Game 8: Northern Illinois (3-3) at Kansas State (7-0)
Tuesday, December 21, 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 as well as to audiences on FSN Chicago. Ben Boyle (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (color) will call the action.
Coordinates: AMC 9 (KU), Transponder 23 Slot B.
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: Kansas State is 7-0 on the season after holding on for a 73-69 win over UTSA on Saturday. Northern Illinois is 3-3 after posting a 76-60 win at Eastern Illinois on Dec. 11.
The Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
K-State Coach Jim Wooldridge: Wooldridge (Louisiana Tech ’77) is in his fifth season at Kansas State and owns a record of 58-65 (.472). He has amassed a 287-212 (.575) 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.
NIU Coach Rob Judson: Judson (Illinois ’80) is 42-53 (.442) in his fourth season at Northern Illinois. He is a former assistant coach at Illinois (1996-2001) under former K-State coach Lon Kruger and current Kansas coach Bill Self.
The Series: K-State leads the all-time series, 7-0, including 5-0 in Manhattan. The teams haven’t met since Feb. 22, 1988 when the Wildcats earned an 88-67 win in the final season of Ahearn Field House (last non-conference foe).
Kansas State - Projected Starters
5 Clent Stewart G 6-4 195 Fr. 6.6 ppg., 2.4 rpg.
12 Fred Peete G 6-4 200 So. 14.1 ppg., 5.6 rpg.
15 Jeremiah Massey F 6-7 220 Sr. 14.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.
20 Cartier Martin F 6-7 220 So. 8.3 ppg., 4.6 rpg.
23 Marques Hayden F 6-7 225 Jr. 9.4 ppg., 6.9 rpg.
Key Reserves
1 Schyler Thomas G 6-0 185 Jr. 1.9 ppg., 0.9 rpg.
3 Lance Harris G 6-5 190 So. 8.1 ppg., 1.4 rpg.
4 Curtis Allen G 6-4 200 Fr. 3.3 ppg., 0.3 rpg.
40 Travis Canby F 6-10 237 Sr. 0.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg.
54 Justin Williams F 6-10 245 Sr. 2.7 ppg., 2.4 rpg.
55 Tyler Hughes F 6-11 240 So. 1.9 ppg., 3.1 rpg.
Injuried
21 Dramane Diarra F 6-8 245 Sr. 0.0 ppg., 0.0 rpg.
Northern Illinois - Projected Starters
3 Anthony Maestranzi G 5-10 165 Jr. 6.0 ppg., 1.3 rpg.
22 Cory Sims G 6-1 185 Jr. 9.3 ppg., 4.0 rpg.
23 Mike McKinney G 6-4 200 So. 11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.
25 Paige Paulsen F 6-7 220 So. 8.2 ppg., 4.3 rpg.
33 Johnathan Byrd F 6-9 225 Sr. 9.2 ppg., 4.0 rpg.
Key Reserves
2 Frank Claire G/F 6-6 186 Fr. 1.3 ppg., 0.7 rpg.
15 Zach Pancrantz G 6-5 198 Fr. 6.2 ppg., 3.0 rpg.
32 Todd Peterson F 6-8 225 Jr. 8.5 ppg., 3.0 rpg.
41 James Hughes C 6-11 220 So. 9.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg.
45 Bryson McKenzie C 6-10 230 So. 0.7 ppg., 0.3 rpg.
K-State looks to continue hot play, as the Wildcats play to Northern Illinois Tuesday
Kansas State (7-0) looks to remain unbeaten going into its week-long holiday break, as the Wildcats continue their five-game homestand Tuesday against Northern Illinois (3-3) in Bramlage Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m. K-State is 7-0 for the just the eighth time in school history, including just the fourth time since 1961, and are off to their best start since starting with nine straight wins in 1997-98.
The game will be televised by Fox Sports Midwest with Ben Boyle (play-by-play) and Stan Weber (color) 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 as well as to audiences in the state of Illinois on FSN Chicago.
One of just 14 unbeaten teams remaining in Division I, Kansas State held off a stiff rally by Texas-San Antonio (4-3) to post a 73-69 win on Saturday night. The Wildcats, who led 47-29 win just under 14 minutes to play, hit 10-of-14 free throws in the last two minutes to hold on for its 21st consecutive non-conference victory at home. Reigning Big 12 co-Rookie of the Week, sophomore Fred Peete was spectacular for the second consecutive game, tallying 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Northern Illinois (3-3), which has had 10 days off since its last game, enters Tuesday’s affair with wins in three of its last four contests. The Huskies, who have eight players averaging six or more points, are led by sophomore Mike McKinney (11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.).
A quick look at the Cats
Kansas State is averaging 68.7 points on 43.8 percent (176-of-402) shooting this year with 39.7 rebounds, 16.3 assists and 6.6 steals. A balanced scoring team with six players averaging six or more points, the Wildcats are led by the duo of Jeremiah Massey (14.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) and Fred Peete (14.1 ppg., 5.6 rpg.). The team has been strong defensively, allowing just 58.7 points on 38.9 percent shooting.
Recapping Texas-San Antonio
Kansas State started Clent Stewart and Fred Peete in the backcourt and Jeremiah Massey, Marques Hayden and Cartier Martin in the frontcourt. The team has used this same starting lineup in six of its seven games, including five consecutive games.
Kansas State improved to 33-5 under Wooldridge in non-conference home games. The team has now won 21 in a row against non-league foes at home. The last loss came to Northwestern on Nov. 30, 2002. K-State has won 34 of its last 44 games in Bramlage Coliseum.
Kansas State shot over 45 percent from the field for the fourth straight game after shooting no higher than 40 percent in the first three games. After shooting 51.7 percent in the second half, the Wildcats have connected on 50 percent or better of its field goals in the second half in four games in a row.
Three players reached double figures for the fifth straight game. Sophomore Fred Peete turned in his second consecutive 20-point effort with 22 points on 6-of-14 field goals and 10-of-12 free throws. He also tied his season-highs with five assists and five steals. Peete has scored in double figures in five contests.
Lance Harris and Cartier Martin added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Harris, who is averaging 11.3 points in the last three games, eclipsed his season-high for the third straight game with a career-high 14 points, while he tied his career-best for field goals (five) for second consecutive contest.
Impressive Start
After holding off a stiff rally from UTSA on Saturday, Kansas State improved to 7-0 on the season for the first time since 1997-98. The record, which is the best start during the Wooldridge era, marks the eighth time in school history that the Wildcats have started a season 7-0 (starting with the first in 1915-16), but only the fourth time since the 1961-62 season. Of those seven previous teams that began 7-0, only five won their next game. The 1918-19 owns the best start for a team in school history when they won their first 17 games, while the 1947-48 team is second with its 10-0 start. Interestingly, since the inception of postseason tournaments (1938 NIT), four of the five teams that have started 7-0 have advanced (three NCAAs, one NIT).
Offensive Improvement
After a rocky start to the season, the Kansas State offense is starting to heat up. In the last four games, the Wildcats have averaged 72.2 points on 49.3 percent shooting (109-of-221), including 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from three-point range. K-State has tied its season-high for points (76) in two of its last four and set its season-bests for field goal shooting (51.0 vs. Wyoming) and three-point shooting (50.0 vs. UAPB). In comparison, Kansas State averaged just 64.0 points on 37.0 percent shooting (67-of-181) in its first three games, including 36.1 percent (13-of-36) from beyond the arc. Also, the offense has become more diversified with six Wildcats averaging six or more points in the last four games compared to just five in the first three games.
Cardiac Cats
Kansas State, which scored 17 points in the last 3:34 to shock Wyoming on Dec. 11, has had to rally from second half deficits in five of its last seven games this season. Although the win over the Cowboys gets the most attention, the Wildcats have had to fight from deficits of five or more points in the second half in four of seven games. K-State has trailed in 114 minutes and 12 seconds this season, including 55 minutes and 19 seconds in the second half. In two of the last three games, the team has faced deficits in the second frame in all but seven minutes and 20 seconds. The Wildcats were down as many as nine points to Oakland before using a 24-10 run in the last seven minutes for the win. The team did not allow a Wyoming field goal in the last 2:09, while the team scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three-point range for the win. Kansas State has also faced second half deficits against North Dakota (eight), Denver (five) and Washington State (one). The Wildcats have outscored their opponents, 278-224, in the second half.
Reversal of Fortune
After losing 34 games in his first four years by 10 points or less, including 22 the last two seasons, head coach Jim Wooldridge has helped Kansas State to wins in six of its first seven games by 10 points or less.
The book on Northern Illinois (3-3)
Fresh off a 10-day layoff, Northern Illinois enters Tuesday’s contest with a 3-3 record on the season after picking up its third win in four games in a 76-60 victory on the road at Eastern Illinois. The Huskies opened the year with losses to Loyola-Chicago (56-63) and SMS (63-65), but have since collected a win at DePaul (84-69) before splitting home games with Bradley (74-76) and Akron (66-58).
Northern Illinois is averaging 69.8 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting with 35.2 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 14.0 turnovers, 7.3 steals and 5.2 blocks.
Sophomore guard Mike McKinney guides a balanced scoring attack with eight Huskies averaging six or more points. McKinney averages 11.0 points on 46.9 percent shooting, while sophomore center James Hughes (9.8 ppg.), junior guard Cory Sims (9.3 ppg.) and senior Johnathan Byrd (9.2 ppg.) each average around nine points per game. Hughes leads in rebounding (6.3), while junior Anthony Maestranzi paces in assists (4.7 apg.) and steals (2.0 spg.)
NIU returns two starters and eight lettermen from a team that posted a 10-20 record and finished sixth in the Mid-American West Division with a 5-13 mark.
The team is coached by Rob Judson, who is 42-53 (.442) in his fourth season at the school. Judson, who played for Lou Henson at Illinois, spent five seasons (1996-2001) as assistant to current UNLV coach and former K-State player and head coach Lon Kruger and current Kansas coach Bill Self.
NIU Notes and Connections
Kansas State leads the all-time series, 7-0, including 5-0 in Manhattan. The team haven’t met since Feb. 22, 1988 when the Wildcats earned an 88-67 win over the Huskies in the final season of Ahearn Field House. NIU was the last non-league foe in the “Old Barn.”
Northern Illinois head coach Rob Judson has worked for two former Kansas State athletes, serving seven years under Jim Molinari at NIU (1989-91) and Bradley (1991-96) and Lon Kruger at Illinois (1996-2000). Judson also served at Illinois with K-State graduates Mike Shepherd and Steve Henson.
NIU’s new women’s track coach Connie Teaberry was a six-time All-America high jumper at K-State.
The last time we met: Feb. 22, 1988
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Mitch Richmond scored a game-high 26 points, including 17 in the first half, to lead Kansas State an 88-67 win over Northern Illinois.
The Wildcats used a pair of runs in the first half to surge to a 40-24 lead at the break. Leading 12-10 at the 8:53 mark, Richmond keyed a 15-3 run with a 10-foot jumper, which saw NIU get its only points over the next 4:33 on a three-pointer by Rodney Davis. After the Huskies cinched the lead back to seven (29-22) on an 18-footer by Randy Norman, K-State closed the final 3:14 with an 11-2 rally, with seven of those points coming from the All-American Richmond.
NIU plauyed the Wildcats to a virtual stalemate in the second half thanks to much improved defense on Richmond. The 6-foot-4 guard was held to four buckets over the final 20 minutes, but NIU couldn’t get any closer than 19, 65-46 down the stretch.
Richmond led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while Fred McCoy and Buster Glover scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, off the bench. Mike Grabner led NIU with 14 points on 6-of-8 field goals, while Randy Norman added 13 points.
Getting Defensive
Kansas State has used strong defensive play to post its first 7-0 start in seven years. The Wildcats have allowed just 58.7 points on 38.9 percent shooting (162-of-416), including just 30.7 percent from three-point range (43-of-140), while forcing 97 turnovers. K-State has not allowed an opponent to score 70 points or shoot above 50 percent from the field this season. The team ranks among the top 35 nationally in three defensive categories, including 21st in scoring defense (57.0), 24th in field goal percentage defense (37.7) and 31st in rebounding margin (10.3). The 411 points allowed is the fewest through the first seven games of the season since the 1984-85 squad allowed just 398 points in starting the season 6-1.
Second Half Heroics
Kansas State has shown to be a second half team in its first seven games. After halftime, the Wildcats are averaging 39.7 points on 48.0 percent shooting (94-of-196) compared to just 29 points on 39.8 percent shooting (82-of-206) in the first half. The team has also improved its rebounding and assist-to-turnover ratio from the first frame. K-State has a 25-rebound advantage in the second frame (137-112) after having a slight advantage (141-119) in the first half. The Wildcats also have a significantly better assists to turnovers in the second half (57-39) than first (57-52). The team has improved its field goal percentage in the second half in six of seven games, including a remarkable 25 point increase against NDSU.
Clutch Shooting
Kansas State has picked up its offense at the right time in six of its seven wins this year. The Wildcats have outscored its seven foes by an average of 4.7 points per game (142-109) in the last 10 minutes of games. If you take out the UAPB and UTSA games (which the Cats had sizeable second half leads), the Wildcats are even better in the last 10 minutes. In the five games in which the team has faced a second half deficit, the team is outscoring its foes by an average of 8.0 points per game (99-59). K-State outscored Wyoming, 23-15, in the last 10 minutes, including 17-5 in the last 3:34 of the game.
Clutch Performer
Sophomore guard Fred Peete was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 co-Rookie of the Week on Dec. 13 after he averaged a team-best 16.5 points on 59.1 percent shooting in helping the Wildcats to come-from-behind victories over Oakland and Wyoming. He also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals.
Peete had one of the best clutch efforts by a Wildcat in school history against Wyoming on Dec. 11. In scoring a career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting, he was one of the main reasons the team rallied from a nine-point deficit with just under four minutes to play. He scored 10 points during the span, including the Wildcats’ last eight points. Peete tied the game on a three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining then scored the game-winning points on three-point play with one second to play.
Peete followed these heroics with another strong effort against UTSA Saturday, as he posted 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting with a season-tying five assists and five steals. He scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, including 10 from the free throw line.
Peete ranks among the top three on the team in several categories, including first in steals (2.1 spg.) and minutes (33.7), second in scoring (14.1 ppg.) and assists (3.4 apg.) and third in rebounding (5.6 spg.).
Ahead of the Curve
Despite being a true freshman Clent Stewart has proven to be a solid point guard for the Wildcats in 2004. The starter in all seven games, Stewart is averaging 6.6 points on 40.0 percent shooting through this season with 4.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game. He ranks sixth in the Big 12 (and second among freshman) in assists, while he is 12th in assist-turnover ratio. Stewart became the first freshman to start a season opener since 2001.
Despite his youth, Stewart has been a clutch performer for the Wildcats. In the last two minutes against Wyoming, he hit a three-pointer, stole the ball on an in-bounds pass and called timeout while falling out of bounds, produced the game-tying assist on Fred Peete’s three-pointer and grabbed the defensive rebound before Peete’s game-winning lay-up.
Injury Bug
K-State will have all but one player - Dramane Diarra - available for Tuesday’s game. He has not seen action this year after foot surgery in November.
Sir Lance-A-Lot
Sophomore Lance Harris has been a force off the bench for the Wildcats this season. Harris, who has surpassed his season-high for points in three consecutive games, has equaled or surpassed his totals for field goals (21), three-point field goals (10) and assists (18) of last season in just seven games, while he is just one point from his scoring total (58-57). Harris, who is averaging 8.1 points compared to just 2.1 points in 2003-04, is averaging 11.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting (13-of-24) in his last three games.
Second Half Force
Following his team in many ways, senior forward Jeremiah Massey has proven to have gotten stronger as the game goes on. The team leader in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (7.3), Massey is much better across the board in the second half. He is shooting over 51.4 percent from the field (19-of-37) and is a near perfect 20-of-23 from the free throw line after halftime for an average of 8.3 points to go with 3.9 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in four of seven second halves this season, including 13 against Denver. In contrast, he is shooting just 33.3 percent in the first half (13-of-39) with an average of 6.0 points and 3.4 rebounds.
Historic Defense
Kansas State set three new Bramlage Coliseum marks for defense in its 76-42 win over UAPB on Nov. 29. The Wildcats held the Golden Lions to records for fewest points allowed in a half (10) and lowest field goal percentage allowed in a half (14.7), while the two combined for the lowest point total in a half (42).
Home Court Advantage
With 58 consecutive home winning seasons, Kansas State has one of the best home court advantages in the nation. The Wildcats are 594-162 (.786) dating back to the start of the streak in 1946-47 season, which has spanned three different arenas - Nichols Gym (1946-50), Ahearn Field House (1950-88) and Bramlage Coliseum (1988-present).
Kansas State, who was 12-4 at home last season, has achieved at least nine wins on its home court in 11 of the last 13 seasons. In fact, the Wildcats have won 35 of their last 45 games in Bramlage Coliseum dating back to 2001-02. Overall, K-State is 49-21 (.700) at home under head coach Jim Wooldridge.
In its 17th season of hosting Wildcat basketball, Bramlage has seen Kansas State post a 181-71 (.718) record since its opening during the 1988-89 season.
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. Despite being 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, he did not receive one vote to the coaches or media’s preseason. 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 AP.
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.
Wooly’s Rally Cats
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. Each group will be given special T-shirts and will receive a special introduction. Wooldridge donated a lead gift of $10,000, while others have stepped up to finish the remaining $10,000 for this special group. For those interested in the program, please contact Chad Altadonna at (785) 532-6531.
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. Last season, the Wildcats appeared on television 17 times, including six times on Fox Sports Midwest.
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 1998-99.
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.
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.
