**11:24 p.m.**: One final thought – Didn’t see a single Power Towel tonight. Not one.**10:18 p.m.**: Just sat back down on press row, and the fans have _just_ now finished clearing out. They stayed on the floor to hear Frank Martin and Jacob Pullen on the KSU radio network postgame show. The final photo was just snapped at center court. It was a kid – couldn’t have been older than 11 – getting shot by his dad. The kid? Wearing a purple shirt that says “Brandon Rush” then has Rush’s cell phone number listed below it. Classy…how cute…As for the postgame, KU was somber as expected, but things could be much worse, as you can tell the Jayahwks are aware that there’s plenty of winning left down the road this year.Bill Self attributed the 50-50 balls as the big difference. He said he thought K-State got 70-to-80 percent of them. He also said he thought the game was won in the first 10 minutes of the second half, which was coincidentally when Mike Beasley scored KSU’s first nine points out of the break.As for the numbers, here are some to munch on…-Beasley had 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting after starting the game 3-of-10 from teh floor. He was also 4-of-4 from three-point range. Not bad for a guy who had hit just 16 of them in 18 games coming in.-Kansas State outrebounded KU 34-30, and it was a true team effort for the ‘Cats. Beasley was held in single digits on the glass for just the third time this year with six. Dominique Sutton, who was big defensively on Brandon Rush, also had six, while Clent Stewart and Bill Walker each grabbed five.-KU was still 26-of-54 from the floor and 17-of-20 from the free throw line. That’s not a bad offensive night.-The Jayhawks had 16 turnovers and had just three steals.-Jake Pullen was the key to this one for K-State. In five Big 12 games, he now has 19 assists and just four turnovers. He had 20 points, including a 10-of-10 showing from the stripe.-Where did Brandon Rush go in the second half? He was just 1-of-3 from the floor for three points (coming in the final minute with the game already decided) after scoring a team-high 12 on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half. You wonder if he should have gone in a huddle at some point after the half and started demanding the ball.-It was a rough night for Darrell Arthur, despite a statistically okay 12-point, 7-rebound showing. He played just 17 minutes because of foul trouble and was dominated on the boards for much of the night. K-State had chances to drive on him with Walker and Beasley in the second half, but seemed like it was trying to keep him in the game as long as possible.-Mario Chalmers’ 19 points look nice, but he had only one rebound, two assists, three turnovers and no steals.-Kansas State hit 12 three-pointers. Take away Bill Walker’s 3-of-10 showing and the ‘Cats were 9-of-16.Well, this outcome has made Saturday’s game at Colorado about pretty lack-luster. If the Jayhawks had won tonight, that would be the chance to tie the best start in school history with 22 straight wins. Now, it’s a good opportunity to bounce back against a struggling conference foe in an arena which should be dominated by crimson and blue. Thanks for tuning in tonight. It’s been a blast, and I’ll be coming to you from Boulder – my favorite Big 12 city to visit – this weekend.**9:25 p.m.**: Computer’s safe. I’ll be back with postgame stuff shortly. Got a good glimpse of Bill Walker re-hashing memories of Michigan beating Michigan State in overtime in Crisler Arena in 1993, when Chris Webber and Ray Jackson hopped on the scorer’s table and danced. Several of the ‘Cats are doing the same right now.KU fans will be hurt by this one, but there’s plenty of winning left down the road this year.**9:14 p.m.**: The streak just wasn’t meant to last forever. With that said, I’m going to say talk to you in a little bit, as I must now close the laptop with the fans about to storm the heck out of this place. I hope I live to give you postgame notes and nuggets. Be back in a bit…hopefully.**9:01 p.m.**: Mario Chalmers has scored the quietest 13 points I’ve ever seen tonight, and Brandon Rush has attempted just two shots in the second half. If KU doesn’t win this game, that will be something to look back on, because he was playing ticked off ball in the first half, which is what he does best.**8:59 p.m.**: To KU’s credit, without free throw shooting, they’d be nowhere to be found within range on the scoreboard right now. The Jayhawks are 13-of-14 so far tonight.**8:56 p.m.**: One glaring coaching mistake on Frank Martin’s part here in the second half. Darrell Arthur has been playing with four fouls for quite some time now. Bill Walker has had two one-on-one looks and Mike Beasley has had one against the KU soph, but none of those times has KSU tried to drive and get the fifth and final infraction on Arthur.But whatever they’re doing (hitting 12 threes so far) is working.**8:48 p.m.**: These next few minutes until the under-four minute media timeout could be the ones that decide it all. KU is down eight as we speak (57-49) and Mike Beasley is starting to rebound. Darrell Arthur is going to have to play smart, because despite his struggles tonight, he’s KU’s best offensive option in the post.Bill Walker still has just three fouls for K-State, while Mario Chalmers is playing with three for KU.When the game got to 57-45, that was the loudest I’ve _ever_ heard a basketball arena. Just nuts.**8:36 p.m.**: I’d hate to drop the ‘M’-word right about now, but momentum is sort of up for grabs. The most amazing stat to me at this point is that KU has been outrebounded to this point (11:58 to play) 26-22, and Mike Beasley only has three of those KSU rebounds.**8:16 p.m.**: Now we see what kind of shape Sherron Collins is in. Mario Chalmers went just 50 seconds in the second half before picking up his third foul and taking a seat.**8:11 p.m.**: First, a big welcome into the Greene Room to Dan and Erin. Thanks for joining tonight, guys. And yes, Smitty, Colon was the most unathletic guy to see the floor in that half.Here’s some numbers of note:-Beasley has no fouls. He could be due for a second half explosion on both ends of the floor.-K-State was 7-of-15 from three-point range. That’s pretty good. A repeat performance there in the second half, and KU could have some trouble.-Darrell Arthur had six points, but three fouls. He needs to play smart defense here in the second half.-Beasley had just three rebounds in the first half.-KU was outrebounded 18-16.-Say what you want about the officiating, but only nine free throws were shot in the first half.-KU is working to its strength well on offense, outscoring KSU in the paint, 18-10.**7:45 p.m.**: A little bit of acting just went a long way for KU. That third foul on Walker came about 10 feet in front of our seats. No doubt Walker’s elbow caught him in the mouth, but if Chalmers didn’t fall backwards, the call may not have been made.**7:40 p.m.**: Well, there’s No. 3 on Arthur. Cole Aldrich may have to play more minutes in this game than Bill Self might have liked for him to.**7:38 p.m.**: This is the type of game where you hate having full media timeouts. You can tell the players don’t want to stop going at it.The swings so far have been unreal, with each team having been up by multiple buckets and blown that lead at some point so far. This could be about the time Mike Beasley gets going, and he’ll be looking to work on Arthur, who has two fouls already.**7:23 p.m.**: I’d like to thank KU for that 13-3 run, which quieted the crowd long enough for my ear drums to stop swelling…Mike Beasley is 0-for-2 from the floor early, but he’s known as a slow starter. He’s on the bench at the moment, and the key for K-State there is that he’s taking a breather with no fouls on his stat line.I think KSU just realized with that lightning-quick 13-3 KU spurt that it’s going to take quite a wallop to keep this Jayhawk team down for long. The game appears to have finally settled into a rhythm and could be a slugfest from here on out.With Darren Kent on him instead of Beasley, the KU guards need to find Arthur now.**7:14 p.m.**: A few early observations…-Bill Walker is muscling Darrell Arthur away from the hoop at will.-Sherron Collins coming into the game during the full break was much-needed.-Not sure I’ve ever heard the Fieldhouse as loud as Bramlage is in these opening minutes. Unreal.**7:00 p.m.**: This place is electric. Ready for tip-off. Dominique Sutton is starting in place of Andre Gilbert. Looks like he’ll be on Rush.**6:43 p.m.**: Some creative signs so far…”Party like it’s 1983″”The 25th time’s a charm”And the best…”We call this ‘Cats vs. Blouses” (If you don’t know, this is derived from the famous Chappelle’s Show skit featuring Charlie Murphy and his crew hoopin’ in Prince’s house against “Me and the Revolution.” Classic stuff.)**6:41 p.m.**: Ed Hightower is _not_ officiating this game, in case you were curious.**6:35 p.m.**: This was just placed on press row at each seat: A statement with the headline “Gilbert Suspended Indefinitely”Andre Gilbert, who has started recently at the three for K-State is out of tonight’s game and the foreseeable future for violating team rules.The quote from Frank Martin: “We have expectations for our student-athletes and Andre has not lived up to those expectations. Like every member of our team, he has to understand that there are consequences when you fail to follow the rules.”**The Jayhawks just came out** for layup lines nad warmups with about 25 minutes until tip-time, and something feels just a tad different about this team tonight. You’re seeing emotion where there’s not usually emotion. The best example is Darrell Arthur, who charged into the team huddle after running out of the tunnel and began to scream at the top of his lungs as he leaned in. Not sure what it’ll mean, but for now it’s a good sign if you’re a KU fan, I’d say.**5:58 p.m.**: If the K-State fans were hoping to tick off Brandon Rush anymore, I’m sure that the chant they busted out when he exited the tunnel for the floor did the job. He’s got a stone-serious look on his face, and his shot looks pure in warmups so far.**5:45 p.m.**: Those of you hoping KU would wear the reds won’t get your wish. They just came out in the blues, and K-State is in white. Brady Morningstar has probably never been booed louder in his whole life than when he was the first ‘Hawk out of the locker room.**5:33 p.m.**: Gary Bedore just asked some fans how long they had been lined up for (students, that is), and they said since 5 a.m. They don’t have a formal camp-out system here at Bramlage indoors like the one at the Fieldhouse. Here, it’s actual camping out – a.k.a. roughing the elements.As for the students, they’ve about filled their third of the Coliseum. They’ve got some cheesy emcee hosting these trivia contests to keep people occupied, but to the students’ credit, they don’t seem that interested.Bill Walker and Mike Beasley just came out to shoot around. They’re playing around with some of the youngsters also shooting around and seem pretty loose. Walker is shooting around about 10 feet in front of me, and I can’t help but picture him in a Chicago Bulls uniform next year. The guy is the best No. 2 scoring option in the nation, in my mind.One thing I never noticed about him before: He’s got a thick lower body, which explains why he’s probably solid playing both inside and out. You combine that with [this athleticism][1], and oof, that’s a total package. I’m convinced his three-point shot looks like a set shot because, well, he just doesn’t _have to_ jump to get it off.Once again, K-State’s players are _very_ loose, even interacting a bit with the students already in the house with some small talk. They won’t be uptight. I can assure you of that if this is any indication.**5:01 p.m.**: Just sat down on the baseline in my seat in Bramlage Coliseum. Ah, the quiet before the storm. The gates are gonna open in a second and the moment will be done.On the walk in, I shook the mit of the statue of Ernie Barrett, a.k.a. ‘Mr. K-State’ in front of Bramlage Coliseum. I was told to do so by Chuck Woodling, who made a habit of it for years because the statue leaves his hand extended and open. I really did it just so I could tell Chuck that I actually extended the gesture.A couple of the players are now warming up – Fred Brown and Denis Clemente – and I was reminded of something I noticed the other night when here watching KSU play ISU. The rims on these hoops are _very_ soft. Not sure how that affects the game either way, but I figured it’s worth pointing out.**1:55 p.m.**: I was trying all morning to think of the perfect way to start the gameday blog, and Chuck Woodling then did it for me during lunch down Mass. St. at Jimmy John’s.During a break in conversation at the table, he pointed out to us that the song booming in the restaurant – [Wheel in the Sky][2] – was performed by Journey in or around 1983. That was – as you hopefully read in [Chuck’s column yesterday][3] – the last time K-State defeated its neighbors to the east in Manhattan.The line was delivered with Chuck’s humorous flavor which us at the J-W love. That, of course, set off discussion about tonight’s game at the table. So lets continue it right here to open up the blog…**As much as I know it’s a sin of predicting games to go against the hot team** as opposed to the hot player, I’m sticking with my prediction I made roughly 10 games ago that KU’s first loss would be in Bramlage.**My exact score guess** (which is all predictions are anyway): KSU 87, KU 82.My rationale stays the same: That atmosphere last year in Bramlage was just unreal. TV couldn’t have possibly done it justice. Completely out-talented, K-State held it within nine points. Now, add in two future lottery picks, and I think that adds more than KU’s year of added experience since then. I’m not getting too scientific or philosophical with that pick. Just going on my gut.**As far as talking about the game**, just about every storyline has been beaten to death, therefore leading me off the beaten path – somewhere I enjoy frequenting.Therefore, I’m going to present to you my sleeper pick for each squad, then my one x-factor for tonight’s game.**K-State sleeper**: I’ll go with Clent Stewart. With all the talk about the freshmen – and they get it deservedly – the 6-foot-4 senior guard gets overlooked. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who cares. Stewart is to K-State what Russell Robinson is to KU. None of his numbers blow you out of your seat, but he’s steady. Beyond that, he’s the one guy in my mind who has always looked comfortable playing against KU, either in Lawrence, Manhattan or the conference tourney. With so much focus on the Beasley-Walker act, Stewart’s three-point shooting could come into play. He’s just 19-of-58 from long range this year, but, again, he hasn’t been relied on heavily as a scorer. He can hit them, though, if need be.**KU sleeper** – Hey, remember Rodrick Stewart? While the senior’s [minutes have taken a hit][4], he’s still probably KU’s best pure athlete off the bench. That could come into play on the defensive end tonight in terms of covering Bill Walker. Walker is just a redshirt freshman, but in terms of hoops experience, he’s a savvy vet. Not to say that Darrell Arthur isn’t, but Walker could exploit Shady’s foul trouble tendencies. If that happens, or if Bill Self is looking to avoid it, Stewart could be a big help in that regard. Stewart is 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. That’s a decent match with Walker’s 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame. Beyond those numbers, Stewart has the athleticism to match Walker. This could be a valuable ploy to keep Brandon Rush on the perimeter against K-State’s guards, and Stewart has proven this year that 1) he’s not an offensive liability whene KU goes with a small lineup using him at the four and 2) he can get up high and rebounds. If he plays 10-12 minutes, count on four-to-six rebounds, probably four-to-six energy points and maybe a couple other nice hustle plays that could ultimately sway the final outcome.**X-factor**: Hearing about K-State fans calling Brandon Rush’s cell phone could do nothing but damage for the ‘Cats. Now I don’t know Rush personally, so I can only go on the assumptions. But when talking to an NBA scout before a KU home game a year ago, he was mentioning what separates the great pro players from the good ones. One quality of a Kobe or KG or McGrady is that when they show up to the arena, they’re looking for something to set them off, get them charged up and make them _want_ to score 50 points. It’s hard to stay motivated for 82 games on your own, so sometimes you need a little push. It could be a security guard looking at you the wrong way or whatever. This move by the Wildcat faithful would certainly fall under that category. Now we’ll see how Rush responds.I’ll leave it at that for now, as we’re going to hit the road here in about an hour. The in-flight musical selection today? [Alice In Chains Unplugged][5] (easily the most underrated disc in the [MTV Unplugged][6] series…don’t even come at me with Jay-Z Unplugged in the same sentence). You haven’t enjoyed acoustic guitar until listening to [“Killer is Me”][7] off that album. Though the entire CD is just incredible. I wore out my first copy of it, no joke. That was the greatest band of the 90s in my opinion. OK, I’ll stop now…And the pregame meal? Vista Burger, as always.Talk to you once we arrive out west. [1]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sSsOtnku8M [2]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFC8sDTXlng [3]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/jan/29/woodling_last_time_ksu_won_home/?sports_columns [4]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/jan/26/stewart_happy_help_any_way/?mens_basketball [5]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unplugged_(Alice_in_Chains_album) [6]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV_Unplugged [7]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWgkDO4SRY4
