Kansas Jayhawks host hard-charging Wildcats
Frank Martin and his No. 5 Kansas State Wildcats look to extend their quiet run up the college basketball ranks on Wednesday in Lawrence against the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks.
The 2009-10 Kansas Jayhawks might be the best team the Big 12 has ever produced. But are they really 10 points better than the Kansas State Wildcats?
That’s the question of the day for hoops handicappers across the nation. The very smart people at LVSC unleashed their betting odds Tuesday afternoon, pegging Kansas as a 10-point home chalk for Wednesday’s Sunflower Showdown (8 p.m. ET) at the Allen Fieldhouse.
Most offshore books followed with their lines at 9 ½, and even a few 9's available. Should it bet pushed up to 10, this would be the 21st time this season that the Jayhawks (27-2 SU, 10-15-1 ATS) went into go into a game as double-digit favorites. But none of those games was against an opponent as good as the Wildcats (24-4 SU, 16-6-1 ATS).
So why 10 points? Public perception.
Kansas was the preseason No. 1 team in the polls; Kansas State received a smattering of votes, ranking No. 39 among both coaches and AP writers. But as we’ve seen over the course of the season, the difference in talent between these two rivals is much smaller.
The Wildcats have inched their way to No. 5 in both the polls and Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings. And they’ve done so in relative anonymity while the very public Jayhawks (No. 2 for both AP and Pomeroy) have grabbed all the headlines.
This injustice can’t go on forever. Kansas has collapsed under the weight of all that chalk, slipping to 1-8 ATS since January 30. Market surveys now have Kansas State pulling in considerably more support than Kansas over the past 30 days – understandably so at 6-2 ATS. And it all started with the Jayhawks (-3½) needing overtime to beat K-State 81-79 back in Manhattan.
What a game it was. The lead changed hands 20 times in front of a raucous crowd at the Octagon of Doom; Kansas State had a chance to send them home happy at the end of regulation with the score tied at 69, but Tyrel Reed stripped the ball from Dominique Sutton as he drove for the would-be winning bucket. Sherron Collins got the job done instead for Kansas, fighting off back spasms to put the Jayhawks ahead for good with nine seconds left in OT.
Home court is generally considered to be worth three or four points in basketball, so it’s fair to expect Kansas to take Wednesday’s Sunflower Showdown with less resistance. The Jayhawks are also in a “bounce-back” situation after coming out flat in Saturday’s 85-77 loss at Oklahoma State (+6).
“We need to take great pride in the things that help us win,” coach Bill Self told reporters afterward. “Especially this time of year.”
It’ll take all that pride and possibly more to stop K-State on Wednesday. The Wildcats have been very impressive on the road this year, winning their last six in a row at 4-1-1 ATS. Coach Frank Martin has worked wonders with this program in his three years at the helm; despite losing Michael Beasley and Bill Walker to the NBA, Martin was able to get the Wildcats into the NIT last year.
This year’s squad is loaded with experience and supported by a promising cast of freshman reserves, allowing Martin to run one of the faster offenses in Division I. The ‘Cats are outstanding on the offensive glass and get to the free throw line with amazing regularity – although hitting freebies is one of their few weaknesses at 66.0 percent.
Add it all up, and you’ve got the most competitive Sunflower Showdown we’ve seen in over 50 years, when Wilt Chamberlain was playing for Kansas and Tex Winter was his coach. It might be a bit of a stretch to expect the Wildcats to break KU’s 58-game winning streak at home. However, getting within 10 points is entirely within reason.
Pomeroy projects a final score of Kansas 79, Kansas State 71 using his efficiency numbers, which might be just enough scoring to get the 'over' to the pay window for the sixth time in a row in this historic Rivalry.
Frank Martin and his No. 5 Kansas State Wildcats look to extend their quiet run up the college basketball ranks on Wednesday in Lawrence against the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks.
The 2009-10 Kansas Jayhawks might be the best team the Big 12 has ever produced. But are they really 10 points better than the Kansas State Wildcats?
That’s the question of the day for hoops handicappers across the nation. The very smart people at LVSC unleashed their betting odds Tuesday afternoon, pegging Kansas as a 10-point home chalk for Wednesday’s Sunflower Showdown (8 p.m. ET) at the Allen Fieldhouse.
Most offshore books followed with their lines at 9 ½, and even a few 9's available. Should it bet pushed up to 10, this would be the 21st time this season that the Jayhawks (27-2 SU, 10-15-1 ATS) went into go into a game as double-digit favorites. But none of those games was against an opponent as good as the Wildcats (24-4 SU, 16-6-1 ATS).
So why 10 points? Public perception.
Kansas was the preseason No. 1 team in the polls; Kansas State received a smattering of votes, ranking No. 39 among both coaches and AP writers. But as we’ve seen over the course of the season, the difference in talent between these two rivals is much smaller.
The Wildcats have inched their way to No. 5 in both the polls and Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings. And they’ve done so in relative anonymity while the very public Jayhawks (No. 2 for both AP and Pomeroy) have grabbed all the headlines.
This injustice can’t go on forever. Kansas has collapsed under the weight of all that chalk, slipping to 1-8 ATS since January 30. Market surveys now have Kansas State pulling in considerably more support than Kansas over the past 30 days – understandably so at 6-2 ATS. And it all started with the Jayhawks (-3½) needing overtime to beat K-State 81-79 back in Manhattan.
What a game it was. The lead changed hands 20 times in front of a raucous crowd at the Octagon of Doom; Kansas State had a chance to send them home happy at the end of regulation with the score tied at 69, but Tyrel Reed stripped the ball from Dominique Sutton as he drove for the would-be winning bucket. Sherron Collins got the job done instead for Kansas, fighting off back spasms to put the Jayhawks ahead for good with nine seconds left in OT.
Home court is generally considered to be worth three or four points in basketball, so it’s fair to expect Kansas to take Wednesday’s Sunflower Showdown with less resistance. The Jayhawks are also in a “bounce-back” situation after coming out flat in Saturday’s 85-77 loss at Oklahoma State (+6).
“We need to take great pride in the things that help us win,” coach Bill Self told reporters afterward. “Especially this time of year.”
It’ll take all that pride and possibly more to stop K-State on Wednesday. The Wildcats have been very impressive on the road this year, winning their last six in a row at 4-1-1 ATS. Coach Frank Martin has worked wonders with this program in his three years at the helm; despite losing Michael Beasley and Bill Walker to the NBA, Martin was able to get the Wildcats into the NIT last year.
This year’s squad is loaded with experience and supported by a promising cast of freshman reserves, allowing Martin to run one of the faster offenses in Division I. The ‘Cats are outstanding on the offensive glass and get to the free throw line with amazing regularity – although hitting freebies is one of their few weaknesses at 66.0 percent.
Add it all up, and you’ve got the most competitive Sunflower Showdown we’ve seen in over 50 years, when Wilt Chamberlain was playing for Kansas and Tex Winter was his coach. It might be a bit of a stretch to expect the Wildcats to break KU’s 58-game winning streak at home. However, getting within 10 points is entirely within reason.
Pomeroy projects a final score of Kansas 79, Kansas State 71 using his efficiency numbers, which might be just enough scoring to get the 'over' to the pay window for the sixth time in a row in this historic Rivalry.