Thursday, January 31, 2008
MANHATTAN, Kan — Students are still going to fill Budig Hall for lectures this morning. Lawrence residents are still going to venture to Massachusetts Street for dinner tonight. And the Kansas basketball team, despite an 84-75 defeat to Kansas State, will still be one of the best in the nation.
If Kansas would have taken down Kansas State at home for the 25th straight year, however, Manhattan would have been as depressing as the ending of “La Traviata” today.
Photo Gallery
Kansas Basketball vs. Kansas State
Photo gallery of men's basketball game against Kansas State Wednesday night in Manhattan.
In short, the Wildcats’ victory meant everything for their program and the Kansas loss meant next to nothing for its program. For Kansas State, this was its national championship. For Kansas, this was one game of a possible 40-game season.
There was just no way the Wildcats were letting this one slip away. Sensational Kansas State freshmen forwards Michael Beasley and Bill Walker were too focused to let a long history of futility keep them down, and they proved it by combining for 47 points.
The Bramlage Coliseum crowd fed the Wildcats energy like a mother feeds her baby Gerber. There were more middle fingers, vulgar T-shirts and hateful signs than a death metal concert. The atmosphere was absolutely exhausting.
“It’s one of the loudest places I’ve ever played,” senior center Sasha Kaun said. “My ears were ringing.”
Kansas coach Bill Self added that he couldn’t even hear the whistle when the referees blew it. But he should have been able to tell the calls from the 12,528 fans cloaked in purple.
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Believe it or not, Beasley and the Cats may have helped the Jayhawks in the long run.
When a call went against the Wildcats, their faithful moaned loud enough to make it seem like an asteroid was about to collide with Earth. When a call went their way, it was like Bruce Willis in Armageddon saving the world all over again.
It’s cliché, but Kansas State simply wanted it more. Tonight, Beasley wasn’t stepping on the court to prove he was the best player in college basketball against the No. 2 team in the nation. He was doing what he was brought to the Little Apple to do — beat Kansas.
He did it all, too. Kansas State coach Frank Martin may have been the one in the suit and tie, but it was clear Beasley was in charge. He instructed his teammates offensively and defensively, hit big shots and even cleaned the floor on three occasions.
Believe it or not, Beasley and the Cats may have helped the Jayhawks in the long run. This way, there’s no talk of an undefeated season to get distracted by and there’s no way Kansas will be satisfied prematurely. The Jayhawks will still win the Big 12 and they’ll still receive a No. 1 seed come tournament time.
“We weren’t going to run the table,” Self said. “I wish we could but that wasn’t going to happen.”
So let Kansas State enjoy accomplishing its season’s mission. Kansas’ list of objectives is still too long to let this one derail it.
—Edited by Madeline Hyden
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Comments
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Objectives...not objections. My bad on that one.
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
LOL!!! Losing a 20 game winning streak to your arch enemy meant notning?! Losing a 24 year win streak in Manhattan meant nothing?! You can live in denial all you want, but this one hurt. The little brother does grow up, and soon his punches to your arm hurt really badly. This one hurt, but the future ones will hurt even more! You can walk around on campus with that big purple bruise on your arm and pretend it doesn't hurt!! LOL
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
"So let Kansas State enjoy accomplishing its season’s mission."
If you are familiar with anything people within the K-State program have been saying all year, I think you might realize this isn't necesarily an accurate comment. "16 round fight, this is round (insert league game number here)"...which Walker has been continuosly preaching throughout league play (Martin, Beasley, Stewart have all said similar things). It was a huge win, yes, nice to get the monkey off our back. But if you think K-State fans/players/coaches feel that this season is all about beating KU, you're sorely mistaken. The Wildcats "list of objections is still too long" to get caught up in one victory.
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Strange how the K-Staters come onto a KU website to talk smack. They must still be saddened to think KU has passed them in football. Now they think KSU is a basketball power. We're looking forward to round 2, but we're also looking forward to something you K-Staters will never have - another Big 12 title. I'll bet those rafters in Bramlage look a little bare.
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Not talking smack at all. I didn't say one negative thing about KU...just wanted to defend the Cats. This article was basically a sneaky way of taking a shot at K-State. KU has an amazing team this year and an amazing basketball tradition, no one can deny that. However, because you lost one game, there is no need for an article trying to diminish the efforts, capabilities, and attitude of this year's K-State team.
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Mr. Keefer - Not to disrespect your point of view, but do you really think K-State sees this game as thier "National Championship?" If you're talking about the fans, well yeah, probably. I mean, I was 13 the last time KSU beat KU in Manhattan. I was geeked by this win, too. BUT, I'm not ready to pack my bags for San Antonio just yet. But I don't think the players felt that way. Didn't Beasley predict the win? And to say that KU's loss is just "1 out of a possible 40 games?" Seriously? You don't think it stings the players and the fans just a little to lose to their rival? (okay it's not been much of a rivalry, but...). Frankly, I respect KU basketball and find it odd that they do so well in the regular season and fall (very) short in the tourney. But to say that "beating KU was like winning the national championship." Get over yourself man! ;) And the toughest game against KU has passed (we ended the streak - finally). The easier task is winning at Allen. We've actually won there before! Best of luck to KU this year. Talented team but can they win the big one?
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Actually, for K-State this was just the fifth game on their way to a Big 12 title. It's cute that KU fans think K-State's season still rides on this one game, but those days are fading fast. Now the Cats need to focus on rolling through the Big 12 until they attempt to snap the one game winning streak KU holds in Lawrence.
Fun game, despite neither team playing all that well. Kudos to the Hawks for hanging in there.
Keefer: Cats wanted it more
Also...when I was in school at KU, the j-department loved to toss around the circulation numbers for the UDK, pointing out that circulation exceeded KU borders. I guess I was looking at this comments section as that of a Kansas newspaper, not a KU fan exclusive board. In any event, no one's talking smack. Just pointing out that this was merely one game on the schedule for a K-State team with lofty goals. As Michael Beasley correctly pointed out, "It's just another game."
Good luck from here on out to KU, though. Bill Self is all right, and I think he'll break through in the tourney one of these years.
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