This could only be KU vs. K-State, and it happens this Wednesday at
Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan at 7 p.m.
The Jayhawks come into the game at 20-0 and 5-0 in the Big 12. Kansas State, meanwhile is 14-4, winners of its last nine of 10 games, and
also tied for KU atop the Big 12 race at 4-0.
Does it get much better playing in such a frenzied atmosphere in
Manhattan with state bragging rights and the Big 12 lead on the line?
“I think you love playing in a game that means a lot to a lot
of people,” KU coach Bill Self said at his press conference
on Monday. “This is certainly one of those games. ...Our
players could care less about (the streak), and their players could
care less, too. But what happens is because there’s so much
interest and the questions you guys ask, our players feed off the
interest level, which makes the game that much bigger.”
And about that road environment in Bramlage?
“It’s as good as it gets,” Self said.
K-State freshman forward phenom Michael Beasley (6-10, 235 pounds) may
be “as good as it gets” in college basketball.
He’s averaging 25.3 points and 12.7 rebounds, while shooting
56.6 percent from the field and blocking almost two shots per game.
He’s been compared to last year’s freshman
superstar from Texas, Kevin Durant, although Beasley is more of an
inside force, whereas Durant was the better perimeter player.
“I thought you would never see a freshman dominate college
basketball as Durant did as the unanimous national Player of the Year
as a freshman,” Self said. “Michael has that same
opportunity in front of him, if he finishes the season strong, to be
the national Player of the Year also. He's strong, he's long and he's
got great balance. But some guys just know how to score. Some guys know
how to use their bodies better than others, initiating contact and
getting to the free throw line. He's really good with either hand
around the basket. He's a terrific prospect. He's one the best
prospects that college basketball has seen in many, many years."
While Self said he didn’t “know exactly how
we’re going to match up,” he commented that Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, and Cole Aldrich could all guard
Beasley, a confident frosh who is guaranteeing a Wildcat victory.
“He is not a one-man team,” Jackson said.
“Beasley can't beat one team by himself. It takes five guys.
It maybe even takes seven guys, so we'll concentrate on everybody and
not just him."
Self talked about trying to contain Beasley and K-State.
"We need to do a good job of making sure the (guards) don't have easy
vision to the post,” Self said. “(Beasley) is going
to get open. He is going to catch the ball. He's just going to go where
he needs to (go) to catch it. He has enough offensive repertoire that
he can put the defense in a difficult situation either off the catch or
off the bounce. ... He's very, very efficient and unselfish, but he's
not the only guy they have. We could focus in on him and other guys can
have big nights. Primarily Bill (Walker). Bill is a terrific player."
Walker, a red-shirt freshman forward, is KSU’s other star.
He’s averaging 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Walker
and Beasley have been receiving plenty of attention all season and
combine to score more than half of the Wildcats points. Reserve guard
Jake Pullen is another good freshman, ranking third on the team in
scoring (9.4 ppg) and first in assists and tied with Beasley for team
lead in steals.Senior guard Clent Stewart (7.6 ppg), junior forward
Andre Gilbert (5.2 ppg), and senior guard Blake Young (6.2 ppg) are all
solid players who complement Beasley and Walker in the starting lineup.
With Beasley and Walker getting all the hype, Self was asked if his
players have been overshadowed. The KU coach said his players were
“underrated” because of KU’s great
balance and no dominant scorers.
“Our guys may be overshadowed a little bit, but in our world
we know,” Self said. “But maybe that is good
motivation for them, too. Here are a couple freshmen that we are
getting asked a lot of questions about, rightfully so, but these guys
have been in the trenches before, too and they are pretty
good.”
Senior guard Russell Robinson downplayed that question about being
“overshadowed” by Beasley and Walker.
"They are two talented guys, but we are the number two team in the
country,” Robinson said. “I don't think we are
being overshadowed by any means. We just have to go out there and play."
And if they play well, the Jayhawks will stay undefeated, run their
winning streak in Manhattan to 25 games, and most important, stand
alone atop the Big 12 race.
...
Self was asked during his press conference about whether Darnell
Jackson had an NBA future.
“Sure, I think he could. Yeah,” Self said.
“We talk so much this week, rightfully so, about
K-State’s main two guys, Beasley and Walker, we got some good
guys, too. Darnell is really played into a very, very solid power
forward prospect, but there’s a lot of solid guys out there.
He has a lot of work to do between now and the end of the season to
posture himself better, but I think he’s a really good
player, one of the elite power forwards out there.”
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