SB Nation Kansas City - K-State Survives Opening Round Of NCAA Tourney, Beats Utah Statehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2011-03-18T07:37:19-05:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18128642011-03-18T07:37:19-05:002011-03-18T07:37:19-05:00NCAA Tournament Scores: Kansas State Hangs On, Beats Utah State
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<p>I feel even better about this Kansas State team after they escaped Utah State, 73-68. The Aggies just wouldn't go away and seemed to be that pesky opponent that you can't quite get a comfortable lead on. As the game went on, they were hanging around making you wonder if this would come down to...free throws.</p>
<p>A dreaded word for the Wildcats who shoot just 64 percent from the line. Instead, the free throws were a position. K-State hit 11-of-14 from the line in the last minute-plus and 24-of-28 for the game. Incredible.</p>
<p>Jacob Pullen had 22 points in the victory and hit 9-of-12 free throws.</p>
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"It was just understanding that our last game of the season could come if we don't shoot the ball well from the free throw line," said Pullen, who made 6 of 8 free throws in the final stretch. "It's about focusing and I think we did a good job of that." </p>
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<p>If someone wasn't hitting free throws, head coach Frank Martin was going to blow a gasket. He was fuming, as expected, on the sidelines.</p>
<p>I said before the game that Pullen and someone else, like Curtis Kelly, would have to step up, As it turns out, Kelly did step up ending with 15 points and six boards.</p>
<p>Kansas State moves onto play fourth seed Wisconsin, who beat Belmont on Thursday.</p>
<p>For more on K-State check out <a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com" target="_blank">Bring On The Cats.</a> </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/18/2057952/ncaa-tournament-scores-kansas-state-utahJoel Thorman2011-03-17T06:41:44-05:002011-03-17T06:41:44-05:00Kansas State's Jacob Pullen Is Sick; Expected To Be Ready For Utah State
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<p>There could be a better time to get the flu.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/16/2731188/pullen-under-the-weather-expected.html">According to various reports</a>, Jacob Pullen missed Kansas State practice on Wednesday with flu-like symptoms. The other Wildcats got to practice but Pullen had been showing some symptoms of being sick entering Tuscon on Tuesday. So he didn't practice on Wednesday but by that evening he was starting to feel better and a fever was going down.</p>
<p>Whew. That would be, um, the worst possible thing for K-State. There's no one they need more than Pullen. On a Kansas City radio station this week, head coach Frank Martin said they could win without Pullen but clearly that's not something they want to test it out in the NCAA tournament.</p>
<p>The Wildcats will face Utah State on Thursday night. The game tips off at 8:57 p.m. (CT) and can be seen on truTV. For those of you with Time Warner in Kansas City, truTV is channel 47. If Kansas State wins this game, they'll face the winner of 4 Wisconsin vs. 13 Belmont. </p>
<p>It's game day for KSU. I'm pretty pumped to see them play. What's interesting about them is that you have some people who say Utah State got the shaft and they'll upset KSU while others are picking KSU to make it to the Final Four. I'm not sure there's a team this year with more variety of picks than KSU.</p>
<p>Check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com">Bring On The Cats</a> for more on KSU.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/17/2055858/kansas-state-jacob-pullen-sick-utahJoel Thorman2011-03-15T10:10:54-05:002011-03-15T10:10:54-05:00NCAA Tournament Odds: Kansas State Slightly Favored Over Utah State
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<p>We last wrote that Utah State <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/14/2049780/ncaa-tournament-bracket-2011-utah-kansas-state">may not be too happy to see Kansas State</a> in the <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/13/2048823/2011-ncaa-tournament-printable-bracket-kansas-state-basketball-utah">2011 NCAA tournament bracket</a>. The Wildcats have been on a nice run lately and their talent level, with guys like Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly, says they're a higher seed than a 5.</p>
<p>The oddsmakers agree...sort of. Kansas State is indeed favored to win the game, according to NCAA tournament odds, but only by two points. K-State head coach Frank Martin said even though they're from a small conference Utah State <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/14/2726169/utah-state-has-something-to-prove.html">plays like they're from the Big 12</a>.</p>
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<p>"They're similar to a Big 12 team," Martin said. "They have two frontcourt guys who can both score and rebound at the rim. They have a point guard that is very athletic and can get the ball anywhere he wants to. They have an athletic small forward who can shoot it and drive it. ... They're very compatible with Nebraska."</p>
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<p><span style="line-height: 16px;">So how did K-State do against Nebraska? They beat them twice this year, including a 16-point and four-point victory. </span>Utah State went 30-3 but lost to Georgetown and BYU, the only two teams on their schedule in the NCAA tournament. So K-State is only favored by two points but there are reasons to be optimistic in Manhattan. </p>
<p>Check out<a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com" target="_blank"> Bring On The Cats</a> for more on the game.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/15/2051974/ncaa-tournament-odds-kansas-state-utahJoel Thorman2011-03-14T09:36:32-05:002011-03-14T09:36:32-05:00NCAA Tournament Bracket 2011: Utah State May Not Be Too Happy To See Kansas State
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<p>A few weeks ago I wrote that there's going to be some team out there that will be very upset to see the Kansas State basketball team in their bracket. I wrote that because, despite some of K-State's early season struggles, they were playing very well at the end of the season and may not be your typical fifth seed.</p>
<p>After the selection committee announced K-State would be pitted against Utah State, KSU guard Jacob Pullen said Utah State <a href="http://cjonline.com/sports/2011-03-13/utah-state-stews-over-seeding-snub">may not have been happy to see them</a>.</p>
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<p>"I don't think they were too happy to see us," said Pullen, Kansas State's senior point guard. "But at the same time, I don't think a lot of teams would be happy to see us in that tournament."</p>
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<p>Utah State went 30-3 and had a nice RPI so they probably weren't expecting to see a team like K-State, especially as a 12 seed.</p>
<p>Kansas State is going to be a lot of fun to watch this week and possibly next (and beyond?). If they can play like they did to end the season, they can make a serious run in the tourney.</p>
<p>For more on KSU, check out <a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com" target="_blank">Bring On The Cats.</a> </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/14/2049780/ncaa-tournament-bracket-2011-utah-kansas-stateJoel Thorman2011-03-14T07:01:01-05:002011-03-14T07:01:01-05:00NCAA Bracket 2011: K-State Basketball TV, Schedule, Time, Location Vs. Utah State
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<p>The Kansas State Wildcats are the fifth seed in the Southeast region and will play Utah State, the 12th seed, on Thursday night in Tuscon, Arizona. The game will tip off at 8:57 p.m., March 17th on truTV. If you have Time Warner like many Kansas Citians, you DO get truTV (but not in HD). The games will also be streamed live on the internet.</p>
<p>That's a late tip but Kansas State can handle it. They're playing a Utah State team that won a whopping 30 games this year and the Wildcats are slight favorites -- by two points. We're expecting KSU to win but, as we've seen all season, it's hard to pinpoint which team will show up.</p>
<p>America will love watching Jacob Pullen play one more time if K-State can indeed string together some wins. Pullen was a preseason Big 12 player of the year and preseason All-American. K-State's season didn't go the way they planned so he didn't win either of those awards at the end of the season but he did have a strong season, particularly at the end when he went on a hot streak helping KSU to win eight of their final ten games. </p>
<p>So Thursday night it is, K-State fans. Of all the teams this year, I'm most interested in watching K-State. They could get blown out in the first round or make a run to the Final Four. That's the kind of year it's been for the Wildcats.</p>
<p>For more on the game, check out <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bringonthecats.com">Bring On The Cats.</a> </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-st-wildcats/2011/3/14/2049553/ncaa-printable-bracket-2011-k-state-basketball-tv-schedule-time-locationJoel Thorman2011-03-13T18:43:36-05:002011-03-13T18:43:36-05:002011 NCAA Tournament Bracket: Kansas State Gets 5th Seed, Will Play Utah State
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<p>The Kansas State Wildcats spent much of the 2010-11 college basketball season on the bubble as they struggled right out of the game in Big 12 conference play. They went on a roll to end the season and were able to confirm themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament.</p>
<p>The selection Sunday show for March Madness was just released and we've got the full <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2011/3/11/2044866/ncaa-bracket-2011">printable NCAA bracket</a> at SBNation.com.</p>
<p>Kansas State is a fifth seed in the Southeast region and will play Utah State in the first round. That's not a bad matchup for KSU but, then again, we never really know which KSU team will show up.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is the top seed in the Southeast region while Florida snags the second seed, BYU and Jimmer Fredette get the third seed and Wisconsin gets the fourth seed. If Kansas State beats Utah State in round one, they will be setting themselves up with the winner of Wisconsin vs. Belmont, which will be Wisconsin barring an upset (those never happen in the NCAA tourney, right?).</p>
<p>This isn't bad for K-State who was on the bubble a few weeks ago. With the way KSU has been playing lately, I wouldn't want to be playing them in the tournament. </p>
<p>Their road to the sweet 16 is Utah State and then the winner of Wisconsin and Belmont.</p>
<p>For more on the Kansas State Wildcats, check out <a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com" target="_blank">Bring On The Cats</a>. </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/2011/3/13/2331478/2011-ncaa-tournament-bracket-kansas-state-gets-5th-seed-will-playJoel Thorman