Big 12 scoring tandems:
1. Kansas State: Michael Beasley-Bill Walker, 44.1 points
2. Texas: D.J. Augustin-A.J. Abrams, 38.4
3. Colorado: Richard Roby-Marcus Hall, 29.5
4. Texas Tech: Martin Zeno-John Roberson, 29.1
5. Missouri: Stefhon Hannah-DeMarre Carroll, 28.6
6. Oklahoma: Blake Griffin-Longar Longar, 28.3
7. Iowa State: Wesley Johnson-Craig Brackins, 27.1
8. Baylor: Curtis Jerrells-Kevin Rogers, 26.7
9. Oklahoma St.: James Anderson-Terrel Harris, 26.6
10. Kansas: Darrell Arthur-Darnell Jackson, 26.4
11. Nebraska: Aleks Maric-Ade Dagunduro, 25.1
12. Texas A&M: Josh Carter-Joseph Jones, 24.9
For a change, the best player in the Sunflower Showdown wears purple and white, instead of crimson and blue. An argument could be made that the second-best player does, as well.
Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and Bill Walker, both classified as freshmen and both already built like NBA veterans, have combined for 41.1 points and 19.3 rebounds. Both men were recruited to Manhattan by Bob Huggins and play for first-year coach Frank Martin.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Beasley lines up at center and is from Washington, D.C. Walker, 6-6, 220 pounds, is from Cincinnati and has moved from small forward to power forward for the Wildcats (14-4 overall, 4-0 in the Big 12).
Strong enough to work down low and way too quick for most men who guard them, Beasley and Walker create matchup problems for every team they face, even second-ranked Kansas University (20-0).
“I love their personnel,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of K-State. “I like their team. Frank has got them guarding, and their rebound margin is excellent, and they’re playing through two guys who are as talented as any two guys on the same team, maybe in the country. Certainly, one of them (Beasley) is going to be a top-two or -three pick, maybe No. 1, and the other one’s definitely going to make a lot of money as a first-round pick.”
The jury is deliberating on how much money Walker will make, but there’s no disputing that as a college player, he has improved rapidly during the course of this season. The explosiveness he lost after his second ACL surgery has returned. So has his long-range shooting touch.
Walker’s long-distance shot is more of a set shot than a jumper, but what it lacks in style it compensates for in substance.
The Wildcats started the season 5-3, during which time Walker made just two of 15 three-pointers. K-State is 9-1 since then. Walker has made 50 percent of his three-pointers during that stretch.
Walker makes defenders follow him to the perimeter and has the ability to beat most bigger players off the dribble. Most defenders quick enough to stay with him are not big enough to keep him from overpowering them on the block.
Darrell Arthur, who slides his feet far better than most 6-9 players and has a good knack for blocking shots down low, appears best suited for the task of checking Walker. Brandon Rush could be on Walker at times, as well. Walker has attempted 83 free throws, or 11 more than Darnell Jackson, KU’s leader in that category.
Beasley? He has attempted 142 free throws, nearly twice as many as Jackson.
Asked after an easy victory against Nebraska how KU will match up against Beasley, Self predictably played coy.
“If we play man to man,” Self said with a laugh, “it’ll probably be Shady (Arthur) or Darnell. I’ll go that far, but I really don’t know. I really don’t know right now.”
Jackson is the safe bet, unless, of course, Self wasn’t joking about playing zone. Or did he say the word that seldom rolls off his tongue in order to give K-State one more thing for which to prepare? Remember, out of the blue, Self dropped a 3-2 zone on Boston College on Dec. 23, 2006. It worked.
Regardless of its defensive approach, last season’s wild atmosphere at Bramlage Coliseum should help KU prepare for the same. Prolonging an undefeated season and undefeated Bramlage record are on the line for Kansas.
For K-State?
“This is our chance to prove that we belong among the big boys,” Walker said. “… To me, they’re the best team in the nation. If we can contend and pull this thing out, that would say a lot about us.”
Beasley, despite drawing so much attention from opposing defenses, is averaging 25.3 points and 12.7 rebounds.
“That’s on coach,” Beasley said of being able to beat defenses designed to stop him. “Coach is putting in new plays every week, changing our plays around every week, so they don’t know what they’re guarding. They think they’re guarding this play, so we put new actions in it this week. That’s all on coach.”
Beasley has 16 double-doubles in 18 games. He has scored at least 19 points in 16 of 18 games. In a road game against Xavier, Beasley scored five points. Was it the shoes? His sneakers somehow didn’t make the trip from Manhattan, and he had to borrow a pair of size-17 shoes from a player on Cincinnati.
Beasley will have his own shoes Wednesday night. Five quick pairs of sneakers from the other side will be on the court at all times, trying to contain him, Walker and the rest of the improving Wildcats.
