The season is over. Now what?

7:33 left, WISKY, 61-49

Jake finally scores at 14:41, and that has to be a positive for K-State. Ron Anderson fouls Butch, who hits one of two foul shots. Nice acting by Bill, but it results in double technical fouls – don’t know if that’s the trade-off he was looking for. It’s an 11-point game and Stiemsma is called for traveling. It’s lit a fire into Bill, though. But it’s like the veteran Badgers are just amused, continuing to play their game. Oh, the conspiracy theories are flying in the K-State cheering section. Jake with a drive and he’s hacked. He misses the first shot. Fred Brown comes in to bust a zone, apparently. Hughes scores at the other end. Bill doesn’t want to lose – I’ll save Frank the time later. He slashes to the rim for a deuce. Flowers hits a pair of free throws. Walker again, hitting a pair of free throws. He’s clapping his hands, trying to get the Wildcats going. Hughes misses long, but so does Jake on the other end. Dreadful shooting game for the freshman point guard. Mike with only two points in second half. Hmmm… Stiemsma converts. Mike is getting frustrated, but he is fouled. He hits a pair. In the double bonus at 9:13… Landry at line and misses the first and the second. Walker is playing his behind off. Offensive rebound and follow. Stiemsma on a leak-out, finishes and fouled by Mike. Three-point play. Very bizarre – a curtain fell at 8:14 at mid-court. And then at 7:33, Walker hits the court after being elbowed to the face on a rebound.

15:01 left in regulation, WISKY, 49-35

Halftime gathering in the tunnel was a little more subdued this time – not as much input from Mr. Walker, but still an air of optimism. The Wildcats like where they’re at. And we’re off… Butch with an offensive rebound and put-back. Hughes with a drive past Blake, a finish and the foul. He hits, and it’s 44-33 just like that, less than two minutes into the second half. Timeout. Jake is struggling. Blake comes back in for him. Trevon drills a long jumper, and it’s a 13-point game. Jake back in for Blake. Jake with another miss but Beasley with the offensive board and follow. Man, they need something, anything from their guards. Same old story, no? K-State is 0-for-7 from three-point range. That’s not good.

HALFTIME, WISKY, 39-33

Wow. A little emotion from the coaches on the bench as Mike converts a lay-up and absorbs contact. He hits the free throw, and K-State is within 5. Interesting turn of events. Different energy suddenly in the Qwest. Nice take by Flowers. Nothing yet from Pullen, but Anderson goes reverse pivot and off glass. He’s playing with a ton of confidence. Frank rips into DK, but that’s nothing new. Anderson on the box out is fouled, and he’s shooting one-and-one. On cue, DK rips an offensive board and puts it back. Jake with a touch foul on pressure at mid-court, and that’s not what Frank wanted – but he applauds the effort. Hughes hits a 3. Walker has set for a stretch and we’re not sure why. Jake with nice penetration and a dish to Mike, who dunks it. Jake rolls back with his tongue out. Flowers with another 3 – how many is that? – and that’s where the score remains at halftime.

3:45 left in 1st half, WISKY, 32-22

Thoughts have turned to spring football here on press row. But then Walker goes to work on the block. We’re making an official list of the dumb fan comments we wanted retired. No. 1 is “Call it both ways, ref.” No. 2, as of right now, is “Play your game, (insert team nickname here).” If you’ve got more, holler at me, but this should be enough to get us started. Bill needs to stay on the block – they don’t have an answer for him there. But Flowers drills a 3, and UW has to be shooting at least 60 percent. I just told Howard Richman this was the part of the game where Bill picks up dumb fouls, and on cue, he hooks a defender to the floor. Flowers hits another 3, and the lead is expanding. But there’s a K-State steal, Mike pushes it to Bill, who is fouled on a lay-up attempt. Walker makes a pair and is then replaced by Ron Anderson. Mike might have to foul out this massive UW frontcourt just to make this game more interesting.

7:17 left in 1st half, WISKY, 26-16

Landry nails two free throws, and we’re tied. This pace is at Wisconsin’s liking, no doubt. Gilbert with a wild drive. Pullen off the bench and about to check into the game. Stupid drive and finger roll by Mike – they don’t have an answer for that. K-State gives up an offensive board and put-back on the other end, but then Mike responds with another drive. Yeah, he’s got six. DK checks in for Bill. Frank is calling “55,” and we’ll see what that is. Blake ends up with a 17-footer, which he misses. Frank said he wanted to get Blake more involved in the offense, and that might be the case today because he probably has a mismatch. Hughes, who has been Wisconsin’s best guard, hits over Jake, and Bohannon gets a 3. But Mike answers – again. Cats extending on the perimeter, but Stiemsma gets Beasley up in the air on a fake and drives around him. Gilbert comes over late and hacks Stiemsma, but it’s too late as the big man finishes. Frank glares at Gilbert, who, I’m assuming, should have come over for help quicker. Ron Anderson checks in for Mike at the 11:41 mark, and the five out of the break is Pullen, Anderson, DK, Bill and Stew. Jake with a couple of clean looks but nothing to show for it. Hughes just worked over Jake, and Frank goes to Blake immediately. DK with a nice entry – Frank has maintained DK is the best interior passer on the club – to Bill, who dunks it with two hands. In the ensuing possession, Walker grabs his ribs. Butch scores, and you know what I like about Bo Ryan? He’s going to abuse a mismatch. He going to pound it inside to his bigs. They’re scoring at will – but so is Mike, who is fouled a slashing drive. He hits the first free throw – and the second. He’s got 10. Hughes with a 3, and K-State’s defense seems a tad slow in rotating. Stew is aggressive, but it’s a charge. Butch with a 3, wide open again. Frank burns a timeout, and he has a puzzled look on his face.

15:51 left in 1st half, KSU, 6-4

Kind of hectic. Mike goes glass for the game’s first two points. Wisconsin is big, and Mike picks up his first foul with 17:59 – after Butch drives to the rack. Must have surprised Mike. Butch makes one of two. They’re hitting the board again, which is good. K-State’s coaching staff was concerned about Wisconsin’s ability to hit the offensive glass – keep that in mind. Nique rips a board and is fouled on the follow – he hits both free throws. Trevon Hughes drills a 3. Mike travels, but it’s not called – and the Wisconsin faithful are outraged. Bill misses a 3, but Blake is there for the put-back – how good has Blake been? Mike’s 3 rims out. Nique is called for a foul on Landry, as his arms are extended straight up in the air. Underwood tells him he didn’t do anything wrong. Curtis Malone is here again, by the way. And I think Duke lost, or is losing. And I won’t utter the name of he who we’re not supposed to speak about in this space, but he’s probably headed to the Sweet 16. Wonder if the Wildcats will join him…

Jake dribbles around, and Bill misses a 3. Rebound to K-State, which goes inside to Mike, who scores, of course. Playing straight up defense, no need to foul. Down one. Turge burns a 30-second timeout with 36.1 seconds left and 14 on the shot clock. A play is drawn up for Jones, who is defended closely by Bill. The shot is long, and the rebound bounces to the Wildcats. Frank calls a timeout with 20.6 seconds left. The whole place is on its feet. They allowed Mike to make the difference, and he gets a clean look at the rim. The shot is off the mark, and they foul with 7.9 seconds left. Josh Carter hits the first free throw, and the second.

1:16 left in regulation, TAMU, 61-58

Mike’s called for a foul, and Frank and Dalonte tell him he should have gone straight up on Joe Jones. He’s demonstrative, and he’s asking one of the officials what he did wrong. The official sticks the whistle in his mouth, which is the universal sign for “walk away.” Seriously, how cool would that be if you had such a signal where you work? Same dude is now clowning with Jake, who has apparently defused the situation. Jones makes the first, tying the game, and then hits the second at 3:27 to give A&M the lead back. Sloan hits one of two, and the Aggies are up two. Beasley’s 3 is in and out, and there isn’t much time left. This Bryan Davis cat is straight mauling kids on the court right now. Blake’s at the line for a one-and-one with 1:57 left and he makes one of two. No box on Davis, who soars for the offensive board on the miss and tips it home.

3:49 left in regulation, KSU, 57-56

Bill called for an offensive foul, and yeah, this is happening. One and done? Really? Ron Anderson, making his first appearance (I think), keeps a possession alive with an offensive rebound. Jake called for a reach, and Mike chides him for swatting at the ball. Fred Brown wants A&M to have some – he’s balling right now. Nice 14-foot jumper – K-State is within four. Roland misses a pair of free throws. Mike with the strong take and he’s fouled. He makes the free throw, and it gets loud in here. And it gets even louder after Blake steals the ball. And then it’s louder at 4:00 when Bill wheels to the rim and K-State takes the lead. A&M takes a 30-second timeout.

7:44 left in regulation, TAMU, 55-48

Bill misses a jumper, and he’s stuck on six points. Stew with a runner – and his fiancee, wearing a No. 5 jersey by the way, is all fired up. Nice move for Brian Davis. Stew with the jets, going coast-to-coast. Kirk, with shot clock virtually expired, goes glass from way, way deep. It sucks the life out of the pro-KSU crowd. Bill gets to the rack, absorbing contact. The Wildcats are going to need more of that. But A&M answers… Kirk is going nuts. He drills another 3, and this one nearly sends Turge into orbit.

11:42 left, TAMU, 47-42

Are the wheels coming off? Fred Brown with a nice crossover and then a charge. Oops. Sloan drills a 15-footer, and man, the Aggies are playing with confidence. Then Mike gets a deep touch, and all is right again. He breaks a drought, but he misses the free throw. Beasley scores on an absurd shot, and Marty Blake says, “Jesus Christ! He had three guys around him!” It’s nice when you impress a guy who has seen all of the great ones play.

14:08 left in regulation, TAMU, 45-38

Could the Wildcats be headed home? Me and Levi were nearly just taken out. Offense looks a little stagnant right now. Hey, there’s Ron Prince. Muhlbach is back, and man, he’s scrappy. You see what I’m doing, right? OK, I’ll let it go. Fred loves sightlines here – another 3 ball for Mr. Brown, and the crowd wakes up. Within two, Muhlbach rips an apparent 3, but it’s being reviewed. Yeah, it’s a 3. Elonu is patient in the paint and converts, and Frank is frustrated.

HALFTIME, TAMU, 38-33

Jake forces a turnover with a five-second call. Then he drives to the rack and misses, but Gilbert gathers the loose change and follows. Muhlbach – he’s scrappy. Mike throws the ball away on an inbounds pass. Josh Carter hits a 15-footer. Bill tosses up an airball. Derrick Roland with a strong take – plus he’s fouled by Mike, his second foul. But there’s only 1:29 left in the half, but Frank is taking no chances. DK comes in for Mike. K-State, timeout. We’re on the other end of the court, and you can hear Frank screaming at the Wildcats. That whole outstretched arms with clenched fists thing that coaches call for a play? It never works. Turge called for that with about 18 second left on the clock. No dice. Lew Perkins just molested me. Not really, but he almost groped me. It was weird.

3:39 left in 1st half, 31-all

Bill hits the deck with a little more than six minutes left in the half, but he shakes off the pain – it’s something to do with his hand, it appears – as Mike scores at the six-minute mark to give K-State the lead. Lane violation by ‘Nique on a free throw. Turge and an assistant are yelling at Dhinemulu Elonu to be more aggressive, and they might have a point – he just watched as Beasley blew by him. He was fouled, but Mike missed both free throws. Kirk gets to the rack and scores. Bill hits from the elbow. He’s got 6, Mike had 14. Bad boxout for K-State. “C’mon, ref,” Mike says after he felt he was fouled. That dude B.J. Holmes looks like he’s 10.

7:41 left in 1st half, 26-all

This is how good Michael Beasley is – or a sign of how badly some people want to be on the big screen: Some KU fans are holding a sign that signs “Michael BeasTley.” I mean, they’re wearing blue and red, and there isn’t a hint of purple in the group. Strange. DK just wrestled a ball away from some dude. Mike gets another deuce. Nice finish by Bill, on a nice dish from DK. Frank has always said DK is one of the team’s best passers. It’s 20-18 with 10:03 left. Nice effort by Joe Jones, who retrieved the rebound and laid it back in. I’ve been critical of Jones in the past, and I want to give credit where it’s due. Big 3 from Stew… but then Josh Carter answers on the other end, drawing a big fist pump from Turge. In transition – DK3? Unreal. This place explodes, which is especially funny because Mike was demanding the ball the whole time.

11:44 left in 1st half, TAMU, 20-14

Andre Gilbert has “MY WILL” and “MY WAY” tattooed on the back of his arms. Just figured that was the stuff you need to know. Beasley too strong. Jake’s in at 14:40, replacing Stew. Team defense is lackluster right now. DeAndre closed late on a Mike 3, saying, “Oh, sh$%.” Yep, that’s the stuff you only get here at “K-Stated.” Rough landing off a drive for Gilbert – and it’s a charge. Fred Brown has entered the game – last time he in this building, he had nine points on four-of-six shooting in 16 minutes against Florida A&M. Yeah, I’d say the competition has stiffened considerably, no? It always looks like Fred Brown’s shoes are untied. Man, Jake continues to play with a lot of poise and confidence. But the Wildcats are struggling. Just a little.

15:47 left in 1st half, TAMU, 11-7

Those drill people from A&M are annoying. Looks like A&M is going to pack it inside and try to get the Wildcats in foul trouble. It’s a 5-0 start for A&M. Mike has missed a couple of shots. Bill gets on the board with a driving layup, going glass. These cats from A&M have already sweat through their uniforms. Mike is so good – that shot was absurd. Blake with a 3 – nice ball movement. Ten second call, and Turgeon can only rub his forehead. Man, that’s rough. Kirk drills a 3, and Frank immediately gets Andre Gilbert up off the bench.

8:40 p.m.

I just met Pete – and he’s rocking a D.C. Assault hat, by the way. It’s kinda nice. He said Catzacker is also in the house. This is shaping up as a mini-KATPAK’R, and half of you have no idea what that means. OK, most of you.

But it’s all good. Nice atmosphere – if anyone is reading this from their mobile devices inside the Sprint, holler at my parents in section 109, next to the QT sign. My dad is dying to talk K-State hoops right now.

Mike was presented with his Big 12 Player of the Year trophy a few moments ago, which was a nice moment. He was just introduced and it took him about 10 seconds to meet one of the Aggies at mid-court, which made K-State assistant coach Matt Figger laugh. Good stuff.

A lot of purple here, if you were wondering…

Pullen with the game of his life. Unbelievable take. Wow. Guess that answers the questions about his confidence being shaken. Another goaltending call on Bill, which Frank didn’t care for. Clock is ticking, fans are getting louder. Mike misses his shot, and the Clones have possession with 22 seconds left and down 3. McDermott calls timeout. Terrific energy in here right now. Wonder if McDermott is drawing up something for a two or if he’s going for the dagger. A quick hitter and then the foul? We’ll see… Garrett dribbles around, gets in the lane and launches a runner. He misses, and I don’t think that’s what McDermott drew up. Walker rebounds and is fouled. He misses, and K-State gives a foul on Garrett. Smart call – up 3, the Clones have to make and intentionally miss. The guard makes the first, and you know what’s coming. Iowa State burns a timeout. The K-State coaches are imploring their guys to box out. Mike corrals the rebound. He’s fouled, and the fans make for the exits. Frank looks relieved. All of the Wildcats do, really. With 1.9 left, he gets No. 1. And No. 2 makes it official. He walks over to the bench. It’s over. K-State wins. Barely.

1:23 left, KSU, 69-66

Jake’s 3 is long, and the ball skips off Mike’s hands and out of bounds. Clones ball. ‘Nique does it again – intercepting a pass and throwing it down on the other end. This is what they were envisioning, no? Bill with a goaltend on the other end. Man, Ron Anderson missed a two-footer. Nice coaching by Underwood, who tells the freshman to keep his head up. Bill is called for a foul on Brackins. He makes both free throws, and the lead is down to three points. Full-court pressure which the Cats handle easily. Frank burns a timeout with 1:23 left in regulation and with six seconds on the shot clock. Drama, folks. Drama.

3:58 left, KSU, 67-62

Turnover… off Bill’s hands. Is this slipping away? Wes is fouled in the paint by DK, who can’t deal with Johnson right now. Wes hits his first foul shot. And his second. Place is rocking right now. Great atmosphere – and Bill slices into the middle and silences everyone with a lay-up. And then Jake goes coast to coast for a deuce. Garrett answers after K-State fails to get back in transition. Brad Underwood is upset. No idea how this one is going to end. Seriously.

5:20 left, KSU, 63-58

Blake gets domed by a pass from Stew. It looked like Wes was going to try to bang it on DK, who wasn’t having it – but he fouled Mr. Johnson. Mike’s back with 5:53 left, replacing ‘Nique. Will we see some zone? Lead down to eight and Wes makes a pair. No zone – offense/defense with Sutton. ISU goes high-low with Clark to Brackins, who crams it home as he’s fouled. He hits the free throw and now it’s a five-point game. K-State burns a timeout as the crowd, once again, comes to life. Hilton magic?

7:06 left, KSU, 63-53

Haluska just got owned by Mike. Petersen at the line. Hits a couple. ‘Nique bricks his first free throw. He hits the second, and he’s got 7. Mike picks up his 4th with 8:19 left, and this is going to be the ultimate test. Hubalek gets the 3-point play the old fashioned way, and it’s down to 10. Place is starting get loud again, and Jake jacks up a 3. Lucky defensive stop as DK’s head gets in the way of a pass to Hubalek. Two jump-ball calls for Walker, and all of the officials want to know what happened – they’re just not being that polite or cordial about it. Probably need to wait a couple of minutes before Mike can come back.

10:09 left, KSU, 62-48

Nice ball movement. Still doing this without Mike and Bill, who have been on the bench since 14:39. Stealing a lot of minutes right now, and “the supporting cast” has not only held things together, but increased the lead. Jake drives and finishes with his left hand. Mike and Bill come back at 10:30, meaning K-State was OK for 4:09 without its two leading scorers. How many times could that have been said this year? ‘Nique is a weapon right now, folks. Steal by shooting the passing lane – which might be his go-to offensive move right now – and finishes on the other end.

11:34 left, KSU, 56-48

Mike picks up his second foul with 15:00 left. And then his 3rd with 14:39 left. A mini-run for the Clones. Frank burns a timeout. Stop me where you’ve heard this before – Frank is hot with Jake. I was just going to say a tough lineup on the court for the Cats, but Ron Anderson made me look foolish – and that wasn’t the first time. He converts a turnaround but misses the free throw. I just noticed the lines on the back of Wes Johnson’s head in his cut. He just drilled a 3 as I was typing that – go figure. The Hilton is getting loud. And then DK puts it on the deck and goes glass with the finish.

15:38 left in regulation, KSU, 52-41

K-State attempted 18 threes in the first half. Blake with a jump-stop. Petersen with a 3. Beasley with a 3 in Hubalek’s mug. “The guy shows no emotion,” a ISU fan says. Wes Johnson answers on the other end, but it’s just a two – his first two points of the game. ‘Nique has done a fine job on Johnson, one of the Big 12’s most underrated players. Blake with a charge. Seriously, and this isn’t a knock, but how do the Clones expect to compete with their present set of guards? Mediocre at best. Oh my God… Bill’s follow was stupid. He punched in some dude’s face. Silly, silly stuff. Disgusting – from a standstill, no less.

HALFTIME, KSU, 42-33

The cheerleaders here wear ankle braces. That’s amusing to me. Jake with a 3 – he’s playing well. Bill picks up his 2nd foul at 2:39. Stew got his shot rejected. Frank takes out Bill, who was teetering close to getting his third. Man, when Jake plays with confidence, he’s something else. He’s got 10, Mike has 9. Went to halfcourt trap, which resulted in a turnover. Jake drills another 3, and there are remnants of boos – directed at the officials, I assume. Garrett hits a 7-footer in the lane with 1.7 seconds left.

3:30 left in 1st half, KSU, 33-28

Bill nails a 3 out of the timeout. Then there’s another timeout. Jiri slips around the White Tiger. Mike’s still struggling, but he drives to the hole and finishes while being hacked. He gets the 3-point play. Clark is making his last home game one to remember – he’s got seven already. That drive got Mike going. The fans are trying to get Mike’s attention, and he actually looked when one of them yelled, “Beasley!” Now he’s hit three shots in a row. Brackins is having a game as well, probably trying to get some shine of his own with NBA types watching. He’s got 12.
7:25 left in 1st half, KSU, 23-22

Jake with a nice take. Garrett with a nice finish. Jake again, this one from 15 feet. DK with an offensive board and a nice follow. Wow, didn’t know he had it in him. Mike is a little off his game, and Dalonte just stood and looked at him as if to wonder, “What’s wrong?” Brackins hits a short jumper over Mike. Jake nearly throws the ball away, and he’s quickly yanked. Now Dalonte is urging Mike, who’s on the bench, to keep playing. Petersen, who hasn’t done anything all night, rips an open three-pointer, and these fans come alive. This place is a different kind of electric when it’s hopping like this.

11:56 left in 1st half, KSU, 17-15

Early appearance for Fred Brown. Driveway shooter alert – that Haluska kid just knocked one down. After Brown hits a 3 at the other end, the P.A. guy calls him “Jacob Pullen.” DK hits a 15-footer, and honestly, K-State looks pretty sharp. On offense, anyway. Defensively, things have been a little suspect. It’s going to be tough going for Wesley Johnson against ‘Nique, who isn’t giving an inch in that matchup.

14:19 left in 1st half, KSU, 12-9

Dominique with the start. Iowa State will be either the 11th or 12th seed in the Big 12 tournament, so there’s plenty at stake for the Clones. That’s a welcome sight – Stew drilling a 3 to open the night. Brackins answers after Bill comes to help Mike on Jiri. Don’t think that’s going to be necessary, but it’s a nice thought. The fans are yelling “tinkler” every time he touches the ball. Clever. Hubalek is way, way too excited. Too hyped up. Looks like the guards have been challenged to shoot early and often – Blake and Stew have tossed up three 3s already. Sutton with an offensive board and follow; he’s shadowing Wesley. Walker just abused Brackins on the block. Gilbert in for ‘Nique. Mike with a finish. Crowd here is rather quiet. Clark bulls past Stew for a deuce. Andre drills a 3, and suddenly it’s 12-4. Brackins with a nice jump hook. Clark with a 3 after Mike turns the ball over on a drive, and then Mike is whistled for a foul on the other end.

2:51 p.m.

Plenty of good seats still available at the Hilton, even though it’s Senior Night. The P.A. announcer just said Jiri Hubalek was one of the Big 12’s best post players, which is accurate in a vague kind of way. We’ll allow it, but we’re reminded of Mike talking about how everyone of the Wildcats is the best at something, like Andre being the best at being funny. Guess that’s what they mean with Hubalek, who’s a nice player. More media seating in front of the student section, which seems to be the trend these days. A lot of love for Rahshon Clark, who was just recognized along with his mother, his fiancee and his fiancee’s mother. Wow, sounds like someone is a little whipped. I mean, it was a nice moment, but c’mon. A weird vibe here tonight with the Cats. They seemed kind of mellow as the national anthem was played. Oh, T-Bone said Matt Figger is out recruiting, which means he’s probably in Wichita – I think there’s a junior college tournament going on at Koch Arena – and I’m here in Ames, which is dreadful. Life isn’t fair – we should have traded assignments for the day… Oh, the athletic director by committee – Bob Krause and Jon Wefald – just rolled into the Hilton. Krause shook Frank’s hand before taking his seat in the front row. Have you ever seen him during games? How animated he gets? Has an athletic director – even one on an acting basis – been tossed from a game before? These are things to ponder.

Driveway shooter connects on a 3, and it’s down to 8 again. K-State can’t seem to finish these guys. A Roby layup slashes the lead to six with 1:26 left. Mike makes a pair, and he has 31 points and 14 rebounds. Roby answers with 42.3 seconds left. The Wildcats hold on, and Beasley and Co. take a victory (goodbye?) lap around the Fred afterwards. Not particularly impressive, but as Frank later says, it’s a much-needed win. ‘Nuff said.

3:07 left, KSU, 69-56

Mike gets loose. Three-point play. It’s a 10-point game. Frank wants to let Jake have it after that behind-the-back pass, but he thinks better of it. It’s back up to a 12-point game, and it feels as if K-State has taken CU’s best shot. I like Roby’s skills, but… Sloppy play by the Cats after the timeout. Bill is called for goaltending. Blake with a big 3 at 4:45, lifting K-State by 13. The Buffs are scrappy. This Hall fellow is a nice player. He’s got 20. Stew goes baseline for a lay-up. CU can’t get a stop.

6:59 left, KSU, 58-52

Who left the driveway shooter open? Levi Knutson cans a 3, and the Buffs are within four. Zone is in a 2-3 zone. It’s doing the job against the Wildcats. Bill Walker with a chance for an and-1, and he hits the free throw. JJ-W with a reverse after a frantic CU possession. Bill’s a little warm right now. Hall with a tough take with the shot clock expiring, over Mike’s outstretched arm. Now Bill is getting to the rack, and he officially has his groove back. Hall with a deep 3, and it’s down to four – again – at 8:00. Pullen with a hard oop, but Mike corrals and converts.

13:01 left, KSU, 47-42

JJ-W is giving the Buffs good effort. Bill spins and uncorks a 10-footer that finds its mark. He’s got 10 points… and three fouls. JJ-W misses a dunk, stuffing himself, but a Hall lay-up slashes the lead to six. Stew misses a wide-open 3. Roby drills a 3 with 13:39 left, and it’s down to 3. Mike answers, just as he always does. It was a 17-point lead at one point, folks.

16:43 left, KSU, 43-36

Just lost all of my notes for the half so far. But K-State doesn’t look good, not at all. Frank had to bring Bill (three fouls) back in at the 17-something mark, and CU is gaining confidence. Man, this is unbelievable. Frank burned a timeout at 16:43, and a fan yelled, “Great idea.” Mike’s back.

HALFTIME, KSU, 41-27

He’s too skilled, so skilled the average fan doesn’t realize how good he is – especially at that size. Simply put, Mike’s a freak – in a good way. Phantom call – did he make contact? – on Pullen, who supposedly fouled Marcus Hall, who’s had a solid game thus far. This is not how Frank wanted to close the first half, and he’s not happy, sitting on the bench with his chin in his palm. He’s got 20…and I don’t know when that happened. He’s 8 of 12 from the field. Plus, he’s got seven rebounds. Ron Anderson with another offensive rebound. He’s fouled, and he gets the first free throw. Bzdelik burns a timeout. Levi points out Bzdelik probably thinks this is the NBA and the Buffs might get the ball at halfcourt. No such luck.

3:57 left in 1st half, KSU, 34-22

It’s hard to see how Roby’s game projects at the next level. He’s a skilled big guard, and I guess he shoots it well deep – although he hasn’t taken a 3 ball tonight, the stats say he hits 42 percent of his three-point attempts – but he’s just not a physical presence. Doesn’t seem particularly strong, either. The White Tiger with an airball, but that happens. Poor Beckley – at least he’ll be able to tell his kids/grandkids he attempted to compete against the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. With 6:22 left, he limps off the floor but he’ll be back. His absence allows Lu more room to operate, and that’s exactly what Mr. Colon does. He induces contact after a series of fakes – basically, he was bailed out on the call. He makes one of two free throws. Cats still up 16. JJ-W misses a free throw. Hall gets to the rim for CU. The White Tiger was almost posterized, and Denis Clemente has to cover his face with a towel because he’s laughing so hard. David Hoskins is laughing from behind the bench. Amazing sequence with Lu… he sort of galloped to swat that shot. Unreal.

7:57 left in 1st half, KSU, 27-12

Dominique Sutton on the court. K-State on pace to easily eclipse 80 points, but the offense has begun to stall. Lu with some hustle. Jake with an oop to Mike. Ron Anderson and Bill come back on. Clent, too. Poor Trent Beckley – he tried to play defense on Mike, who just raised up on him and drained a 3. Sutton tipped a pair for Colorado – he’s way too pumped up right now. I just saw Frank yell at Mike for a defensive lapse, so it does happen, folks. Jesus… Dominique Sutton is an athlete.

11:51 left in 1st half, KSU, 20-8

Beasley nails a jumper. Bill nails a 3 at 15:06, which has to be a welcome sight. But then he picks up a quick foul on the other end. Hall is at the line for CU, and he makes a pair. Bill drains a pair of free throws. Go figure – the Buffs don’t have a lot of solutions for Mike… or Bill, for that matter. The first free throw for Mike drops through… as does the second. Luis Colon comes in for Mike, and this is always fun. JJ-W (Jermyl Jackson-Wilson) is the recipient of a nice dish from Roby. Bill knocks down another 3, and he’s got 8 already, which is one less than he scored the entire game against KU. CU, as it’s abundantly clear, is not KU – as that’s just fine for the Wildcats.

15:58 left in 1st half, KSU, 8-4

James Franklin with a no-look assist on the first possession… That’s senior night for you. All of the Buffaloes are about the same size – ranging in height from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-7. The script is perfect… Clent scored first, and then Blake. Guess it’s Franklin’s turn next. The Buffs are going to run, and they’re going to work. Mike tips the ball to himself twice and on the third he rises up for a 12-foot jumper. All net. Then he swats a Roby offering on the other end and dribbles out to start the break. Ridiculous. Stew drives to the rack and he’s fouled. Franklin checks out – Gilbert is in – to loud applause. He did his part. It’s 8-4, KSU. Bill draws a charge on Roby, which may have been a questionable call. But if he’d taken it stronger… actually, that makes little sense at all. Ignore that.

7:53 p.m.

The seniors are being honored, complete with hugs and pounds from Doc Wefald. The saddest moment is David Hoskins hobblinb to mid-court on crutches, but he has a smile on his face. Big surprise coming when Clent Stewart is introduced… He’s going to propose to his girlfriend. She said yes, and his boys were just as stunned as the rest of the crowd. Good stuff. Probably a little more sappy than Frank Martin would like, but hey, this is life. Nice moment – you should have seen it.

When Brandon Rush is making shots, I don’t think many teams are going to beat KU. There, I’ve said it. ‘Nique is incurring Frank’s wrath in the huddle following a timeout. Well, Mike’s getting his numbers. The others – Bill and Jake, namely. Frank is trying to get the Wildcats to finish this game strong – although it’s clear they’re going to lose. No close-outs on defense. Dick Vitale is tossing cookies to the crowd. He just tossed one to Lawrence Journal-World sports editor Tom Keegan, who dropped the cookie. This one’s over, folks.

10:45 left, KU, 63-47

Rough start to the half. Frustration is building. Blake leaves with a little more 17 minutes left with some sort of lower leg ailment. Mike tosses Darnell, but K-State blows the break going the other way. Mike is hot. Darnell with a flush, bringing the crowd to its feet. Mike answers with a 3. It’s a 20-point game again. Jake gets 3, and some fan says, “About time, Pullen.” Mike gets a walking call he’ll get on the regular in The League. KU’s bigs are getting what they want. Right now, Mike is the offense, especially with Bill on the bench. Blake Young – when did he come back? – gets back-to-back buckets, and he’s fouled on the second. Blake gets the free throw. Mike glances up at the clock – K-State is down 16. Mike hits a pair, and it’s 14 points. DK again, but Rio does the same on the other end. The education of Jacob Pullen continues – Frank shakes his head in disbelief after his pass is knocked away.

HALFTIME, KU, 41-29

Mike gets the free throw, and K-State is down just 12. Frank continues to do the offense/defense thing with Mike, and the KU fans behind me have hailed this development as “brilliant.” Mike at the line, hits both. Rick informs me that KU was up 20 previously and blew a lead, which was the biggest collapse in school history. Tonight, the biggest lead was 21. Folks, there’s been a momentum shift. Just as I write that, Mike tosses up an airball to get the crowd going again. Rio is at the line, and he makes one of two. Mike aggravates his turf toe as he’s fouled. The crowd is getting on Mike pretty good. He misses the first, cans the second. Man, Frank’s been working over there. Sherron with a tough hoop before the half ends.

3:12 left in 1st half, KU, 38-25

Plumlee is quite disgruntled. He’s miffed about the ESPN representation under the basket, and he’s threatening to cancel his cable service if this isn’t straightened out. Somehow, I’m guessing his protest is going to fall on deaf ears. This chick is taking a half-court shot, and she’s got no chance. She’s 10 feet short on her attempt, and then she shorts a 3. We should ask the ESPN guys for a comment – they were watching breathlessly. The guy behind me in the front row says the difference in the two games is that K-State is shooting 20 percent from 3 tonight and “they were on fire” in the first game. That, and KU is playing with more energy than the Jayhawks have had at any point of the season – which is an indirect compliment to the Wildcats. Hey, you have to find positives somewhere, right? What’s gotten into DK? He’s making offensive moves. This is like DK 2.0. Wow, that was interesting. Could have been Mike’s 3rd foul at 6:28. Instead, it’s a block. He misses the first free throw. I think K-State has withstood the emotion. Now the Cats need to maintain the defensive intensity. ‘Nique called for a ticky-tack foul on Rush, who hits two. Kaun abuses Anderson with a hook off glass. Clent gets a deuce, but now K-State has no answer for Kaun – again. Mike’s awfully good, no? I just told Rick if they hang within 10 at the half, they’re in good shape. I know that sounds crazy, but doesn’t it just feel that way?

8:28 left in 1st half, KU, 32-16

Gale Sayers was just introduced to the crowd. Rio blows a 10-foot runner, and Arthur’s follow is short. Jake finally takes a shot, and it’s off. But Blake – with another offensive board – retrieves the miss and gets fouled. He hits a pair. Sherron drills 3, RussRob steals the inbounds pass, and Rush converts. Just when it looked like the Wildcats were in striking distance. Jake is whistled for five seconds. K-State has a break and it’s a late pass from Stew to Bill. Not much is going right. How does this look on television? Especially in high-def? Yeah, RussRob obviously feels a little disrespected. He’s trying to get to the rack whenever possible. Rick tells me that K-State has 10 turnovers and one assists. Ouch. Walker with his 3rd – plus Rush’s 3 goes down. Kaun shooting two. Blake Young looks at me on press row and shoots me an exasperated look. I can’t help you, Blake. RussRob can’t catch up to a pass in front on a break, and the official gets in the way. “C’mon, ref,” RussRob says with a smile. Mike nails a 15-footer, and then he gets a 3. KU quickly burns a timeout.

11:47 left in 1st half, KU, 23-9

Oh boy. What a blitz out of a timeout. Frank is hot, shaking his head at the officials. They’re not competing right now. Sure, the Jayhawks are getting a lift from this crowd, but c’mon. Man, Bill does some questionable things, doesn’t he? That scrum wasn’t anything nice. Digger Phelps is all animated about something. When the offense consists of Andre Gilbert trying to penetrate, you’ve got problems. Bill gets his 2nd foul at 14:53. A silly push. Bad foul – but how many times could you say that about a Walker foul? Is Dominique Sutton going to be one of those KU killers? He just drew a charge on Chalmers. Rush hits a 3 in front of K-State’s bench, which is where Beasley has been for most of the 1st half. When will Frank bring him back? Probably about 12 minutes or so, I’d guess. ‘Nique with a rebound – he’s into this game. At the line, he misses the first. He gets the second. Luis Colon just tried to grab Rod Stewart’s junk. Swear to God. Unbelievable defensive pressure by KU. Colon is out of control right now. It’s like he’s playing bumper cars and no one else got the memo. Frank is rolling the dice. He’s bringing Mike and Bill back at 13:05. But if the Wildcats are going to get back into this, he has to do it. Cole Aldrich and Ron Anderson come in, and I’m looking at the both of them. They’re roughly the same size. They play roughly the same amount of minutes. Who would you rather have? Mike and Bill playing high-low. Nothing from Jake yet. Blake busting his butt on the offensive glass, but he’s out of bounds. K-State in a zone to protect Mike and Bill. Cole Aldrich is a hero for discarding Mike to the floor.

16:38 left in 1st half, KU, 11-4

The black uniforms are sweet. Maybe the elastic shooter’s sleeve will help Bill with his touch tonight. Blake strong to the hole, drawing a quick one on Darnell Jackson. Interesting development right off the tip. Blake cans both. Darrell answers. Bill goes baseline and is out of bounds. Russ takes Blake off the bounce. Mike glides past Darnell for the answer. Mike picks up his 1st foul at 18:26, and Frank talks to him about it. Brandon drills a 3 after Andre is caught up in a screen. It’s a doomsday scenario immediately for K-State as Mike picks up No. 2 at 17:55. The KU coaches react as if they won the national title. This is a dangerous time – Bill can’t cover Darrell, by the way. Jason Bennett is pissed right now – that joke never gets old – as Sasha Kaun checks in. Bill short on his first three-point attempt. I repeat – Bill can’t cover Darrell. Bill Self is hot about something – I suspect the Jayhawks want to run the Wildcats out of the Phog.

8:00 p.m.

N0t much emotion from the Wildcats. The Jayhawks just commenced diving into the floor. Frank Martin looked on, a bemused look upon his face. Things that I find interesting: KU athletic director Lew Perkins sings the national anthem, word for word; the student body presenting a bouquet of flowers to Erin Andrews, who looks good tonight – go figure; Mike shaking Darrell Arthur’s hand without any emotion, but then cracking up when Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush greet him with smiles; that the College Gameday broadcast crew, an hour before the game began, needed security guards in order to go their trailer; the ridiculous amount of Africa signs directed at Mike; that I’m sitting at almost center court opposite the scorer’s table with Rick Plumlee and without Bob Lutz and Levi because media was limited to two seats on the floor – but a slew of NBA scouts are also in attendance; I can’t believe how loud it just got in here, causing Jamar Samuels to actually giggle in response; with apologies to Bob Knight – who, best I can tell, isn’t one of the 1,047 employees ESPN has inside the Fieldhouse – but Mike has his game face on – as does Bill; I think I’d enjoy playing for Bill Self because he’s reminiscent of your favorite uncle, you know?; my parents met Fatima and it was a nice meeting, in case you wondering; I think Rece Davis does the fake, forced laugh better than anyone; Mike was introduced and stared extra long at Baby Jay, as if he recognized the mascot or was puzzled by what it/he/she is supposed to be; Curtis Malone is in the front row behind the bench; the Jayhawks are awfully loose. That’s all I got for now.

Good thing Jake showed up.

4:42 left, TEXAS, 62-54

Atchley with the tip. Brown at the line, and Fred has logged a lot of minutes tonight. Augustin gets what he wants again. And again – that guy is a pro. Lutz just said, “We’re watching two -fifths of the All-America team.” He’s right. Augustin converts a three-point play. Blake gets to the rack for a tough two. Airball for Jake – that was bad. Mike shrieked/whistled for the ball at the top of the key, and he missed a wide open 3. Bill is struggling – still. He does it again. He’s 0-for-12. He’s made as many baskets as Lutz. Mike drills his first free throw – and his second. Atchley with two tough rebounds that lead to five points – a lay-up and another Abrams 3.

10:17 left, 50-all

What has gotten into Andre Gilbert – and I mean that in a positive way? Abrams is getting going, hitting a deep 3. Jake has taken another step forward tonight after regressing against Baylor. OK, he just had a bad night Saturday. He isn’t having one tonight. There’s Abrams again, and he’s warm. Frank is HOT at ‘Nique right now. I think Bill needs to recognize he doesn’t have it and stop shooting. Atchley nails a 3, and Bill has one more point than Levi. How good has Jacob Pullen been? After that last 3, I saw scouts scribbling in their notebooks. He’s had a heck of a game already – 13 points and four assists.

14:28 left, KSU, 44-39

It’s loud in here, Levi says. I can barely hear him. K-State has gone ahead, and the Wildcats need to build on this. The pace has quickened considerably. What is Kevin Durant talking about? All we can see on press row is the monitor that says Ron and Fran are talking to him. By the way, I’m HUGE Ron and Fran fans. Ron Franklin might be the coolest older gentleman I know, and Fran is a college basketball nut, which I dig.

HALFTIME, 30-all

Augustin is filthy. A nice dish, then a pick of Jake for a layup. They left Fred Brown alone, and he finally hits a 3. He’s going to have those looks the rest of the season.

2:01 left, KSU, 27-26

Frank has done this before and the gamble hasn’t paid off. Bill is back on the floor, but he’s doing the offense-defense thing now with Walker – Gilbert is in for him. Mike makes a pair, and the Wildcats trail by 2. Bill’s back in. Great dish from Jake, a behind-the-back number, but Mike missed the reverse dunk. On the other end, James dribbles baseline but the ball skids off his feet. He misses both. Wangmene swats a Mike offering into the first row – but it’s goaltending. K-State takes the lead on a layup by Pullen, who runs back to the bench with his tongue out. They’re having fun in the stands. Yes, Dad, that’s the Wabash.

3:54 left in 1st half, TEXAS, 25-21

There’s a lot of pride in the house – or should I say a lot of “PROUD”? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. I can feel a run coming on. For which team, I’m not sure. But if something is going to happen, it’s going to happen right now. Wow, Frank goes to a zone. Guess he’s not too stubborn. James with a late 3 in the shot clock. How that wasn’t goaltending is amazing. The signs here are ridiculous. It has to be said – Texas underwhelms me. But you have to appreciate Stew tossing it up to Mike, who crams it through and brings the crowd to its feet. Bill with what might have been a phantom foul call. Probably not. James with a lay-in and a foul on Stew. The three-point play is good, and Texas is up seven. Jake hits a 3, and he’s clearly focused. Offensive foul on the Longhorns. Timeout.

8:39 left in 1st half, TEXAS, 18-15

Augustin buries a 3. He’s good. Man, another 3. He’s tough. Timeout, and the fans are riding the officials. Enough. The Wildcats aren’t playing with much energy. The fans have begun throwing things on the court. A peppermint was tossed. Frank is clapping after Bill draws a foul on a drive to the rack. The Longhorns are solid on defense. Bill’s at the line and makes one of two. Ron Anderson with another offensive rebound, which leads to Mike getting a bucket. You’ve got Ron Prince sitting behind us, trying to coax a Clent Stewart 3 in the rim. “Get in there,” he said. It missed, but Mike grabbed the loose change and put it back, drawing a foul. And I think Bob Lutz has a crush on ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil. I asked him if this was true, and my esteemed colleague nodded his head.

11:41 left, TEXAS, 11-10

It’s Mike’s turn for Head On A Stick Night. Lots of star power in the Bram. Curtis Malone is in the house, and yes, I’ve got it covered. Mike with a follow of a Pullen miss. Wow, a little Ron Anderson hit? He’s checking in with ‘Nique and Stew. Jake with a nice behind the pass dish to Mike, who converts the lay-up. A little bit of complaining on calls, and the Cats are down five. Jake brought his game tonight. He blows by Augustin, slips in between a pair of defenders and goes high off glass. Ron Anderson with another offensive rebound. Stew goes glass for two.

15:59 left, TEXAS, 6-2

I can’t wait to see D.J. Augustin in action. Sorry, sue me. I’ve been informed by Levi that Minnesota G.M. Kevin McHale is joined at the Fred tonight by Zarko Durisic, the Wolves’ director of pro personnel who apparently attended Wichita State. Not to be confused with Darko Milicic, folks, although he could probably take Darko. D.J. with penetration for a deuce. They’ve put Conor Atchley on Mike, and if he does a decent job, Conor might earn some scratch tonight. Mike beats him, and then Conor beats everyone the other way for a dunk. Cats look a little disjointed right now, but as my buddy Nate used to say back in York, Pa., “Dude, it’s sooooo early.” Never mind it was always 1:45 a.m. and the bars closed at 2. Oh, those were the days. D.J. with an absurd reverse that leaves the national folks here in awe. Mike with a steal and then a charge.

8:02 p.m.

Hey, really self-serving here – does anyone know anyone at the Riley County Police Department? If so, e-mail me immediately at jmartin@wichitaeagle.com. OK, back to the game. NBA general managers are out in droves – supposedly 14 in all. I told Steve Kerr I liked his trade, and he looked at me as if I were crazy. I don’t understand why, but that’s what happened. Mike has his game face on, if there is such a thing. Cool scene before the game – Mike came out to shoot, all by himself, and the student section applauded. The clapping subsided, and they started a chant – “One more year! One more year!” Beasley smiled in response. Nice atmosphere here in the Bram. Or the Fred. Can someone clear that up for me? I spoke to Fatima, who can’t wait to meet my Dad. Who knew? By the way, thumbs up for the new uniforms. I like them much better than the cat scratches. They’re simple yet elegant. Like my colleague Bob Lutz.

2:49 left in 1st half, KSU, 39-35
Body language can be revealing – it’s another long day for Luis Colon. This isn’t the type of game where his “skills” – namely his length and bulk – translate. But Mike’s do – he’s got 18 with 6:12 left in the half. And Bill’s got 11. Still, K-State can’t shake the Bears, who are pesky. Are Bears supposed to be pesky? Usually, they maul. On the court, this is a man’s game. Bill is doling out some punishment. Oh, Mike – what a flush. He’s on a different level tonight, which is frustrating one girl in the Bear Pit. “He’s scoring all of their points,” she keeps saying. “If you take away those two players, they have one point,” she adds. She’s right, of course. But until the Bears can do anything about it, why would K-State stop going to them? That’s low BBIQ. Mike is working these guys over. He’s got 26 with 2:49 left.

7:59 left in 1st half, 25-25
One of Baylor’s assistant coaches just berated a towel boy for not wiping off a wet spot on the floor. “Pay attention,” he snapped at the kid. Never mind that this assistant was on the floor when he said this, or that he looked kind of pathetic as he said it. With 8:24 left, someone besides Mike or Bill finally scored for K-State – Stew hit one of two free throws. Have to love Scott Drew – he just asked the official who called a blocking foul on one of guys who was attempting to cover Mike, “Are you sure about the call?” Think an official has ever replied, “No, I’m not.” Actually, it’s probably happened.

9:33 left in 1st half, BU, 24-20
These students are hilarious. Not in a “ha-ha” funny sense, but in an odd way. They’re upset at the fact that Mike keeps making shots, or the fact that he’s got 11 points in less than 10 minutes. Nevertheless, the Bears are right there. They’re fun to watch, and the pace is kind of frenetic. Scott Drew just barked at Delbert Simpson, who was just swatted by Mike, to “dunk that!” All momentum with BU right now. As the kids in the Bear Pit say, as Dunn drains a 3, “a little Lace in your face.”

14:59 left in 1st half, KSU, 12-5
Bill is focused, man. He just nailed a 3. There is no wireless on the court – or the signal is incredibly weak – so I’ll be posting at halftime and postgame. Word.

6:45 p.m.
We – the media – are unofficial members of the Bear Pit. There’s a kid wearing a green kilt, sunglasses and a black cap. They’re all wearing those green and yellow striped shirts. I’m reminded of the person who wrote into my Q&A and said, “Kansas State basketball – a tradition since 2006” or something like that. I wonder how much of a ruckus these kids can cause, and I wonder if it might affect K-State in any way. I’m doubtful, but then again, that’s how I felt Wednesday, too. Baylor’s alma mater is being played, and everyone is standing with their claw extended – everyone but the Wildcats, who continue to shoot jumpers and throw up reverse layups. Blake Young has a disgusted look on his face. It makes me laugh. Plenty of good seats available minutes before the opening tip. In other completely unrelated news, Scott Drew is a sharp-dressed man.

Great board by Mike – one-armed, falling to the ground. Fatima is in the stands, looking nervous. This is kind of nerve-wracking, even though it was also so utterly predictable. Dribble penetration for Jake, who extended too early on the attempt, apparently bracing for contact. No good, and “The Thunder from Down Under” grabs the rebound. He’s fouled, and Maric hits both free throws. Man, this is tragic. Frank is clapping his hands, trying to pick up Jake, which is nice to see – especially after we’ve seen him berate the freshman guard so often. Everything about Jake’s drive was nice but the finish. And speaking of finishes, it looks like the Wildcats are just that. Mike had a clean look at a 3 that sailed long, and Ryan Anderson was fouled on the rebound. He hits the first, and the Huskers are up 5. He misses the second, but Fred Brown can’t save the ball from going out of bounds. Frank stands and stares with his arms crossed. Not good. This feels so familiar.

1:23 left, NU, 66-64

Hey, Duke’s losing. All is right in the world when Duke loses. OK, back to the action. Golden opportunity for Ron Anderson, and his reverse goes long. Nice defense by young Ron on the other end, by K-State can’t corral the loose ball. Harley checks back in, and it dawns on me – that’s the guy I thought looked like Tyronn Lue. It’s the dreaded balanced scoring thing again for the Wildcats — four K-State players in double figures, paced by Beasley’s 15, Pullen with 15, Walker (who hasn’t seen the floor since his technical at 9:38) with 12 and Blake’s 10. You all know how I feel about balanced scoring, especially with this team. It’s not a good sign. In other news, K-State’s bench was accounted for a whopping total of four points. I’m afraid that’s not very good, either. Empty possessions for both teams, but good looks too. Wow… A flop by Anderson wasn’t called, but Maric took the contact and threw it long off the rim. K-State got away with one there. Pullen brings it up the court. He passes to Stew, who loses it to Cookie Miller. Miller races to the other end, but Blake catches him and fouls him. Cookie misses the layup, but makes the first free throw with 1:30 left. He misses the second, and the rebound is wrapped up by Beasley. But Ryan Anderson takes it away, and NU burns a timeout, up two with 1:23 left.

4:23 left, NU, 65-64

They woke Mike up. But K-State still can’t get a crucial stop. Yeah, it’s Mike time. Doc Sadler has a confused expression on his face. He went from nine points to 17 in about a minute and a half. C’mon – who’s better? Man, the Wildcats could use a stop. But then Blake buries a 3. It seems Brad Underwood has inherited the role of demonstrative assistant coach on the bench — he ranted and raved next to Frank, who just stood by and watched the action. I do think Frank has mellowed since last year. Just a little.

7:32 left, NU, 57-53

Horrendous pass by Stew. That’s not how you want to come out of a timeout. Bill got caught in the jewels, but he’s good. Mike just slapped hands with Welmer – does that guy love K-State or what? Bill slapped with an awful foul – do you detect a negative tone from me? I’m sorry, I’ll try to be positive. Now I’ve seen it all – Maric just went around Beasley, and that will leave the NBA scouts in attendance scratching their heads. Bill… Bill… Bill. Oh boy. That’s all I’ve got. There are Wildcats – yes, I’m talking about you, Andre Gilbert – that are trying to do things they shouldn’t be trying to do. Penetrating and trying to find people inside? No. Ron Anderson works Maric over on a jump hook. I’m expecting a phone call from my Dad any moment now.

11:46 left, NU, 52-49

Shots are falling for the Huskers. Steve Harley is killing the Cats. The effort just isn’t there. It’s going to take coaching to pull this one out – mixing, matching and massaging the right mix. The lack of intensity is startling. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Out of timeout, Bill scores, and then K-State gets a stop. And the Wildcats made a concerted effort to feed Mike, which resulted in a foul. Hmmm…

14:05 left in regulation, NU, 48-47

Back-to-back buckets for Mike, which is a good sign. But the Wildcats need to stiffen on Maric, whom the Huskers aren’t shy about feeding. And what about this Steve Harley fellow? Stew nails a 3, and K-State has yet to miss in the second half. There’s Harley again, and apparently it’s “Harley Day” in Lincoln. Lame joke, but work with me – it’s been a long night. Jake connects, and the Wildcats are scorching the nets. Now they just need more stops – it’s clear Frank Martin got into them a little bit during the intermission. First miss, but K-State retains possession. Some boos here from the “red out,” but they’ll get over it. Two-point game – but then Blake drills a 3 at 16:00 and K-State is up, 45-44. Nice take by Blake – that rhymed. The big fella, Maric, gives NU the lead back, 48-47. The crowd is getting louder, and I’d say it’s almost deafening in here but I’d be lying.

OK, had some major, major connection issues. But here’s what I pieced together so far, and I promise to do better in the second half.

HALFTIME, NU, 34-31
Mike has two fouls, and for the second road game in a row, he’s frustrated. My dad is going to be all fired up – Ron Anderson checks in with 1:46 left in the half. It’s been target practice in the first half – a lot of 3-point bombs for both teams. Plus, Maric has been able to get all of the position he wants in the paint. Really, it’s been a no-contest in that regard, and yet, the Wildcats are well within striking distance – thanks to Bill’s sudden aggressiveness. He’s taken it to the whole on multiple possessions, scoring at will. He’s even making his free throws. Sadler takes a T.O. with 45.8 seconds left in the first half with NU up 34-31. Why Mike was back on the floor is beyond me. Considering, it could have been a lot worse. It’s pretty much established fact by now – K-State isn’t very good on the road.

7:46 left, NU, 21-17
Not that any of you care, but my computer issues continue. I’ve missed a large portion of the game trying to deal with this. DK picks up a quick pair. That’s not good, if only because that’s less fouls to throw at Maric. Mike scores at 10:56, his first bucket. Huskers are hitting their 3s this time. Gilbert shows surprisingly good touch on a 15-footer. I’m miserable, by the way.

15:29 left in 1st half, KSU, 8-7
Jake nails a 3 to break the seal for K-State after nearly a minute and a half. What we’ve seen thus far is that Maric is going to be active – he blocked an attempt by Bill. The junk defenses continue for the Huskers, and really, what choice do they have? It’s Jake again, another 3. He’s got all 6. Steve Harley scores for NU. A little ragged for K-State. Ryan Anderson drills a 3, and NU is up, 7-6. Bill answers with a nice drive.

8:03 p.m.
Experiencing some major computer issues, mainly in the name of no Internet access. Oh, some of my colleagues are connected, but not me. My computer is balking, or something to that effect. But whatever – I’m still going to do this, old-school style. That said, this place, the Devaney Center, is mad corny. I like where we’re sitting – mid-court, about 12-15 rows up – great sightlines. Before the game, only sign I saw was broken out when Aleks Maric came out of the locker room. “Thunder from Down Under.” Clever, I guess. Oh, wanna know how you combat that dreaded “red out”? By breaking out the black uniforms. Some older Nebraska fans stopped by the bench where Mike was sitting an hour or so before the game and proceeded to have a conversation with Mr. Beasley. It was comical, to say the least. The lady walked away, muttering something about asking for an autograph. Ah, Nebraska basketball fans.

Props to William, who blogged nearly as much as I did during the game in the comments. Nice effort, guy. Did you submit an entry for “Forum Friday”? You might be a natural. Deacon gets two free throws for K-State’s 100th point. Mike Anderson burned a timeout with 1:09 left, down by 38, to get a seldom-used reserve in the game. Nice gesture, I guess. Doesn’t matter, but hey, it is what it is. Did I just quote Brian McNamee? Anyway, nice effort by the Wildcats. Impressive showing. Now it’s a pair on the road, and I don’t a split will do. Speaking of which, wow, what a finish in Waco… Aaron Bruce just pulled a Webber. He called a timeout with no timeouts left. I know, I know – this is a K-State blog.

3:27 left, KSU, 94-56

I think Sundvold is good. But then again, I don’t really listen intently to a lot of televised broadcasts. The left-right thing when players foul out is tedious. I would never sit down if I fouled out. I’d run in place, jog, do jump-jacks, pull out my cell phone and make a call. Sundvold is smitten with Beasley. Smitten. He’s not alone.

Levi’s final blast is a classic: “J-Mart needs a chauffeur. I’m out. I’ve got writing duty. It’s been fun.”

Truth is, I had someone willing to give me a ride, but I didn’t know what time I’d be getting out. Wow, Bill as the Navy Defender of the Game… Think that will quiet some of his critics? Doubtful. I think Jake twisted his ankle on the behind-the-back pass to Mike. It’s garbage time. Mike has his career high (40) and it’s time to get him out, no? I do think Safford is going to be decent for MU. Stew knocks down a triple, and K-State is straight rolling. Frank empties the bench, except for Jake. Again, I think Safford is going to be a nice player. Freddie from deep. Just keep him out of the paint. Think the Wildcats want to put 100 on the Tigers? No question. Lu with a jump-hook with the right hand? Unbelievable. Lu is going to work with drop-steps and pivot moves – who knew?

9:27 left, KSU, 71-43

Lyons over Lu – it’s not fair. Fred Brown can’t hit layups. Blake Young always hurts himself. I’m bored. See, this is the advantage of being at CJ-M. I can turn the channel. For instance, I’m switching between here and the Wichita State-Southern Illinois game. Yes, this is K-Stated, not Shockwaves. My dad just called. He LOVES Ron Anderson. Loves him. He thinks Frank’s nucleus for next year – without Mike and possibly minus Bill – isn’t going to bad, and I happen to agree. Not dominant, but decent.

Here’s what Levi has to say: “Well, I’m speaking more towards the comparison of the middle of the Big 12 to that of other BCS conferences. I mean – and pardon the punches I’m about to pull – Missouri is not good. Their system is not only dated but flawed. We saw OSU with some athletes last week, but we also saw their coaching. Nebraska has one player. Tech got hot against KSU on Wednesday, but still had to hold off a late charge. Homecourt obviously plays a big part in it, too. But my point is, I think the middle of the ACC would wipe out the middle of the Big 12 with little problem. That said, I think the top four teams in the Big 12 would go 3-1 if not sweep the top four in the ACC in a series on a neutral court. I’m painting with a broad brush, I know, and it’s tough to judge by numbers because once non-con ends, the leagues’ RPI doesn’t move much at all. I’m just not big on the middle part – and, now, RP isn’t proud of me for stating it publicly. Meanwhile, the lineup of Gilbert, Anderson, Young, Colon and Brown are keeping K-State well in front here. Crowd still going strong.”

Levi needs an editor.

15:57 left, KSU, 58-36

My dad is watching at home in Vermont on some channel called Altitude. Never heard of it. He just asked me if Bob Boozer played at K-State. I said he did, and Pop said, “He was bad…” Which means, of course, he was good. Just sayin’. He also says if David Hoskins were around, this team would be Final Four bound. Discuss… Bill misses a pair of free throws. His field-goal percentage has to be about 80 percent for the last two games. Jake is going to be spectacular next year – that’s my bold prediction. Great timing for DeMarre Carroll to leave Vandy, by the way. Another sketchy foul for Bill. He has been hit with his fourth foul, and he’s cursing. Uh-oh, a turnover and a potential and-one on the other end for MU. Is this the start of the dreaded lull?

Levi: “Sorry, but I don’t think Keon Lawrence picking up his fourth foul is going to hurt the Tigers that much. At least not more than his 1-of-7 shooting has already. Listening to some sports talk radio on my way 5-hour trip (thanks, Topeka bank robber) from Manhattan to KC last night, I heard several callers and hosts talk about how good the middle of the Big 12 is. I really disagree with that.”

Well, I actually disagree with that. I was just talking to my dad about that. There is a serious log-jam happening in the middle. Look at how bad OSU looked last weekend – and then they get Baylor and A&M in back-to-back games? Oh, yeah – Bob called. His message, “Stew’s been great.”

HALFTIME, KSU, 52-31

They just mentioned Richard Roby being among the Big 12’s scoring leaders – and he was dreadful today against KU. Look it up – I think he scored two points. Nine turnovers for Missouri. Half-court trap really surprised Jake, who had nowhere to go. Haven’t seen the dreaded K-State lull yet – sorry if that serves as a jinx. Tiller has 3 fouls. Now Jake;s getting going. This is about as bad as it can get for MU. I can’t imagine the Wildcats losing at home this year. Sorry, Texas – I just don’t see it. I think Baylor is reeling, losing at the moment by nine in Waco to the Longhorns. Jake is hot. Went from 0 to six points in about two minutes. Mike dribbled too deep, but hey, you live with that. Foolish foul by Bill, but again, you come to expect one or two of those a game from Mr. Walker. When was the last time K-State has scored 50 in a half? That’s what the Wildcats are sitting on right now. Mike has 21 and 10 at the break. DK is called for traveling on an in-bounds pass. Driveway shooter drills one just before the break, giving something for Frank to chew the Wildcats out about. He looked peeved as he walked off the court.

Levi says, “I was just going to write that Frank hasn’t been screaming as much as usual tonight. Then he promptly rips into — guess who — Jacob Pullen. Assuming he and Frank are together for four years, there won’t be a more mentally-tough kid in the nation. Of course there’s a reason why Frank rides him like he does, and I’ve said since the begging of the season that Jake’s development is more important than any other freshman on KSU’s roster. (That might be an obvious statement, but I don’t think so.) Bill Walker is irate on the bench after picking up the foul on the hip-check. Brad Underwood tells him to calm down — or something along those lines. Mike’s got 21 and 10 at the break. Seriously, he’s good. Matt Lawrence leads Mizzou with 12 — all threes, including the one at the buzzer. And Frank says some things to DK as the team walks off the floor with a 21-point halftime lead.”

3:42 left, KSU, 42-22

Mike’s absurd. Mike Anderson might have to go Miyagi on Mike – sweep the leg. Hey, I’m not promoting such actions, but don’t think it hasn’t crossed the MU coach’s mind. Actually, that’s preposterous, and I know it. I’m getting stir crazy here at CJ-M. Miles has gone into hiding. I think he assumes K-State is going to win. No word from Pop, which is weird. 17 and 10 with 6:41 left in the first half? Man… It’s his 21st double-double. Riveting conversation between Sundvold and what’s-his-name… White Tiger needs to get it going. Wide open 3 – and he misses? I like Frank’s dark purple shirt under the dark suit. Looks slimming on TV. I love Blake’s fearlessness. Here’s my prediction for what Frank says after the game: “The guys had a good week of practice.” They look crisp. K-State nearly up by 20. Just saw Garth cheering on DK, which is nice. He ought to come out his shell a little more, though. Sundvold loves K-State. I’m hearing Sundvold, a former MU basketball star, is in position to be the next athletic director at Missouri, and I’m not certain how sold he is on Mike Anderson as a “solid long-term hire.”

Mr. Wolters: “Cool moment at the under-eight timeout. All the past KSU basketball letterwinners were asked to stand. There were a few out there, none of which I recognized. I was hoping to ’spot’ Paco May. J-Mart says Mike could go for 50. He’s said that a few times this year, and Mike hasn’t hit it yet, so I’ll say 38. But he’s come to play, for sure. I’m not sure if the Tigers know this or not –they should — but they can’t afford to take too many of these 21-1 runs like the Cats just went on. OK, this is getting out of hand. Think the 1948 and 1958 Final Four team members on hand are impressed?”

If they’re not, it’s a tough crowd.

7:44 left, KSU, 31-18

The more I think about it, I think Bill comes back. Think about it – for the first time in his life, he’ll be THE GUY. Another year will only improve his draft stock, and who knows? Maybe he’s Big 12 Player of the Year next year, keeping the award in Manhattan (Mike’s a lock this year). Honestly, that just dawned on me – but I could be wrong. It’s happened before. Mike back on the floor. Jason Horton is all over Stewart – it’s almost assault. OK, that was in extremely poor taste. Nice restraint by Bill on a rebound to not swing his elbows. Good timeout by Mike Anderson. Sundvold is calling Bill “the total package.” Yeah, he’ll probably go pro. Disregard everything I wrote earlier. But it would make a whole lot of sense, wouldn’t it? Sundvold won’t stop, gushing about how Mike and Bill are already NBA prototypes. No way that was a charge on Butterfield. Bill was bailed out on that call. Does anyone really pick a poison? Wouldn’t you just reject any and all poison? I’m loving Sundvold. He just finished talking about sightlines – and you all know how much I love discussions about sightlines.

Levi: “I love Matt Lawrence’s game. He just jacks up 3s, just like I used to do. Bill really, really likes to shoot I’ve noticed. But at least he’s good at it. He pumps his fist after knocking down the 3 that gives him 14 and puts the Cats up 11.”

He’s a classic driveway shooter, which has me thinking – why doesn’t K-State have one? It seems like everyone else does. KU has one sitting on the bench, who elected to walk on. He would get much minutes at K-State.

Bonus Levi: “Dre didn’t start. And I lied, those weren’t Stew’s first minutes since his mom’s passing. He started. Duh, my bad. Starters were: Jake, Clent, Stew, Bill and Mike. Cats playing some defense right now, and the crowd likes it.”

Don’t beat yourself up, bro. It happens. At least you’re there.

11:28 left, KSU, 22-18

Bill is a beast. Love him, hate him – can’t deny he plays with a certain passion, no? Mike was demanding the ball on the block, but no dice. Mike has 10 and 7 with 13 minutes to go in the half? Yikes. Did Dre Gilbert start? Leo Lyons – can’t stop him. Here comes Big Lu. Right now, the Tigers are playing their style. Stew rips a 3, which is his first field goal since his absence. Marshall Brown looks confused. I’m expecting something from Levi any second now…

“Fred White doing the play-by-play on TV, J-Mart. Was a joy to listen to back in the day when he was alongside Denny Matthews calling Royals games. Jon Sundvold doing color. Gilbert gets a tremendous ovation from the fans at the 13:54 mark as he checks in…or maybe that’s for Clent who checks in at the same time, getting his first minutes at home since his mother’s passing.”

It’s like he’s reading my mind… Weird.

14:50, KSU, 14-11

He’s going to get 50. Unbelievable. I can pick them, can’t I? Last home game I missed, he went for 40. This full-court pressure I don’t understand. That was embarrassing for whoever Bill just dunked on. But Lawrence – man, that was high. Jeez, Frank should seriously look into getting someone from the opposing team/fans/message boards to spout some incendiary stuff to Mike before every game. He’s possessed. Who is this announcing team, anyway? I never realized how much I ramble in these things.

Here’s Levi’s latest: “Tiller answers with a 3 at the other end. If the 3s keep falling, the Tigers won’t get run out of here.” I swear, the announcer just stole this from Levi. That’s exactly what he said.

17:03 left, KSU, 6-3

I’ve read some of the comments already, and yep, I deserve the abuse. I don’t even like myself right now. Just saw the bottom line that says K-State is up 6-0, but you wouldn’t know it here. Some studio clowns are droning on about something…

Since I can’t watch – why isn’t this being aired? – here’s Levi’s latest:

“Yeah, I was wrong about the crowd. Very loud in the first two minutes. And yes, J-Mart was right, it appears Mike is set to go off in his absence with the game’s first four points and four rebounds to go with it.”

That’s great… OK, it’s on…

5:03 p.m.

Levi’s running out of steam already. I knew it couldn’t last. Here’s the pertinent information from his latest dispatch: “The Bram filling up nicely. Crowd energy? Much better than Nebraska. Not even close to KU. Somewhere around Oregon, A&M level…”

Here, in CJ-M, I’m tuned into the final seconds of Tech-OU. Tech by one with 10 seconds left. They’re showing a huddle, and I don’t see Pat Knight doing too much instructing. It’s all of his assistants who are doing the talking. Hmm… That’s not good, but what do I know? David Godbold… Oh. My. God. That was about a 26-footer, double-pumped, probably traveled, but his follow-through was unbelievable. Great awareness by Jeff Capel, who grabbed Taylor Griffin from going onto the court to celebrate. Still nine-tenths of a second left. Refs have added a half-second, so the Red Raiders have 1.4 left, down by one. Zeno’s 3 is short. Huge win for OU.

4:45 p.m.

We’re live from Casa J-Mart, as your humble beat writer wussed out under the oft-repeated and never-delivered threat of inclement weather. And to think, I spent most of my life in Vermont. Anyway, I’m joined in CJ-M by Miles, my beloved cat. He’s rooting for the Wildcats, even though he looks like a Tiger. We’ve got guacamole, chips and, um, beverages. If you’re in the neighborhood, you should stop by. No cover for women…

In my stead, Levi will be providing some live nuggets from The Bram. Here’s his first:

“Gilbert is dressed (in warmups, at least) and shooting around.”

Solid effort thus far. Me? I don’t even know what channel the game is on.

Young Levi has checked in with another comment:

“A lot of Mizzou players just cracking up at the ‘criminal’ insults coming from the student section.”

I mean, what are they going to say? What can you say when it’s true?

Not good. Not good at all. That’s a lot of points.

3:20 left, TECH, 73-68

Mike with the oop. Trapping has helped, but now Zeno is getting going. Fred Brown struggles under the basket, which we’ve seen a time or two before. Pullen with a 3, and they’re back in it. This place, not real loud to start with, has had the life sucked out of it. Jake again. Oh my… Mike misses a wide open 3. Zeno drills his first free throw. And his second. Back to six points. Bill, the second-half hero, picks up his 4th with 4:06 left. He has 18 points in the second half and one foul. Not bad. Roberson misses his first free throw but drains the second. Jake with a drive.

7:55 left, TECH, 66-58

No, they haven’t regressed. Don’t start with that talk. Mentally tough enough on the road? Maybe, maybe not. Right now, down 21 points against a solid – at best – Texas Tech club, it’s hard to figure where the Wildcats went wrong. Well, Blake Young just lost his cool, nearly head-butting Esmir Rizvic. Double technical fouls. Something interesting is brewing. As I’ve been crafting my game story – you have to take some liberties and assume certain things, which I’m not going to completely spell out here – the Wildcats have clawed back into this. How? Bill going to work on the block. Tech doesn’t have an answer his athleticism. The K-State bench is up and getting involved. It’d down to 10 points. Brown nails a 3, and it’d down to eight. Serious momentum shift, and it’s kind of weird. Mike works and it’s a six-point game. What was once a 22-point game is now 8 as Zeno cuts and scores. Brown’s 3 is swatted by Zeno into the fourth row.

15:53 left, TECH, 55-36

Mike discarded his tank top before the second half started, but even that didn’t help. He spun and got the rim with a good look, but left it short. He was dismayed. With the first minute and a half, the lead was extended to 16 points. Now, it seems like Tech can’t miss. No stops on defense for K-State, and it looks like the Wildcats are content with not playing the spoiler on Pat Knight Day. Maybe the comeback starts with a charge – with three fouls, Bill plants himself in front of the rim. The call goes his way. Little else has for K-State.

HALFTIME, TECH, 40-28

Mike’s at the line. He misses but hits the second. K-State is three of 10 at the line, which, again, I’m not a coach, but that’s not good. Mike almost has his 20th double-double of the season – he’s got eight points and nine rebounds. He might be due for one of those big second-half explosions. Meanwhile, he’s at the line again. The first is good and the second is too. It’s one of those nights – Mike gets an offensive board off a steal and goes up for the flat-footed dunk. He misses it, and the crowd roars its approval. The dysfunction continues. Stew – who has one point – is called for an offensive foul. Trevor Cook scores. Weird sequence – Mike called for a tech – you guys probably know more about what happened than I do. Anyway, the crowd starts yelling, “Beasley sucks.” Mike responds by clapping his hands enthusiastically. I wonder if this is going to get him going… Voskuil is hand-checked by Jake. Voskuil makes one of two, and he has 19 at the half. Wow. I repeat, wow.

3:53 left in 1st half, TECH, 35-23

My suspicions are confirmed – Voskuil is a driveway shooter. Get him on the move and he’s not the same. Blake gets two, but then he forces a 3 on the ensuing possession. That one was a head-scratcher. They just flashed Bob Knight on the screen. The crowd cheered enthusiastically and, predictably, Knight didn’t respond. Voskuil proves my point again with a ridiculous drive that he was praying for a foul call on, but no dice. But now he’s at the foul, where he has to be automatic. He misses! That’s the biggest upset of the night thus far. K-State has tightened up the defense considerably. Voskuil is left alone, and you know what happens then. Mike is frustrated on offense, it appears. Man, you have to be solid with your scheme and principles when you defend the Red Raiders. There’s a Fred Brown sighting. Bill’s back with two fouls with 5:01 left. A Tech fan yells, “Beasley, you’re trash.” Yep, trash that is about to be worth more than you and everyone in your family combined. Bill’s at the line and he misses again. He’s yet to hit a freebie tonight. Now it’s mental – he misses again. And there he goes – picking up his 3rd foul just 26 seconds later. Frank doesn’t even look at him. Jake drives deep, dishes to Mike but his momentum carries him into a Tech defender. Offensive foul. Backdoor for Trevor Cook, and the place finally gets loud. Frank is literally in Jake’s face, leaning in as he screams and points towards the Tech bench. He’s hot.

9:30 left in 1st half, TECH, 26-21

Nice defensive play by DK, but then he’s called for traveling. Go figure. Mike fouls Esmir Rizvic, one of those bigs Pat Knight has threatened to not renew a scholarship for next year. He hits one of two. Another K-State turnover on the other end – the Wildcats already have five. But then Mike gets a layup in transition, but then Voskuil drills a 3 on the other end. Tech runs its offense – not that there was any doubt. Stew at the line and makes one of two – K-State has made two free throws in six attempts. OK, this is how good of a coach I am – I think it’s time to start guarding Voskuil, who rips another 3. In fact, he hasn’t missed yet – he’s 4-for-4 for 11 points. But Bill gets a 3 of his own, and Tech burns a timeout. The Wildcats are hanging around.

11:16 left in 1st half, TECH, 19-13

A turnover as Blake tries to feed Mike in the post. Roberson tries to challenge Mike but is denied. Stew is covering Zeno, which is an interesting matchup – just as I finish typing that Zeno blows by him for a deuce. Jake with an acrobatic finish. Crowd gets on Mike as he explains how he’s being forearmed. It’s DK time, folks. Walker at the line first, though. And they boo Mike as he takes a seat. Bill misses both free throws. There’s no energy in this place at all. Jake with a nice drive and 13-footer. Michael Prince is fouled by Bill. Prince hits the first, . Frank is pacing the sideline, and I think he just did “the Wooly” – he gave the thumbs-up. I’m certain he was calling a play, but it was still cool to see. Walker will a pull-up, but Roberson gets the rack unimpeded on the other end. Frank’s not happy, but there’s no quick hook. Meanwhile, Bill is starting to heat up – but so is Tech. The Red Raiders are hitting 66.7 percent of their shots. This game is starting to unravel, mostly for K-State. Jake was a little – no, a lot – out of control. He’ll be on the bench coming out of the timeout.

15:59 left in 1st half, TECH, 10-5

His nickname in the media guide is Deacon, so that’s what I’ll call Chris Merriewether from now on. He drew the start tonight. Stew misses his first shot. And he’s whistled for a foul on Tech’s first possession. John Roberson misses the free throw, though. Not a whole lot of intensity, and I think Frank is going to earn his paycheck tonight. Mike Singletary gets two, and it’s 4-0. Mike is thwarted, banged a bit as he misses. Roberson connects again, and it’s 6-0. Beasley drives around Damir Suljagic and goes glass. Tech fans behind us groan as it goes through the net. That’s Mike, I feel like telling them. But they’ll see for themselves. Not a good start for the Wildcats, but in fairness, it’s early. Mike at the line and hits the first. He misses the second. Transition defense is suspect as Singletary gets to the rack. Patience on the other end pays off as Bill gets two. Voskuil hits a baseline jumper, and Frank urges his team to get up the floor. Deacon sits and in comes Jake.

7:01 p.m.

Kansas State looks loose. I heard Wildcats singing in the hall before they came out for the final shoot-around, which is good. Everybody but Andre Gilbert is dressed, but Gilbert might be wearing the snazziest kicks in the joint – some shiny white leather loafers. Very sheik. Bob Knight is supposedly in the United Spirit Arena, in a suite, but I have yet to confirm this. Stay tuned. The “press box” here at the Arena is high above the floor, nearly as high as our perch at Gallagher-Iba. But the ambiance there is far superior; with about 4:20 to go before the tip, it’s not even close to be filled. I’m told the women outdraw the men here in Lubbock, and that’s difficult for me to comprehend. A few specks of purple in the crowd. Pat Knight walks out to cheers – it’s Pat Knight Day in Lubbock, after all. I don’t think Bob Knight ever gave out a hug/pound – you know, that half-hug, slap on the back that men do – to an opposing coach, but that’s precisely what Pat Knight did to each member of the K-State coaching staff. It’s a different day at Texas Tech. And that might not be a bad thing. By the way, Stew gets the start…