Lunchtime Mini-Blog-Back at Ya, 'Cats

    The way that ESPN expresses it..Big Monday leads to Super Tuesday. And after Kansas refused to die in the Big 12 race last night with a gritty win at TCU, it is indeed a big moment tonight for Kansas State at Texas if they expect to unseat the Jayhawks.

     Last evening truly looked like the end of the road for KU. They had TCU beaten and then melted away, before somehow getting their game to overtime, with plenty of help from the Horned Frogs and Jamie Dixon. Dixon will revive TCU for a long time, but their last few possessions of regulation where, apparently by design, they ran the shot clock all the way down before ever starting the offense, helped Kansas immensely get to OT.

     It was just the kind of win that Bill Self loves. His team had to be tough and overcome all kinds of negative things. An average game from Dedrick Lawson, foul trouble, and a seeming repeat of what has happened on the road all season, that being a dreadful finish. But by coming back from four down in the last two minutes and then controlling the overtime despite finishing with all the scholarship players they had available on the court, they showed mettle away from Allen Field House this squad hadn’t exhibited.

     It also is the kind of win that can be built on. Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaje were spectacular, and a role player like K.J. Lawson had his best moments as a Jayhawk. The downside was the continued struggles of Quentin Grimes, but that has become the norm for this team anyway. This was one of only two likely stumbling blocks (the other at Texas Tech) on the schedule, and the Jayhawks changed the landscape with the win.

     It puts real pressure on Kansas State tonight in Austin, where the ‘Cats will be an underdog to UT. In my mind a Wildcat loss creates a tie with Kansas, since I have to consider their looming matchup in Lawrence a very likely win for the Jayhawks. Kansas State received a real blow today with the news that Cartier Diarra is out for the foreseeable future with hand surgery. Diarra had just found his stride for KSU of late.

     Texas has played better recently in taking three of their last four, and their only home loss in the league was a tight one to Tech. Mikey McGuirl looms as a major figure for the ‘Cats now to have some real bench production, since the core players have been in outstanding form during K-State’s eight game league winning streak.

     Looking at the schedules, it would be hard all of a sudden to not make Kansas the favorite if Texas takes down KSU. Yes, every twenty- four hours in this league can change things that much. Iowa State would have been my choice if they had won their home game Saturday against TCU, but instead they got stomped. They still are a viable challenger, though.

     This whole intriguing mess can be shown in microcosm by KSU’s week. Win in Austin and take out Iowa State at home Saturday, and you would have put plenty of sweat on KU’s brow.

     Anything else, and by late Saturday night it might look like déjà vu all over again in the Big 12.