Helping to propel K-State (37-15, 14-7) to first place in the Big 12 and the team’s first national ranking in four years, K-State catcher Blair DeBord has been named one of 15 players across the nation a Johnny Bench semifinalist. The award, given annually to the nation’s best catcher, is named after Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Lee Bench.

DeBord is the first Wildcat to ever be named a semifinalist for the award, and is one of two Big 12 players to make the cut. The junior from Manhattan High School is hitting .319 on the season with 29 runs, 51 hits, 10 doubles, and 30 RBIs. He has started 48 of the team’s 52 games, including every league contest this year. Additionally, he has only committed three errors in those 48 games with a .991 fielding percentage. He has been charged with nine passed balls (essentially failing to properly field a pitch that results in an advancement by a runner).

DeBord was selected to the semifinalist list by a committee of 20 voters. Three finalists will be announced on June 4th and the winner will be announced June 27th. The finalists and overall winner will be determined by two rounds of voting by current Division I head coaches. The award was first instituted in 2000 and two Big 12 players have received the award over the past 12 years – Kelly Shoppach (Baylor, 2001) and J.T. Wise (Oklahoma, 2009). Bryan Holaday of TCU won the award in 2010, before Texas Christian was a member of the league. K-State will wrap up its regular season with a three game homestand against Oklahoma starting this Friday evening (preview here).

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Following a disappointing season in which the K-State women’s basketball team lost five players to injuries while finishing with a losing overall record and only 5-13 in the Big 12, there didn’t seem to be a lot for the Wildcats to look forward to after losing to Baylor 80-47 in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals. However, a first round win over Texas bought an automatic bid to the Women’s NIT tournament and opportunity to extend the season in Bramlage Coliseum.

The Women’s NIT provides an automatic berth to the highest finishing team in the Big 12 (and other major conferences) that is not selected to the NCAA tournament. Seven teams from the Big 12 received invitations this year; No. 1 overall Baylor led a field also populated by No. 5 seed Iowa State, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 11 West Virginia and No. 12 Kansas. That left K-State to receive entry into the 64-team, single-elimination bracket.

The Wildcats last played in the WNIT in 2007, when they reached the semifinals, and claimed the championship in 2006. They enter the 2013 field led by senior guard Brittany Chambers, who has been recognized on the All-Big 12 team. Chambers has been K-State’s all-everything this year, and is averaging  20.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. This season marked her third straight All-Big 12 first team recognition. Against Iowa State earlier this year, Chambers and fellow senior guard  Mariah White combined to score 59 points – a school record.

Facing Kansas State is Texas Southern, who finished 20-11 overall and 16-2 in the Southwest Athletic Conference.  The Tigers are coached by Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and ran roughshod over the SWAC this year – the only regular season conference opponent to defeat Texas Southern was Southern University. Texas Southern faced one ranked team this year, dropping a 91-49 decision to then #18 Oklahoma State.

Should K-State advance, it would take on the winner of Illinois State and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis at Manhattan. The date and time will be determined based on the results of first round action.

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Kansas State had hoped to reverse its regular season fortune by finally beating KU, taking home a Big 12 tournament championship and shot at a #2 seed in the process. Instead, the Wildcats returned home after suffering its third straight loss to Kansas this year, falling 70-54 in Kansas City.

The Wildcats struggled to find consistency in the first half while overlooking holes that developed in KU’s defense while swarming to the ball handler. The basketball often drew four defenders to one side of the court, but the offense failed to establish/find open players when this scenario developed. After a season of lauding Bruce Weber’s motion offense approach of “pass, pass, pass, shoot,” the approach left fans begging for set plays. The Wildcats finished with a season worst 16 points in the first half.

K-State also had one of its worst shooting halves all year en route to 16 points. The team completed only six of 27 shots for 22.2 percent shooting. It also committed a highly uncharacteristic eight turnovers – a number this squad typically sees at the end of the game. Rodney McGruder and Shane Southwell led the Wildcats with four points apiece at the half. Four.

The sloppy play of the first half was just as evident in the second. However, K-State managed to turn steals into points and scored the first five points of the period to pull within 24-21. However, Jeff Withey continued making life difficult for K-State. Withey made both free throws on one possession, and Henriguez fouled Withey on the next to allow KU to extend the lead. KU exploited the help defense of K-State with the tandem of Withey and Kevin Young all night. When one would get the ball under the basket, they would typically pull K-State’s defenders away from the other, leading to easy assists.

The Jayhawks went more than seven minutes before collecting their first foul in the second half and K-State had already collected six. The foul differential made the crowd on hand unhappy, as the announcers tried a little too hard to express their confidence in the officiating after two instances in which they verbally observed KU got away with missed calls – one that sent Henriquez to the bench for fouling Withey on a shot after Withey shoved Henriquez to collect a rebound.

The Wildcats started shooting better as the game wore on, but failed to get stops in the second half. Kansas shot 55.2 percent in the second half as fast break points, mental lapses, and sheer athleticism were on display that K-State struggled to limit. In addition, the Jayhawks recorded six blocks on the night by six different players as K-State failed to successfully penetrate the lane like it did against Oklahoma State. The most positive aspect of the second half was K-State only turned the ball over once after giving it up eight times in the first half. However, the Wildcats were out-rebounded (35-29), had half as many assists (17-8), and hit only 25 percent of their threes (6-24) while the Jayhawks knocked down an even 50 percent (7-14).

Rodney McGruder led all scorers with 18 points, and Angel Rodiriguez had 10. Will Spradling had zero points for the second night in a row on two shots, one from deep downtown. Once again he lasted fewer than 20 minutes and is obviously still battling a bruised sternum. He will undoubtedly enjoy the rest the next six days will offer. In his place, Martavious Irving saw 31 minutes of action and netted five points on two-of-nine shooting. Withey scored 17 for the Jayhawks and pulled down nine rebounds. The senior forward found himself attempting ten free throws, knocking down seven of them. Perry Ellis came off the bench to contribute 12 points on just six shots in 14 minutes for KU.

K-State was a dark horse contender for a #2 seed, and a #3 seed was likely with a win tonight. As the #11 ranked team in the media polls and #16 in the RPI, the Wildcats will likely be looking at a #4 seed – but the hope of playing their first two rounds in Kansas City where they defeated #5 Florida earlier this season have largely evaporated. Now there’s nothing left to do but what for the selection committee to make its determination tomorrow night.

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Kansas State finished the season with a split against Oklahoma State, and was looking for a win to prove it was the better team. Sitting at #11 in the country, the Wildcats were also looking for a statement against #14. They got both. A TV timeout over four minutes into the game came at a 0-5 K-State lead in a game that looked to be an absolute grind. However, K-State enjoyed a 12-2 run late in the first half and broke it open in the second, turning a 28-23 lead into a 37-25 advantage just over two minutes into the second half. The Wildcats eventually prevailed 68-57.

The battle between Marcus Smart and Rodney McGruder lost a bit of luster when Smart’s teammates failed to produce, putting the game on the back of Oklahoma State’s freshman. There’s no doubt this kid has a place in the NBA – he’s already flopping like Chris Paul – but McGruder outdueled him while guiding the Wildcats to a rematch with KU in the Big 12 conference championship game. Smart finished with 18 points on the night to McGruder’s 25, as McGruder also contributed seven rebounds and three assists.

Will Spradling left the game with five minutes left, escorted to the locker room by one of K-State’s trainers. He returned a short time later, and the cause or extent of the injury were not disclosed. However, anyone following the team knows he has been battling a bruised sternum for almost a month now, and two straight nights of playing have probably taken their toll. Will would return to the game after Oklahoma State threatened to come back with a late run. Spradling struggled on the night finishing zero for three with three fouls and zero points – although he did pull down four rebounds.

Also playing injured was Jordan Henriquez, who once again found himself on a stationary bike when not playing in order to keep his back loose. However, pain and stiffness could not prevent him from posting an incredible first half. Henriquez provided  six rebounds, four points, and three blocks in the first 20 minutes. He finished with eight points to go along with 11 rebounds, three blocks, and an assist over 22 minutes. Thomas Gipson once again struggled in coming off the bench for Henriquez. Gipson was brilliant at times in conference play and Bruce Weber found success in bringing him off the bench in the middle of the season. However, he has struggled of late with foul trouble while taking responsibility for opponents’ big men. He was whistled four times tonight and turned the ball over twice while only securing one rebound and two points.

K-State didn’t look great in the first half, but was definitely the better team over the second 20 minutes. Angel Rodriguez finally found his shooting touch after starting slowly, and finished with 17 on the night. Martavious Irving and Shane Southwell both contributed seven points, but their importance can’t be overstated. Each hit a huge three to spur runs when the rest of team had gone cold. Despite not starting, Irving logged 24 minutes to only 19 for Spradling. McGruder received 38 minutes, Rodriguez 37 minutes, and Southwell 35 in the game.

Both teams struggled to shoot well the entire game. Kansas State finished the night 22-56, hitting only 39.3 percent of its shots. Oklahoma State was even worse, hitting 18-57 for 30.5 percent. That mark was the worst of the season for the Cowboys. K-State reclaimed the free throw shooting that recently alluded the team, knocking down over 80 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe. As has been the case all year, the Wildcats both recorded more assists and committed fewer turnovers than their opponent, further contributing to their league-leading assist:turnover ratio and leading assist:turnover differential advantage.

There was a strong sense of excitement coursing throughout the Sprint Center towards the end of the game as Wildcat fans cheered on a team headed to the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats will get another chance to defeat the Jayhawks tomorrow, having dropped both games during the regular season. With a win, the Wildcats will finish 28-6 and an argument to receive a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

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Kansas State struggled to score the 15:50 into the first half, being held to only 15 points while Oklahoma State held a 17-15 lead.  And then a 12-2 run over two minutes created a small break in the damn as Bruce Weber’s squad developed a 24-19 lead. The half ended with the score 28-23, and neither coach happy as both teams struggled to find the net over the first 20 minutes.

Oklahoma State has not managed to hit its free throws, a statement that has not been made many times this year. In fact, the team shot over 90 percent over the final two minutes during the Wildcats’ loss in Stillwater. Yet the Cowboys are only 2-6 so far, while Kansas State has connected on 6-7. Yet both teams have struggled mightily to make shots as Oklahoma State has hit 32.1 percent from the field to 33.3 for K-State.

Jordan Henriquez has been strong in a game that obviously has him in pain. Henriquez has been battling back injuries recently and can be seen on a stationary bike when not in the game, attempting to keep lose. However, the senior started the game and already has six rebounds and three blocks in the game. Additionally, Henriquez has contributed four points on the night.

Kansas State has done one of its best jobs avoiding fouls all season, and only has six after 20 minutes of play. In a familiar sight, Thomas Gipson leads the team with two fouls. On the scoring side, Rodney McGruder leads the Wildcats with seven points – well behind his average of 25 points against OSU this year. Angel Rodriguez and Martavious Irving both have six, but the number of shots required to get there has been frustrating. Shane Southwell has struggled on the offense end as much as anyone, but is one of the best defenders on the court tonight. He has four rebounds, one steal, and a block while helping to contain the Cowboys’ interior game.

Freshman of the Year Marcus Smart has been as stellar as ever, and leads his team with 12. Only three other players on the team have contributed points, and no one more than four. The winner of this game will play Kansas in the tournament championship. KU defeated Iowa State 88-73 earlier tonight.

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The Big 12 Conference tournament is always a grind, and first round byes are valued not only because they ensure matchups against lower seeds, but players are more rested should one’s team travel deep into the bracket. Teams play every night until they lose, and assessing the likelihood of success often hinges on how fresh a team’s legs are. Nowhere was that more evident than the 2009-2010 team’s NCAA run. The Wildcats earned a #2 seed that year and swept aside North Texas and BYU in the first two games. Then, in the Sweet Sixteen, the Wildcats were forced into a draining contest against Xavier that required two overtimes and led CBS Sports to dub it “one of the best games in the history of the Sweet 16.” The game began at 8:30 and ended around midnight. Jacob Pullen logged 40 minutes in that game, Curtis Kelly had 43, and Denis Clemente 48 – only allowed two minutes of rest the entire night. 36 hours later, K-State lost to Butler in a game the Wildcats struggled to run down lose balls and fight for rebounds. Butler went on to face Duke in the National Championship, while K-State fans were left to wonder what if… following the Elite Eight loss.

For the University of Kansas, the semifinals got ugly as a 62-40 over Texas Tech lead with 10 minutes left ballooned to 91-63 by the end of the game. Only two KU players saw more than 30 minutes of action (Ben McLemore – 32 – and Travis Releford – 31). 14 players saw playing time, and 11 saw at least five minutes. Iowa State had a more difficult dispatching Oklahoma, winning 73-66. The Cyclones’ key players all logged more playing time.

On the other side of the bracket, Kansas State easily downed Texas 66-49, and had a solid rotation of big men with D.J. Johnson and Thomas Gipson each playing for 15 minutes and Jordan Henriquez 10. Gipson likely would have received more playing time, but was saddled with early foul trouble and finished with four on the night in limited minutes, opening the door for Johnson to see enhanced time while scoring a season high eight points. Johnson is still raw and it would be unwise to expect that sort of contribution on both ends of the court from him every night, but limiting Gipson’s playing time is a good thing if it doesn’t put the team in jeapordy. Henriquez was limited due to back problems, and his status going forward is shaky.

Another question mark is Will Spradling, who played 24 minutes while attempting to work back into the rhythm of the game following a bruised sternum suffered against Texas in late February. The injury has made breathing so painful Spradling had to miss two games, only played five minutes of a third, and was unable to practice. Although he was able to contribute 24 minutes Thursday night, fatigue may be an issue Friday and Saturday as his body is not used to being forced to recover. Atrophy sucks when your opponents are in prime shape.

Facing the Wildcats will be an Oklahoma State team that should have rested its starters early but failed to maintain a huge halftime lead against Baylor and ended up squeaking by, 74-72. In addition to minutes, time of game may be an issue here as well. Oklahoma State’s game did not conclude until around 10:45, meaning the Cowboy players probably got back to their hotel rooms around midnight – later if they ate somewhere other than the hotel after the game. This isn’t a pity party for OSU – K-State played a night game as well, and the Cowboys narrowly avoided overtime (largely due to a bad foul call against Baylor with 2.6 seconds left, but that’s an article for someone else to write). However, should Oklahoma State advance to the finals and be expected to play a KU squad that was already hydrating and resting their legs before the sun even went down Thursday, there’s an undeniable advantage built into the equation. Of course, that’s the advantage of being the #1 seed. If you don’t like it, win the conference next year.

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Angel Rodriquez finished the first half on the bench with two personal fouls, relegated to watching his team work its way to a six point halftime lead. He quickly made up for lost time by knocking down a three on his team’s first possession of the first half to help power Kansas State to a 66-49 victory. The shot made K-State seven of ten for threes, cleaning up on open shots allowed by Rick Barnes who maintained 2-3 zone throughout the night. However, Rodriguez quickly returned to the bench after picking up his third foul only two and a half minutes into the half.

Texas started the game leading 7-1, but K-State went on a 14-2 run to go up 15-9 just six and a half minutes into the game, building a game that was never relinquished. Bruce Weber’s treatment of Angel Rodriguez was largely an enigma. Rodriguez did a little bit of everything, scoring and forcing turnovers while on the court, but saw much more bench time than he’s become accustomed to this season. Although he had fouls early in the game, Rodriguez finished with just three. He still finished second on the team with 13 points, along with three rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Texas Longhorns G Myck Kabongo (12) dribbles the ball as Kansas State Wildcats F D.J. Johnson (50) defends in the second half during the second round of the Big 12 tournament. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Will Spradling and Jordan Henriquez both started the game despite injuries, but neither were able to contribute much offensively.  Henriquez began the second half on the bench, showing the strains of a tight back while spending much of the game on a stationary bike attempting to get lose. Both players made one out of four shots, Spradling a three and Henriquez a two, to finish with a combined five points.

With Rodriguez in foul trouble and Spradling still injured and suffering from a lack of conditioning, K-State’s bench continued to step up as it has all season. Martavious Irving continued his late season renaissance by pouring in six points while collecting five rebounds. Additionally, D.J. Johnson played his best game of the year. The freshman forward finished 4/4 shooting for eight points to go along with seven rebounds, tying McGruder for most rebounds among all players in the game while helping to fill in for Henriquez. The St. Louis native is averaging 2.2 points and 2.5 rebounds on the year.

The Wildcats blistered Texas from behind the arc, and at one point were seven of ten in three point shooting. The team cooled eventually, hitting nine of 21 on the night, but still finished at 41.5 percent from downtown as Rick Barnes refused to scrap a 2-3 zone that encouraged K-State’s sharpshooters to pull the trigger from long range. (Side note: this is another example of why Rick Barnes is an awful coach. K-State is somewhat offensively challenged inside – although its guards do like to drive on the basket. Still, when you have a height advantage and the other team is on fire, you should probably man up at some point).

Kansas State is now 26-6 on the season, and looks determined to make a run at a three seed. Texas finishes the year with a losing record – 16-17 – and will likely be left out of the postseason. The Jug fails to find tears to weep. The Wildcats now await the winner of Baylor-Oklahoma State tonight. A win there sends them to the conference championship game Saturday. Should they win that game, the Wildcats will have finished 28-6 on the season while laying claim to both the Big 12′s regular season and tournament championships. Should they pull off this feat by way of victory over KU, would the Wildcats deserve a two seed?

Feb 5, 2013; Lubbock, TX, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bruce Weber shouts instructions to guard Rodney McGruder (22) in the second half at the United Spirit Arena. Kansas State defeated Texas Tech 68-59. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Rodney McGruder was one of three Wildcats to be recognized by the league, while Bruce Weber was awarded Coach of the Year, during the Big 12′s annual regular season awards ceremony on Sunday. McGruder, who has found himself on several postseason watch lists, was expected to land on the Big 12′s First Team. The senior has led the team in both points (15.1) and minutes (32), and was also named a First Team All-Conference player by both ESPN and the Kansas City Star. His selection marks just the third Kansas State player to have received the recognition, joining Michael Beasley and Jacob Pullen.

In addition to McGruder’s accolades, Angel Rodriguez was awarded Second Team recognition on Sunday. The sophomore has brought consistency to play that showed flashes of brilliance last year, providing lockdown defense and constantly finding ways to create opportunities for teammates. Rodriguez is second on the team in points (11.5), and leads the team in assists (5.5) per game. His assist average is the second-highest in school history, trailing only Jim Roder’s 1983-84 record of 5.62. Additionally, Shane Southwell received All-Big 12 honorable mention. Southwell was expected to contribute more offensively this year, although his 8.3 points per game are accompanied by an amazing 45.5 shooting percentage from three. The tallest of the team’s four starting guards, Southwell has been largely asked to step up and guard bigger players this year while helping the Wildcats to the league’s best defense.

The least drama of the night was the selection of Bruce Weber as the league’s Coach of the Year. Kansas State was picked to finish 5th in the conference this year and came into the season unranked. The Wildcats were only 10-8 in 2011-12, watched head coach Frank Martin depart for South Carolina, and graduated two of the best players in recent memory in PG Jacob Pullen and F Curtis Kelly (Pullen is the only Wildcat to be named All-Big 12 First Team twice). In addition to losing its floor leader and best inside presence to graduation, three players transferred to other schools at the end of the year. In spite of all this, Weber managed to reach #8 in the country at one point in the season, finished #11, and won a share of the Big 12 regular season title along with KU. Despite the media’s low expectations, K-State finished 25-6 on the season with a 14-4 mark in conference play. Weber has had a healthy dose of talent to work with, but has also done a great job of squeezing every ounce of it out of his players. This team is marked by the same defensive tenacious that previous Wildcat teams trademarked, and there was little doubt of how deserving of the award he was.

The Wildcats are the number two seed in the Big 12 tournament, and will take on the winner of TCU/TX on Thursday.

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Kansas State, finishing their Big 12 slate of games with a 14-4 record, will be the number two seed in the Big 12 conference tournament. The tournament, hosted in Kansas City’s Sprint Center, kicks off Wednesday when West Virginia and Texas Tech face off. Texas and TCU will play the late night Wednesday game. WVU and Tech, with the number eight and nine seeds, will battle for the opportunity to take on KU in the second round, while K-State will face the winner of #7 Texas and #10 TCU.

Also on K-State’s side of the bracket are #3 Oklahoma State and #6 Baylor. Should the Wildcats defeat their first two opponents, they would advance to the Championship where they would likely play KU, although Iowa State and Oklahoma are both upset contenders.

The Wildcats would probably prefer to play TCU in their first game, as the Horned Frogs only won two conference games this year and finished the regular season 11-20. However, Texas Christian remains an odd entity with its victory over Kansas earlier this year, demonstrating potential to knock off anyone. Additionally, although K-State won both games by double digit margins, it had a difficult ever putting TCU away. Texas, on the other hand, went 7-11 in league play and finished 15-16. Although Texas appears to be a better team on paper, the Wildcats had a much easier time handling the Longhorns. Their first meeting was a 25-point victory,83-57, that was essentially over at halftime. They also won in Austin, 81-69. Both potential match ups should fall in K-State’s favor.

The next round of play could be more interesting. K-State finished the season 1-1 against Oklahoma State, with each team winning at home (73-67 in Manhattan, and 76-70 in Stillwater yesterday). The two teams match up well, and predicting the outcome of the game could be a crapshoot with each squad winning by six at home. However, a couple of factors should be considered surrounding their second meeting: Will Spradling is still injured, and should be healthier in five days, and K-State was definitely the recipient of a bogus foul call that halted a 6-0 run and allowed Oklahoma State the opportunity to get back in a game it was quickly falling behind in. And playing in Kansas City on a Friday night, the Wildcats are guaranteed to turn out more fans than Oklahoma State.

K-State went 2-0 against Baylor, with a monster 81-61 win in Manhattan and 64-61 squeaker in Waco punctuated by this last second shot by Rodney McGruder. Spradling completely missed the game in Waco, which suggests the Wildcats would have had an easier downing the Bears with him in the line up. However, Baylor is an extremely talented team – it defeated KU 81-58 on Saturday in a game the Jayhawks were never competitive in. This was an Elite Eight squad last year, and many predicted they wouldn’t miss a beat this year. When Pierre Jackson is on, this team has the talent to run with anyone, from Kansas to Indiana to Michigan.

In the end, who you want to face is a risk/reward proposition. It’s a function of your odds of winning combined with how much the win boosts your resume, in addition to what you have to gain/lose. K-State is looking like a likely #3 seed in the NCAA tournament. A two seed was possible, but the Wildcats needed to beat Oklahoma State yesterday and run through the Big 12 tournament. Since that can no longer happen, this team is playing to avoid falling, not rise. As such, Baylor is probably the preferable opponent. There may be a lot of talent on this squad, but their record (9-9, 18-13) is still a mediocre record. Oklahoma State (13-5, 23-7), on the other hand, is still the #13 team in the nation and has proven it can beat the Wildcats. National freshman of the year candidate Marcus Smart has only gotten throughout the season, and Le’Bryan Nash has frustrated K-State’s interior defense twice this season. Root for a rematch with Baylor in this one.

No matter what, The Jug is rooting for an opportunity against Kansas in the championship game. Sure, the path of least resistance makes the journey easier, but winning the tournament by defeating Oklahoma just wouldn’t feel the same. A loss to KU won’t help achieve the team’s goals, but as fans, we need that game. The final will be at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and hosted on ESPN. The Big 12 recently moved its championship game from Sunday to Saturday, believing the selection committee (which meets Sunday afternoon) failed to take into consideration winning the Big 12 tournament when awarding seeds.

Here’s ESPN’s schedule of events:

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State needed a win to keep to ensure at least a piece of the Big 12 title, with a chance to win it outright this afternoon. Now the Wildcats must await the outcome of KU’s trip to Baylor to see if they can share the league’s regular season trophy. The Wildcats (15-6, 14-4) fell to the Oklahoma State Cowboys (23-7, 13-5) by the score of 76-70, unable to maintain a late lead. OSU’s Le’Bryan led all players as he helped his team dominate the inside, exploiting defensive breakdowns for easy lay-ins on multiple possessions.

Momentum was a fickle thing in this game. The teams exchanged blows in the first half, though K-State was largely playing catch up and went into halftime down 36-30. However, the Wildcats exploded in the second half and rode a 20-5 run to a 50-41 lead with 13 minutes left to play. The streak started just 13 seconds into the half when Angel Rodriguez found Shane Southwell for a three to make the score 36-33. However, Oklahoma State roared back with a 15-5 run of its own and a three-point play by the freshman phenom Marcus Smart made the game 56-53 with 6:21 to play. Then, on consecutive plays Angel Rodriguez found Thomas Gipson inside for easy put-ins, and a three-point play by Rodney McGruder brought K-State up by four, 61-57. However, it was all Oklahoma State from there.

Southwell, who picked up two fouls early in the game, fouled out with 90 seconds left that put Markel Brown on the line and allowed Oklahoma State to extend its lead to 67-62. The rest of the game turned into a foulfest, as K-State attempted to work its way back into the game by putting OSU on the line, but the Cowboys were almost perfect with their free throws and Bruce Weber’s squad never had a window to work its way back into the game. OSU made 13 of 14 free throws in the last 90 seconds, starting with the foul on Shane Southwell.

Will Spradling played as anticipated, but Martavious Irving received the start and Spradling was limited to 19 minutes and six points. After suffering a bruised sternum two weeks ago, Spradling has been unable to practice and his conditioning has been negatively impacted. Rodney McGruder led the Wildcats with 22 points, but needed 15 shots to make six baskets and had three turnovers to only one assist. The only other real bright spot was Thomas Gipson, who continued his stellar play off the bench by contributing 15 points on seven of ten shooting and six rebounds. Gipson did an effective job utilizing the shot fake to get open shots under the basket and once drew a foul in the process. Angel Rodriguez had ten points, five rebounds, and six assists, but also had four turnovers and finished 3-16 on the day, missing all four three point attempts. Additionally, Rodriguez reminded many of his freshman in the final minutes, being whistled for two unnecessary fouls (although the legitimacy of those fouls was debatable), and had a very costly turnover on a possession when K-State needed a score with 40 seconds left and down 71-62. The entire team broke down in trying to contain Le’Bryan Nash, as he often caught K-State’s players out of position on his scores. Smart finished with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Regardless of the outcome of the KU-Baylor game, the Wildcats will receive the #2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament while Oklahoma State is #3. Tournament play starts Wednesday the 13, and the Wildcats will play the winner of TCU/Texas at 6 p.m. at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Assuming a win, they would then face the winner of Baylor and Oklahoma State  for a spot in the championship game. Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Kansas are among the potential opponents in that game.