The Locker Room Show: College hoops preview
9 p.m. Friday, March 7, 2008
And that's where we go now. David Moe and his Hornets are sneaking into the MIAA tournament as the eight-seed, taking on top-seeded Southwest Baptist in the opening round. And ESU becomes just the second eight-seed to knock off number one, 83-79. DeAndre Townsend led with 29.
Out to Kansas City for the game with Washburn at Central Missouri, and Washburn comes away a winner, 78-63.
The top-seeded Lady Blues advanced to the semi-finals with a 78-63 win over Missouri Western yesterday. They face Northwest Missouri State at noon tomorrow at the Municipal.
To Division One now, the Kansas men are after at least a share of their fourth straight Big 12 regular season title. The Jayhawks can accomplish that feat with a win at Texas A and M. KU won the title outright last year with a 14-2 league mark. The Hawks shared the league crown in 2006 with Texas and in 2005 with Oklahoma. If Kansas is victorious Saturday in College Station, then Texas must win at home against Oklahoma State to clinch co-champion status with the Jayhawks. Shared or not though, the KU seniors are 40 minutes away from a perfect conference career.
"I think it would be big just as far as our class, just something to add to our resumes," senior guard Russell Robinson said. "And you never pass up the opportunity to add to a championship. So we're just going to play hard this week."
"To win four in a row in a high major league where other guys are recruiting comparable-type players is a great accomplishment," head coach Bill Self said. "Of course we haven't done that, we have to win Saturday to do that. That would be a big feather in this program's cap and primarily in the seniors' cap."
The Crimson and Blue's title clincher gets underway tomorrow in College Station. The Aggies and Jayhawks tip at 3:00.
Meanwhile Kansas State has already guaranteed at least a first round bye in the Big 12 tournament with its win Tuesday over Colorado. But some are still saying that Big Dance bid isn't a lock. The Cats have one last regular season chance to impress the Selection Committee tomorrow with their game at Iowa State. K-State hasn't traditionally faired well in Ames, but snapped a seven-game losing streak at Hilton Coliseum last season. And this go-around there's even more on the line.
"We gotta win to be the third seed. That's the only implication it's got in my mind," head coach Frank Martin said. "We want to go into the Big 12 tournament as the three seed, plain and simple. We want to finish the Big 12 season out the way we started it with a road win."
"We finish out our conference at 11-5. That's a good record to get into the NCAA tournament," freshman guard Jacob Pullen said. "Last year they were 10-6 and didn't get in. We don't want to be on the bubble this year."
Cats and Clones tip it up at 3:00 tomorrow.
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