Early Diagnosis: K-State vs. Colorado

By Ashley Dunkak

“Pathetic.” That’s how head coach Frank Martin described the defense of his team in the Wildcats’ last game against the Buffaloes. He attributes what happened at Bramlage earlier this season to a bit of underestimation by the players. The scouting report detailed that Colorado’s offense was completely different and that – unlike previous games in previous seasons when K-State defeated the Buffaloes and always had the advantage on the boards – the Buffaloes had been rebounding very well.

That’s not to say Colorado doesn’t deserve credit for pulling off the upset of the Wildcats on Jan. 12. Guards Alec Burks and Cory Higgins and forward Marcus Relphorde combined for 33 points in that game.

“They put three guys that are all in that 6-5, 6-7 range that all shoot the three, all drive you, and they’re all strong with the ball, so you better have three guys with size that can guard the dribble,” Martin said,  ”because if you don’t have size on those three guys, they just kind of get it in the paint here and jump up and shoot it over you. Or they just post you. And if you guard them with size, then you better be somebody who can guard the dribble because all three of them are very good at driving the ball.”

While the Wildcats at least contained Burks and Higgins, they were surprised by a 20-point effort from senior guard Levi Knutson.

The Buffaloes also outrebounded the Wildcats 30 to 27, a rarity in K-State games this season. But Wildcat forward Jamar Samuels said he doesn’t think that will happen again, with the way practices have been going recently.

This time, K-State senior guard Jacob Pullen said the Wildcats have to exploit their size advantage in the paint.

“With them not being very big, we’re going to have to get some plays just into the post, really make them guard and make them have to foul,” Pullen said. “Last game we started out well in the post and then we kind of faded away from it, and it kind of hurt us toward the end of the game; they weren’t in foul trouble other than a few guards. For us, the main focus is rebounding the ball. We can’t get outrebounded. Any game I think we’ve been outrebounded we haven’t won.”

The senior said there will be two emphases for the Wildcats tonight: keeping the opposing players out of the paint and rebounding the ball.

“If we can do those two things, it can set us up for transition offense and also being able not to expose ourselves in transition defense.”