Fans won’t have to search their game programs for names and numbers of the players this season, as Kansas State will have names on the back of their uniforms for the first time under fifth-year head coach Jim Wooldridge. In the past, Wooldridge went without names to emphasis his team concept.
What’s Back for the Cats
Kansas State returns two starters and nine lettermen from last season’s 14-14 (6-10, 9th Big 12) squad, including the Associated Press’ Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Jeremiah Massey, who led the Wildcats in both scoring (14.7 ppg.) and rebounding (7.8 rpg.). Overall, Massey led the Wildcats in nine categories, including 20-point games (10), double-doubles (eight), steals (1.0 spg.) and blocks (0.6 bpg.). Not since Jean Derouillere averaged 15.7 points in 1989-90 had a first-year player averaged more points than Massey. He was named to the coaches’ third team all-conference team and to its all-newcomer team, while he was AP honorable mention all-league selection.
Junior forward Marques Hayden also returns for the Wildcats in 2004-05 after averaging 8.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 28 games last season, including 26 starts. Hayden led the team and ranked seventh in the Big 12 with a 53.4 field goal percentage. The shooting percentage was also the 26th-best in Kansas State history. Hayden also placed 12th in the league in double-doubles (five) and 13th in rebounding.
In addition, the Wildcats return four other players who started at least one game in 2003-04. Sophomore Cartier Martin, who also struggled with injuries in his first year, made three starts among his 20 appearances, averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.9 minutes. He ranked fifth on the team in scoring and sixth in rebounding, while he was fourth in 3-point field goals (17). Senior forwards Dramane Diarra and Justin Williams made six and four starts, respectively, for the Wildcats down low. A native of Paris, France, Diarra averaged 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 16 games after he was cleared by the NCAA in early January. Williams was solid in averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 27 games. Entering his fourth year, senior Travis Canby is the most experienced member of the team. Last season, he made 19 appearances and one start.
The team also returns three other players who saw significant time in 2003-04. The leader among freshmen with 27 appearances, sophomore Lance Harris averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds. Junior Schyler Thomas and sophomore Tyler Hughes each saw action in 14 games. A former walk-on who received a scholarship this spring, Thomas connected on 50 percent of his shots. Hughes showed drastic improvement as the season progressed, as he scored 14 of his 16 points in the last four games on 66.7 percent shooting on an average of 10.8 minutes per game. Overall, he saw action 14 games as a freshman.
Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
Kansas State lost five lettermen from the 2003-04, including starting guards Tim Ellis, Jarrett Hart and Frank Richards. Along with Massey, Ellis was named to the AP honorable mention All-Big 12 team and to the league’s all-improved squad after averaging 13.8 points on 50.7 percent shooting. Ellis scored in double-digits in a team-best 20 games, including 15 times in the team’s last 21 contests. He was one of just two players in the Big 12 to rank among the league’s top 20 in field goal percentage, free throw percentage and scoring. Hart, a member of the league’s all-underrated team, was the Wildcats’ best 3-point shooter, hitting on 39.4 percent, while averaging 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists. The starting point guard in 20 games, Richards led the Wildcats in assists for the second straight season with 3.6 per game. With four assists in the Big 12 Tournament, Richards became the fifth Wildcat in school history to post back-to-back 100 assist seasons. The team also lost freshman guard Dez Willingham, who opted to transfer before the fall semester. Willingham averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 assists in 22 games with 11 starts. The quartet accounted for over 43 percent of the team’s scoring, field goals and steals and over 60 percent of the team’s 3-pointers and assists.
Wooly’s Rally Cats
Kansas State head coach Jim Wooldridge began a program in the offseason to help the youth of Kansas enjoy the thrill of Wildcat basketball. Rally Cats wishes to donate $20,000 worth of tickets to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts, Special Olympics, YMCA, United Way and local schools. Wooldridge donated a lead gift of $10,000. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible. For those interested in donating to the program, please contact Chad Altadonna at (785) 532-6531.
New Court
Kansas State will be playing on a new court in 2004-05, as the athletic department in conjunction with Robbins Flooring of Cincinnati, Ohio, introduced a new playing surface in late June.
The new court, which is made of first-grade northern hard maple, features a totally re-designed court surface that will showcase more of the natural wood color as opposed to being painted purple as with the previous floor. The central design of the surface is a larger-sized Powercat logo at center court with the words “Kansas State” painted in purple above the logo. Both design elements face the chairback section of the arena. The design also includes purple free throw lanes with the new Big 12 logo located at the top of each lane. The floor is completed with the word “Wildcats” centered and painted in purple at the end of each baseline.
The 60-by-120 foot floor includes 225 computer-cut pieces in the main floor plus an additional 42 pieces on the extension at the south end. The surface also includes the latest shock absorbers on the underside.
Wooldridge Signs Extension
Head coach Jim Wooldridge received a two-year contract extension on March 9 after guiding K-State to its most overall and league wins in four years.
Wooldridge, who had one year left on his original five-year contract, was named the 20th head coach in school history on March 13, 2000. Despite numerous injuries, he led the Wildcats to a 14-14 overall record and a tie for ninth place in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 6-10 mark this past season. Both the 14 overall wins and six league victories are the most of the Wooldridge era and the most since the 1998-99 squad.
Overall, Wooldridge has a 51-65 (.440) record in four seasons at K-State.
“I appreciate the confidence and commitment that Dr. (Jon) Wefald and Tim (Weiser) have made to me and my staff,” said Wooldridge. “I continue to be excited about the future of this program. With the talented returning players in our program and the addition of a couple of key recruits, I don't think we're too far off from having a team that can challenge the upper echelon of the Big 12."
Wooldridge, who served previous head coaching stints at Central Missouri State (1985-91), Texas State (1991-94) and his alma mater Louisiana Tech (1994-98), owns an overall record of 280-212 (.569) in 17 seasons as a head coach.
Quick Hitters
Kansas State finished the 2003-04 season with a 14-14 overall record and a ninth place tie in Big 12 Conference play with a 6-10 mark... The 14 overall wins are the most in the four-year tenure of head coach Jim Wooldridge, while the team's six conference wins tie for the most since 2001-02... In fact, the 14 wins and six league victories were the most since the 1998-99 season... Only five squads had more conference wins since 1990-91 than the Wildcats had this season.
The improvement is also evident in the team statistics... Since the team won six games in 2002, the Wildcats have slowly but surely closed the scoring gap during league play... That year, the Wildcats averaged 68.1 points per game, but gave up 74.2 points to league opposition in winning six games... This past year, the Wildcats dropped off in scoring at 66.9 points per game, however, their Big 12 foes averaged just 66.9 points in also winning six games.
K-State continued its stellar play at Bramlage Coliseum under Jim Wooldridge, posting 11 or more victories at home for the third consecutive season... The 12 wins in 2003-04 tie for the most since the 2001-02 squad also registered 12... In fact, the Wildcats are 43-21 (.672) under Wooldridge at home with wins in 29 of their last 39 games.
Kansas State concluded the regular season with an exclamation point their first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2002 with a 58-48 victory over No. 10 Texas... Under Jim Wooldridge, the Wildcats have upset five ranked squads, including at least one each of the past four seasons... The team beat No. 19 Iowa and No. 20 Missouri in 2000-01, No. 9 Oklahoma State in 2001-02, No. 23 Texas Tech in 2002-03 and No. 10 in 2003-04.
Ten of Kansas State's 14 losses in 2003-04 were by a grand total of 58 points (avg. 5.8 ppg.), including nine of its last 12 by 52 points... The Wildcats were a mere 13 points away from being 17-11 and 9-7 in league play... Over half (36) of Jim Wooldridge's 65 losses at Kansas State have been by 10 points or less, including 25 in Big 12 play.
Kansas State finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with an exclamation point on Jan. 10, as the Wildcats overwhelmed Savannah State, 92-51... With the win, K-State entered Big 12 win with its best non-conference mark of the Jim Wooldridge era and the best by a Wildcat squad since the 1998-99 squad went 11-2... The Wildcats went a perfect 8-0 at home during the non-conference season, marking the first unbeaten non-conference mark since the 1998-99 also went 8-0.
One of the biggest factors in Kansas State's success this past season was its play on the defensive end... The Wildcats ranked 25th nationally in field goal percentage defense, while they placed among the Big 12 leaders in several categories... The team finished second in 3-point field goal percentage defense, third in defensive rebounds and fourth in field goal percentage defense, scoring defense and rebounding. The Cats were just as effective in Big 12 play, ranking third in field goal percentage and defensive rebounds and fourth in scoring defense.
More on defense... Just 13 of the team's opponents in 2003-04 hit over 40 percent from the field, while just 10 scored over 70 points... Eleven foes scored 60 points or less against the Wildcats, while 12 of the last 21 were held to 65 points or less.
