Bring On The Cats - Kansas State Men's Basketball Game 17: Iowa StateA Kansas State Wildcats Blog -- Carrying the Banner Highhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47995/bringoncats_fave.png2016-01-17T12:57:13-06:00http://www.bringonthecats.com/rss/stream/105434872016-01-17T12:57:13-06:002016-01-17T12:57:13-06:00K-State Hoops Recap - K-State 63, Iowa State 76
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<img alt="Really didn't matter if we guarded them or not at times." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mVvXZ0MKbL_8WJjMyHOfF__Wnqw=/0x79:3162x2187/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48581851/usa-today-9060516.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Really didn't matter if we guarded them or not at times. | Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Wildcats suffer their worst home loss in almost seven years as they drop to 1-4 in the conference.</p> <p>The zone did it again. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/">Kansas State Wildcats</a> fell asleep at the wheel in the first half for almost 8 minutes, and couldn't muster the offense needed against the 2-3 zone to recover fully, losing to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/">Iowa State Cyclones</a> 76-63.</p>
<p>The 13 point loss is the worst at home since an 18-point loss to Baylor in Bramlage during the 2008-2009 season.</p>
<p>Iowa State came out primed from the gun. While some early misses gave K-State a bit of hope, the game was really decided in a 7:38 stretch - from 12:30 to 4:52 in the first half - where the Cyclones strung together a 15-0 run to stretch a two-point lead out to 26-9. During that run, ISU got almost any shot they wanted, whether it was an open three or a layup, as K-State struggled to score points on offense against the 2-3 zone, and couldn't have kept a YMCA pick-up team out of the paint. The "never quit" attitude showed up, as the Wildcats fought back behind <span>Kamau Stokes</span> and <span>Justin Edwards</span>, cutting the 17-point gap to 7 before a well-defended <span>Monte Morris</span> jumper at the buzzer sent K-State into the break down 9.</p>
<p>More of the same from both teams in the second half led to basically treading water for the entire second 20 minutes. <span>Justin Edwards</span> and <span>Wesley Iwundu</span> both got going a bit to keep K-State within striking distance, but the Wildcats would never bring it closer than a 7-point deficit. By the time K-State would figure out how to play against the zone, it was too late - too much <span>Georges Niang</span>, too much drive and kick by <span>Monte Morris</span>, and Iowa State was scoring the ball too easily to be slowed down.</p>
<h4>Stats, STAT:</h4>
<p>76.</p>
<p>Iowa State knows how to score the basketball, and often at that. For as porous as the K-State defense looked for most of the game, the 76 points scored by Iowa State is the least since their season-opening win against Colorado (68).</p>
<p>19.0%</p>
<p>K-State continued their frigid outside shooting, going 4-21 from beyond the arc. They were consistent, though, going 2-11 in the first half, followed by a 2-10 performance in the second.</p>
<p>4.</p>
<p><span>Barry Brown</span> - who is leading the team in scoring through 5 conference games - was a key focus of the Iowa State defense. The Cyclones limited Microwave to 4 points, going 1-10 from the floor.</p>
<p>7:38.</p>
<p>Mentioned above. This stat was pretty much the story of the game: going from down 2 at 11-9, to down 17 at 26-9, through the middle of the first half was all she wrote. You simply can't give a team that scores the ball effectively that much of a cushion, especially when you know you can't keep up with them.</p>
<h4>Player Of The Game: Justin Edwards</h4>
<p>Justin had a relatively quiet first half, but came alive in the second trying to keep K-State within striking distance. Edwards finished with 19 points (6-12 FG, 2-4 3P, 5-6 FT), and compiled 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in 32 minutes.</p>
<h4>Tigger Of The Game: DJ Johnson</h4>
<p><i>Note: Since HC Bruce Weber noted there are "a lot of Tiggers on this team," we're going to find that player that had an high-flying offensive play, stonewall defensive play, or a notable performance, and call them out here.</i></p>
<p>DJ took a great feed and flushed one home two-handed to snap the 15-0 run by the Cyclones in the first half, so he gets the nod for Tigger. He put up 7 points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), added 4 boards and a blocked shot in 23 minutes.</p>
<h5>Other Notable Performances</h5>
<p><span>Wesley Iwundu</span> had a game that tracked very similarly to Edwards. His 11 points and 9 boards kept the game right at arm's length in the second half.</p>
<p>Kamau Stokes scored 10 points (3-9 FG, 2-8 3PFG, 2-2 FT), but otherwise had a poor night, coming up with only one rebound, only one assist, but 3 turnovers and 3 fouls.</p>
<p>Barry Brown was just off. His 4 points came on 1-10 shooting (0-4 3P, 2-2 FT), but had 3 rebounds and a career-high 6 assists, justifying his 26 minutes.</p>
<p>DJ Johnson provided an interior spark off the bench, logging 21 minutes and putting up 7 points and 6 rebounds. His 3-of-4 effort from the free throw line is above his season average of 51% from the line.</p>
<p>Iowa State's <span>Georges Niang</span> was held in check until late in the game, where he scored 10 points in the final several minutes to finish with 15 and 6. Monte Morris had a solid game, though, getting into the paint whenever he wanted. Morris put up 19 on 6-9 shooting, and added 4 boards and 4 assists.</p>
<h4>Big Thoughts:</h4>
<h5>1. Bruce let that run go on entirely too long in the first half.</h5>
<p>For crying out loud, man - call a timeout when your team hasn't found a good look on offense in 3-4 minutes. DON'T WAIT ALMOST EIGHT. It was obvious to almost everyone with at least one good eye that we were stuck and not effective.</p>
<p><i>[I wrote the rest of this recap, and came back to this...]</i></p>
<p>BRUCE. YOU - YES, YOU! - YOU LET A ROAD TEAM GO ON A 15-0 RUN IN OUR HOUSE. I'M PINNING THIS ONE ON YOU.</p>
<p>WHAT THE HELL, MAN?</p>
<h5>2. Help defense was below-average at best in the first half.</h5>
<p>Sometimes you're going to play those players that have an easy time attacking the paint. But help has to come early, every time. I would rather us give up a dump-off and layup, then give up the layup without making them pass the ball. Really poor defense throughout the first half from K-State.</p>
<h5>3. I'm lost for explanation on offensive execution.</h5>
<p>When we actually execute the offense against the zone, we usually find a bucket, or at least a good attempt (which is all you can demand, really). Same thing with our ball-screen offense against man. I'm at the stage where I really can offer no explanation as to why we go for stretches where we don't execute the offense for 40 minutes. It's some combination of BBIQ, coaching, and focus in a concoction nobody can deduce at this point.</p>
<h4>Next Up:</h4>
<p>#EMAW travels to Waco this week, to face the (22) <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ourdailybears.com/">Baylor Bears</a>, on Wednesday, January 20 (715p CST).</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2016/1/17/10782802/k-state-hoops-recap-k-state-63-17-18-iowa-state-cyclones-76Eric Rubottom2016-01-17T09:50:01-06:002016-01-17T09:50:01-06:00MBB: K-State/Iowa State Visual Box Score
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<figcaption>Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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Funny thing - turns out, spotting a ranked team 15-20 points in the first half, then scrambling like hell to get back into it, doesn't tend to earn you many wins. We should know, given that this is what we've seen the past two Saturdays. This team has some fight in it, for sure, but also still has only one win in conference play.
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Your full recap is still forthcoming, but for now you can feast your eyes on the visual box scores. If you're having trouble seeing the plots, try the links <a href="https://plot.ly/~jeffp171/901/kansas-st-game-action/">here</a> and <a href="https://plot.ly/~jeffp171/899/iowa-st-game-action/">here</a>.
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https://www.bringonthecats.com/2016/1/17/10782460/visual-box-score-kansas-state-vs-iowa-statejeffp1712016-01-16T14:00:03-06:002016-01-16T14:00:03-06:00Iowa State at K-State: How to Watch & Open Thread
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<img alt="Wesley Iwundu surely has fond memories of a 70-69 win last season." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EPrCKIT4SBWgf1DeWjUP5AD23ZQ=/0x469:1124x1218/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47730849/usa-today-8412230.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Wesley Iwundu surely has fond memories of a 70-69 win last season. | Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A visit from our agrarian brethren leads off a doubleheader.</p> <table class="schedule-table"><tbody> <tr><td colspan="5" class="day_break">Sat, Jan 16, 2016<br>Bramlage Coliseum (12,528)<br>Manhattan KS</td></tr> <tr></tr> <tr> <td>3:00 PM CT<br><img class="tv_logo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/3304235/espnu-hd.png"> </td> <td><a href="http://www.widerightnattylite.com/" target="_blank"><img class="teamlogo" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo_minimal/377/large_widerightnattylite.com.minimal.png"><strong>(17/18)</strong> Iowa State<br>(12-4, 1-3 Big 12)</a></td> <td>at</td> <td><a href="http://www.bringonthecats.com/" target="_blank"><img class="teamlogo" src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/uploads/blog/sbnu_logo_minimal/127/large_bringonthecats.com.minimal.png">Kansas State<br>(11-5, 1-3 Big 12)</a></td> </tr> </tbody></table>
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<section class="s-intro"><p class="slate-intro">A month ago, if someone told you that Iowa State would be visiting Bramlage tied with K-State in the Big 12 standings, you'd probably have assumed the Wildcats would be getting off to a pretty good start on their conference slate. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, that's not the reason. Losses at Texas and Oklahoma, and at Hilton to Baylor, leave the Clones right where K-State is: needing a win badly, especially with two of their next three against the Sooners and Jayhawks, albeit with both at home.</p></section><link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3706325/bloglinks.css">
<div class="blog-links-compact-container"> <h4> <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> FARMAGEDDON <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> </h4> <div class="blog-links-compact-link-container"><a href="http://www.widerightnattylite.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">Iowa St. Cyclones blog Wide Right & Natty Lite</a></div> </div>
<p><strong>The game</strong>: Kansas State hosts the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/">Iowa State Cyclones</a>. The Wildcats have a 137-83 edge in the series, although the series is dead even in Big 12 play at 20-20. In Manhattan, the Wildcats lead 80-25. Bruce Weber is 3-4 against the toothy bird tornadoes, while this will mark Steve Prohm's first game against the Wildcats as a head coach.</p>
<p>Today's game is the first part of a doubleheader at Bramlage, with the women (11-6, 1-4 Big 12) taking on TCU (11-5, 3-2 Big 12) at 6pm. That game airs only on Cox 22 in Kansas and on KStateHD.tv, so we're just mentioning it here.</p>
<p><strong>Odds</strong>: Iowa State is a slim one-point favorite on an over/under of 152.5, so the money's on a 77-76 Cyclone win.</p>
<p><strong>Tickets</strong>: Tickets are available for #25, $50 for chairbacks.</p>
<p><strong>Television</strong>: ESPNU at 3:00 CT with Jason Benetti and Reid Gettys.</p>
<p><strong>Radio</strong>: K-State Sports Network, with Wyatt Thompson and Stan Weber. Also available on satellite on Sirius 136/XM 199.</p>
<p><strong>Online</strong>: Video streaming via <a href="http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2730166/17-iowa-state-vs-kansas-state">WatchESPN</a>. Audio streaming and live stats at <a href="http://www.kstatesports.com/game-center/55d62123e4b093168db2fbe2/">Gamecenter</a>.</p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2016/1/16/9790428/iowa-state-at-kansas-state-game-time-tv-radio-streaming-odds-and-openJon Morse2016-01-16T08:22:17-06:002016-01-16T08:22:17-06:00Men's Hoops Preview - K-State vs. (17/18) Iowa St
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<figcaption>Flashbulbs poppin'... | Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Wildcats look to gather some momentum and take down a nationally-ranked foe at home.</p> <p>With the big monkey off our back - a first Big 12 win this season - attention turns to yet another ranked opponent. This time, the <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.bringonthecats.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas State Wildcats</a> (11-5, 1-3 Big12, #38 kenpom, #46 RPI) stays home this weekend to go toe-to-toe with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/">Iowa State Cyclones</a>. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00pm CST in Manhattan.</p>
<p><b style="font-size: 1.25em;">Know Your Opponent</b></p>
<p>Iowa State (12-4, 1-3 Big12, #26 kenpom, #24 RPI) is approaching this season with a brand new head coach in Steve Prohm, after McDreamy, aka The Mayor, aka Fred Hoiberg eschewed Ames for the allure of the NBA stage. Based on preseason expectations, things aren't going as smoothly as planned.</p>
<p>The Cyclones tripped up against Northern Iowa (the same UNI team that also took down North Carolina) as their lone non-con blemish, but have dropped road games to Oklahoma and Texas, a home game to Baylor, and were down to Texas Tech at home late before storming back to steal the victory.</p>
<p>They return many key components from last year's team, but just seem to lack the focus or defensive execution to truly fall among the nation's elite. Losing Nazareth Mitrou-Long cuts the Cyclone's rotation down to a total of seven players that average more than 3-1/2 minutes a game, so depth also appears to be a problem.</p>
<p><b style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 12pt;"><i>Keep a close watch on:</i></b></p>
<p><span>Georges Niang</span> - the 6-8 senior do-it-all forward - is still the focus of the Cyclone offense. He's averaging 19.9ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.3apg, and shooting 55%/40%/83% on the season. He's not quick, but he's got that infuriating style where he just knows how to get it done.</p>
<p>The inside is pretty well protected by <span>Jameel McKay</span>. McKay is the type of player that could give us fits inside - long, athletic and very quick off the floor. He's averaging 14.2ppg, 9.2rpg, almost a block and a half a game, and actually shoots better from the floor (58%) than the free throw line (56%).</p>
<p>Everyone's got the green light to shoot a three other than McKay, but <span>Matt Thomas</span> is connecting at 41.3% and has hoisted 92 on the season. Gotta know where he is on the floor.</p>
<h5 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; line-height: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 5;"><b><i>Offense/Defense Strategy:</i></b></h5>
<p>I have to keep this short, so here goes nothing: Iowa State is going to look to push the ball in transition, but in the half court set, they're going to move the ball well to find mid-range jumpers and threes. They're one of the worst in the country in getting to the line, and below average in offensive rebounding. K-State must close out to shooters; a simple touch on a box-out will probably be good enough to secure rebounds.</p>
<p>Defensively, this is not a great team. The one thing they don't do is foul - they're the best in the nation in sending opponents to the line. Expect a lot of zone, with some man-to-man mixed in. We should get some open shots - we've got to hit them like we did against Tech.</p>
<p><b style="font-size: 1.25em;">Probable Starters</b></p>
<h5><i>Kansas State:</i></h5>
<h5 style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; line-height: 12.0pt;"></h5>
<p>F <span>Wesley Iwundu</span>, 6-7 210 Jr<br>F <span>Dean Wade</span>, 6-10 225 Fr<br>F <span>Stephen Hurt</span>, 6-11 265 Sr<br>G <span>Justin Edwards</span>, 6-4 200 Sr<br>G <span>Kamau Stokes</span>, 6-0 170 Fr</p>
<h5><i>Iowa State Cyclones</i></h5>
<p>F <span>Abdel Nader</span>, 6-6 225 Sr<br>F <span>Jameel McKay</span>, 6-9 225 Sr<br>F <span>Georges Niang</span>, 6-8 230 Sr<br>G <span>Monte Morris</span>, 6-3 175 Jr<br>G <span>Matt Thomas</span>, 6-4 297 Jr</p>
<h4 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 4;"><b>3 Keys To The Game</b></h4>
<h5 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; line-height: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 5;"><b><i>1. Momentum.</i></b></h5>
<p>Don't let down because we picked up one win, and don't think Iowa State will roll over because they're on the road. We're going to have to bring it today to come away with a victory, but if we build off the win against Texas Tech, it's not only possible, it's completely plausible.</p>
<h5 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; line-height: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 5;"><b><i>2. Make some shots.</i></b></h5>
<p>I'll just leave this right here from Tuesday:</p>
<p><i>It's too simple to just say, "make some more shots," but that's the reality. How to do that? Run the offense. Work for those shots. Know that with a high level of execution and ball movement, open shots will become a reality. Open buckets usually go in; the problem is that we've been doing such a poor job of working to find those open shots. When you're not shooting well, find cheap buckets. Crash the boards hard and get some putbacks. Turn up the defensive pressure and come up with a steal and runout. Attack the rim and draw some fouls for trips to the charity stripe.</i></p>
<h5 style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; line-height: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 5;"><b><i>3. Guard the three.</i></b></h5>
<p>We've given up the long shot at a higher rate lately; we need to get back to closing out on shooters and protecting that arc. Iowa State can legitimately shoot the three from almost every position. Keeping the Cyclones at or under 35% for the game will be important.</p>
<p><i>All stats by http://www.kenpom.com, or by the respective university's sports information.</i></p>
https://www.bringonthecats.com/2016/1/16/10778944/mens-hoops-preview-k-state-vs-17-18-iowa-state-cyclonesEric Rubottom