LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas has dismissed cornerback Eric Rivers and suspended linebacker Kendall Duckworth after both were arrested early Monday in connection with an alleged robbery over the weekend.
Rivers has also been accused of sexual battery and criminal restraint in a separate incident.
Jayhawks coach David Beatty said in a statement that he is still gathering information related to the cases. But he told the Lawrence Journal-World that Rivers is no longer with the team.
Duckworth, a 6-foot-1 linebacker from Naples, Florida, made three tackles in seven games during his freshman season. Rivers, a 5-9 cornerback from Arlington, Texas, redshirted last season.
The 2015 10-1 Junction City Blue Jay football team captured a number of awards, and they were honored during the quarterly USD 475 Board of Education celebration.
Among them were a Centennial League co-championship, District and Regional titles, eight All-league player recognitions including Tim Bell, Darius Hicks, Aryus Jones, Willie Mabry, Christien Ozores, Wayne Shirley, Stephon Starks, and Raye Wilson.
Raye Wilson and Christien Ozores were named 1st team All-State Class 6A by the Kansas Football Coaches Association and Topeka Capital Journal.
Coach Randall Zimmerman and Raye Wilson will participate in the Shrine Bowl. Zimmerman was also named 2015 Centennial League Coach of the Year and Wilson was the 2015 Offensive Player of the Year.
left to right — Randall Zimmerman, Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt, Raye Wilson, and Board of Education member Carolyn Gaston
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State comeback fell inches short as freshman Dean Wade missed a potential game-winning 3-point basket to give No. 25/25 Texas a 71-70 win on Monday night before a crowd of 11,629 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Down by as many as eight points in the second half, the Wildcats (15-13, 4-11 Big 12) slowly chipped away at the deficit, closing to one point on three occasions, including 71-70 after a 3-pointer by freshman Barry Brown with 20 seconds left. Texas senior Javan Felix missed the front-end of a 1-and-1 with 14 seconds to set up the last play.
The loss spoiled a stellar all-around performance from senior Justin Edwards, who led the Wildcats in three categories, including a career-best 20 points on 8-of-16 field goals to go with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. He has now scored in double figures in a team-leading 22 games, including six consecutive games.
Junior D.J. Johnson continued his impressive play with 16 points on 6-of-9 field goals to go with 6 rebounds and a career-tying 3 blocks, while junior Wesley Iwundu chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Johnson has now registered double figures five times in the last six games, all in a starting role.
Texas (18-10, 9-6 Big 12) was led by junior Isaiah Taylor’s 19 points, who scored the Longhorns’ final 5 points, including a critical 3-pointer with 43 seconds. Felix scored 13 points on 6-of-11 field goals, while freshman reserve Eric Davis, Jr. added 10 points for a Texas bench that held a 28-8 advantage.
In an unusual twist, neither team recorded a steal in the contest. It marked just the sixth time in school history that the Wildcats went without a steal since it became a statistic in 1979-80 and the first time since 2013.
The Longhorns swept the season series for the second consecutive series after a 60-57 win at home on Jan. 5.
The Basics
Final Score: 25/25 Texas 71, Kansas State 70
Records: Kansas State 15-12, 4-10 Big 12 // 25/25 Texas 17-10, 8-6 Big 12
Attendance: 11,629
Next Game: Saturday, Feb. 27 // vs. 17/17 Iowa State // 5 p.m. CT // ESPN2
The Short Story
Kansas State’s comeback effort fell just short as freshman Dean Wade’s game-winning 3-pointer fell just short in a 71-70 loss to Texas in Bramlage Coliseum on Monday night.
Down as many as 8 points in the second half, the Wildcats cut the lead to one point on three occasions, including 71-70 after a 3-pointer by freshman Barry Brown with 20 seconds.
A missed free throw on a 1-and-1 by senior Javan Felix gave K-State one last chance with 14 seconds.
The loss spoiled impressive performance by senior Justin Edwards, who led the Wildcats with a career-high 20 points to go with team-highs in rebounds (8) and assists (5).
Juniors D.J. Johnson and Wesley Iwundu also scored in double figures with 16 and 12 points, respectively.
Texas was led by junior Isaiah Taylor’s team-high 19 points on 5-of-8 field goals and 8-of-8 free throws.
The Longhorns have now swept the season series in consecutive seasons.
How It Happened | First Half
Texas took an early 2-0 lead just 28 seconds into the half after two free throws from Connor Lammert.
Edwards rattled off seven straight points for the Wildcats to close the gap before the second media timeout, 14-12. The senior scored 10 of the Wildcats’ first 12 points.
The game met its first deadlock at 16-all after an emphatic Johnson slam with 10:42 left in the first half, but the Longhorns crept back in front by the under-8 media, 20-18.
Neither team would record a field goal make for more than three minutes as the teams exchanged free throw makes for 12 consecutive points.
Iwundu helped K-State earn its first lead, 29-27, with 3:49 to play with an old-fashioned three-point play and the Wildcats stretched it to 33-30, at the 2:06 mark.
The Longhorns answered a Carlbe Ervin II layup with 9 seconds left with a 3-pointer from Kendal Yancy just three seconds before the break to take a 38-35 advantage into the locker room.
K-State shot 42.9 percent (12-of-28), including 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the line, while Texas was 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the field and 85.7 percent (12-of-14) from the stripe.
Edwards and Johnson led the Wildcats with 12 points apiece in the first half.
K-State dominated Texas in the paint, outscoring the Longhorns 18-8.
How It Happened | Second Half
After pulling within two, 42-40, the Longhorns scored five points, including a 3-point basket by big man Lammert to take a 47-40 lead into the first media timeout.
Texas created its largest lead of the game after freshman Kerwin Roach, Jr. hit a 3-pointer to put the Longhorns up 50-42 with 13:16 to play in the game.
An Iwundu free throw cut the margin to one, 62-61 with 4:01 to play, but the Longhorns were able to push the lead back to five, 66-61, with 2:39 remaining.
A Brown 3-pointer cut the lead to 71-70 with 20 ticks left before Felix missed the front-end of a 1-and-1 to give K-State a last chance opportunity.
That final chance fell to Wade, whose 3-point attempt grazed the front of the iron to preserve the 71-70 win for Texas.
After being held scoreless in the first half, Wade posted 9 points to lead all Wildcat scorers in the second half with Edwards scoring 8 and Iwundu adding 7.
Taylor went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to lead the Longhorns with 13 points in the half.
Beyond the Boxscore
11 of K-State’s 13 losses have come to Top 25 opponents, including 10 in league play… The 12 games against ranked opponents tie 2 other teams (2010-11 and 2014-15) for the most in school history.
K-State still leads the series with Texas, 17-15, including 9-5 in Manhattan… The Longhorns take the season series for the second consecutive season with the 4-game winning streak the longest in the series.
Neither team recorded a steal in the contest, as K-State was held without a steal for the sixth time overall in school history and the first time since at Texas Tech (2/5/2013).
Edwards led the team in scoring for the team-leading 10th time with 20 points on 8-of-16 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range… It was his first career 20-point game at K-State and his team-leading 22nd double figure scoring game… He posted a team-highs in both rebounds (8) and assists (5).
Johnson scored in double figures for the 9th time this season with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field… He also pulled down 6 rebounds and led the team with a career-tying 3 blocks.
Iwundu scored 12 points off of 4-of-9 shooting from the field and pulled down 6 rebounds and dished out 3 assists… It marked his 20th double-figure scoring game of the season.
Quotable
“It was a great shot,” said head coach Bruce Weber. “I mean what do you say? No timeouts, Barry [Brown] made a great pass. Dean [Wade] is open, you have got them in a scramble. We had called a high ball screen and read it. Next time, [Dean] will make that shot, and he will make a bunch of them before his career is over.”
Up Next
K-State finishes the regular season with 2 of its last 3 games on the road, beginning Saturday at 17/17 Iowa State (19-9, 8-7 Big 12) at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Cyclones won the first meeting, 76-63, in Manhattan on Jan. 16.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – To provide a safer environment for the public and significantly expedite guest entry into venues, K-State Athletics will implement, beginning in 2016-17 for all ticketed events, the NFL clear bag policy that many other collegiate programs and professional leagues have already adopted, department officials have announced.
“Fan experience and the safety of our guests is a top priority of K-State Athletics,” said Athletics Director John Currie. “World events continue to shape the methods utilized for venue security, and we are instituting this policy to enhance public safety and make overall venue access more efficient.”
Guests will be able to carry the following style and size bag, package or container into the venue:
Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12.”
One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).
Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand (4.5” x 6.5”), with or without a handle or strap can be taken into the venue with one of the clear plastic bags.
An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection.
To assist with the transition to this new policy, football season ticket holders will receive one approved clear plastic bag per account when their season tickets are mailed in August. Official K-State team logo clear plastic tote bags will also be available at K-State Super Store locations.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, diaper bags, seat cushions and chairbacks with pockets and zippers, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.
Guests will continue to be able to enjoy their tailgate activities in the parking lots and to do so with greater safety and the knowledge that their entry into the venue will be smoother and more secure. They also will continue to be able to carry items allowed into the venue, such as binoculars, cameras, and smart phones.
Click here for more information, which includes a thorough list of FAQ’s in addition to a detailed “approved bag policy” diagram that highlights all approved and non-approved bags, and visit k-statesports.com for full details and more information.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tyler Wolfe and Steve Serratore each had three two-out RBI while Levi MaVorhis threw seven shutout innings to lead K-State to an 8-1 win over UC Riverside on Sunday at the Riverside Sports Complex.
Photo courtesy K-State Athletics
K-State (2-1) busted out for season-highs in runs and hits (9) in the young season, keyed by Wolfe’s bases-clearing double in the fifth that capped a four-run frame. Serratore, meanwhile, had the game’s first run-producing hit in the first, a two-out RBI double, and punched back for the Wildcats in the ninth with a two-run single after UC Riverside (1-2) scored its only run in the bottom of the eighth. The three RBI for both Wolfe and Serratore, former teammates at Des Moines Area Community College, matched their respective career-highs.
The Wildcats drove in all eight of their runs with two outs.
“It’s been kind of a struggle. We’ve had some opportunities for big hits and haven’t gotten it,” said K-State head coach Brad Hill. “Yesterday, Wolfe hit the ball on the nose four times and did not have a hit to show for it. He stayed with the same approach today, and did not try to do too much. Serratore’s hit really put the game away. They scored one (in the eighth), but we came back to score two. That’s what I like to call a ‘death blow.’ That put the game away from us.”
The offensive outburst supported MaVorhis’ first appearance since April of last season. The senior surrendered four hits, including just one after the second inning, and struck out five against one walk in the winning decision. The five strikeouts were his most since March 14, 2014 when he had eight against Northern Colorado.
Also, the victory for MaVorhis, his first since April 12, 2015 vs. TCU, was the 14th of his career – which are tied for the 11th-most in K-State history.
“Another quality start for us,” said Hill about MaVorhis as all three K-State starters so far in the series have turned in a quality outing. “He was really composed on the mound and made good pitches.”
After Serratore delivered the RBI double in the first to give K-State an early 1-0 lead, the Wildcats staged their biggest threat in the fifth. Sparked by a leadoff walk from Quintin Crandall, K-State went on to load the bases following a single by Brooks Zimmerman, his first career hit, and a free pass drawn by Josh Ethier. Clayton Dalrymple then hit into a force out at the plate, but Jake Wodtke hustled out a high-chopping infield single to score Zimmerman and keep the inning alive. Wolfe proceeded Wodtke with a deep drive to the left field warning track that emptied the bases and staked the Wildcats to a 5-0 advantage.
Wodtke struck again in the seventh with another infield RBI single that drove in Dalrymple and added to the lead. With two outs, Dalrymple ripped a 2-0 pitch into right field to reach with his second hit of the day. The senior promptly stole second on the first pitch during Wodtke’s at-bat and reached third on the play after catcher Drake Zarate’s throw sailed into center field.
The two RBI for Wodtke helped him finish the day 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. It was his second straight two-hit game as he has a hit in all three games this season and is batting .500 (5-for-10).
Overall: K-State leads 17-14 (series began in 1971)
In Big 12 era: Texas leads 14-11 (4-7 on the road)
In Manhattan: K-State leads 9-4 (last meeting – 2/7/2015)
Current Streak: Texas, 3
Last Meeting: Texas, 60-57, in Austin, Texas, on 1/5/2016
Weber vs. Texas: 4-5 (2-1 at home)
Weber vs. Smart: 0-1 (0-0 at home)
QUICK HITTERS
Kansas State (15-12, 4-10 Big 12) makes a quick turn for its second home game in a 3-day span on Monday night, as the Wildcats welcome No. 24/25 Texas (17-10, 8-6 Big 12) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2. It will be the second of 3 consecutive vs. Top 25 opponents, which includes No. 13/15 Iowa State (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday.
K-State has just one home game left on Wednesday, March 2 vs. TCU (11-16, 2-12 Big 12) sandwiched between road contests at No. 13/15 Iowa State and surging Texas Tech (17-9, 7-7 Big 12) on Saturday, March 5.
Monday’s game will be the 32nd in the series with the Wildcats owning a 17-14 edge, including a 9-4 mark at home. The Longhorns have won 3 in a row and are looking to sweep the season series for the second straight season after winning 60-57 at home on Jan. 5.
Freshman Barry Brown led K-State in the first meeting with Texas with 15 points off the bench, while senior Justin Edwards collected his first career double-double with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
K-State owns the 12th-best strength of schedule and has played 11 Top 25 opponents, including 9 in Big 12 play. Ten of the 12 losses have come to teams that are currently ranked in the AP Top 25, including 6 in Top 10. All 12 losses have come to teams with a combined record of 174-68 (.719).
K-State is 11-4 at Bramlage Coliseum (12-4 at home overall) with its only losses coming to Top 25 foes West Virginia, Iowa State, Baylor and Kansas. Overall, the team is 33-53 (.386) vs. the Top 25 in the arena’s history with 30 coming vs. ranked Big 12 foes and an 18-13 mark since 2008.
K-State saw its 2-game winning streak against Kansas at home end on Saturday, as the No. 2/2 Jayhawks closed the game on a 7-1 run to end a late rally by the Wildcats, 72-63. K-State had closed the game to 3 points twice in the last 2:50 after trailing by as many as 17 in second half.
Senior Stephen Hurt led the way in both points (13) and rebounds (9) from the bench, while Brown (13), senior Justin Edwards (11) and junior D.J. Johnson (11) also posted double figures.
Hurt became the 7th different player to lead the Wildcats in scoring this season, as 8 players have combined for 91 double figure scoring games with 7 of those players earning at least 8 double-digit scoring games.
With Brown’s 13-point effort, freshmen have now led in scoring 13 times (including 7 Big 12 games) with a combined 33 double-figure scoring games. He is averaging 11.2 points in starting the last 5 games.
–www.kstatesports.com–
———— TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) – Ron Baker scored 14 points and Wichita State rolled over Indiana State 84-51 on Sunday.
Baker had five rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Shaquille Morris, Zach Brown and Markis McDuffie all finished with 11 points for the Shockers (21-7, 14-2 Missouri Valley), who have won four of five and clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
Indiana State (13-15, 7-9) was led by Brenton Scott with 14 points, and Devonte Brown added 11. The Sycamores shot 31 percent, including 5 of 26 (19 percent) from beyond the arc and have lost five straight.
The game was tied at seven after 4 1/2 minutes, but Wichita State took over from there. A 15-4 run made it 22-11 and the Shockers led 44-26 at the break. Wichita State opened the second half with a 10-2 run and the rout was on.
The Kansas Jayhawks led by 17 points in the second half but then survived a Kansas State rally to defeat the Wildcats 72-63 at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State pulled within three points with less than two minutes but Devonte Graham of Kansas hit a jumper and the Jayhawks made some free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
KU standout Perry Ellis had to leave the game after suffering an injury, but coach Bill Self didn’t point to that as a reason for the comeback by the Wildcats. “Well I think if we say it was real important it takes away from them playing well down the stretch. Whoever’s in there has got to step up. We missed him.”
As for Ellis’ condition Self reported, “He had 12 stitches ( for a cut behind his right ear ) , and then the serious deal, Wayne ( Selden Jr. ) scratched him in the eye. And we’ll go back and have an eye doctor look at it. They’re hoping it’s just a scratch. If that’s the case he should be okay. If it’s anything more than who knows. We think he’ll be fine, but he doesn’t feel very good right now.”
K-State coach Bruce Weber stated the stretch just before halftime was probably the difference in the game. Turnovers during that stretch hurt the Wildcats. “And they took advantage just like the last two minutes of the game at their place, built that lead, expanded it a little bit the second half. But our guys didn’t quit and they kept battling.”
K-State hosts Texas Monday night while the Jayhawks play at Baylor Tuesday.
Kansas Jayhawk players Wayne Selden and Frank Mason talking to the media after the win over Kansas State.
Final Score: 2/2 Kansas 72, Kansas State 63
Records: Kansas State 15-12, 4-10 Big 12 // 2/2 Kansas 23-4, 11-3 Big 12
Attendance: 12,528 (sellout)
Miscellaneous Notes
Kansas now leads the series, 190-93, including 76-47 in Manhattan… The Jayhawks take the season series for the first time since 2012-13… It is the first home loss to Kansas since 2013.
K-State is 138-27 at Bramlage Coliseum over the past 10 seasons, including 61-22 mark in Big 12 play… The Wildcats are 11-4 at Bramlage Coliseum and 12-4 at home overall this season.
Stephen Hurt, coach Bruce Weber, and Justin Edwards visit with the media.
Ten of K-State’s 12 losses have come to Top 25 opponents, including 6 in the Top 10… Nine of the team’s 10 league losses have come to ranked foes.
K-State used a lineup of freshman Barry Brown, senior Justin Edwards, junior Wesley Iwundu, freshman Dean Wade and juniorD.J Johnson for the second time this season… Iwundu is the only player to start all 27 games.
Team Notes
K-State’s 63 points came on 37.7 percent shooting (20-of-53) from the field, including 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from 3-point range… The Wildcats fall to 7-7 when not reaching 70 points.
K-State shot 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line. The Wildcats are now 5-6 when the squad shoots 70 percent or better from the free throw line this season and 34-21 in the Bruce Weber era.
Kansas attempted 30 free throws during the game… K-State is now 3-7 this season when shooting less free throws than their opponent.
K-State trailed 39-29 at the half after shooting just 39.3 percent from the field… The Wildcats fell to 2-8 this season when trailing at the half.
Player Notes
Freshman Barry Brown and senior Stephen Hurt led the team in scoring with 13 points… Brown scored in double figures for the 11th time this season… Hurt scored in double figures for the 9th time.
Hurt pulled down a team-leading 9 rebounds, marking 5th time this season that he has led the team in that category… Hurt added 2 steals and 1 assist on the day.
Brown’s 13 points came off of 2-of-8 from 3-point range and 3-of-4 from the free throw line… Brown dished out 2 assists and added 2 steals.
Freshmen have now led the Wildcats in scoring 13 times, including 7 times in Big 12 play.
Senior Justin Edwards scored in double figures for the 21stgame this season… Edwards’ 11 points came off of 5-of-12 from the field… He also pulled down 8 rebounds and dished out a team leading 3 assists, marking the 10th time this season he has led the team in assists.
Junior D.J. Johnson scored 11 points off of 9-of-10 from the free throw line and pulled down 6 rebounds.
Senior Wesley Iwundu added 8 points and dished out a team-leading 3 assists, marking the 14th time this season that Iwundu has led the team in that category.
KANSAS STATE POSTGAME QUOTES
Head coach Bruce Weber
On KU’s key players….
“They have so many different weapons. [Devonte’] Graham and [Perry] Ellis the last couple of weeks have played as well as anyone in the country. To me, if they win the league, Ellis should be player of the year. I know Buddy [Hield] is maybe National Player of the Year, but I think Perry should be Player of the Year. If you win the league and if you take your team to the championship, you should be the MVP, that is what it is about. You have Frank [Mason III] who is a warrior. It seems like they are pretty unselfish and play together. One game it is one guy and the next it is another. They do not seem to have much jealousy. You got a lot of guys that can make plays and when their guys come off the bench that makes a big difference. Turnover points and the bench points were probably the difference for us in winning and losing.”
On Stephen Hurt and Justin Edwards…
“Stephen had a great game at their place. It was, I think, his career in minutes that night. He had 28 [minutes] and had a double-double. After that, his knee was bothering him, and he has not had as good of production and he has struggled. I am happy for him that he came back and played with great energy and fought and almost had a double-double again. Obviously the three’s gave us a chance and got us back in the game along with D.J. [Johnson]’s plays and Justin’s plays at the hoop. I am happy for him and I am happy for Justin too. I just told him before the game, go do the things you do. Go rebound and worry about that stuff. I thought Justin was much more determined and played strong.”
On playing without Kamau Stokes….
“Obviously, and I am not making excuses, it would be nice to have Kamau. If you take Frank [Mason III] out of there, you take [Devonte’] Graham out of there, it is a whole different thing. Kamau is not even in their league right now, but he gives you a point guard – someone that can direct and make plays. Our guys have done a nice job. Justin [Edwards] even brought it up today and got it into D.J. [Johnson] a few times. Wesley [Iwundu] did it a few times and Barry [Brown]. There is no doubt we have had our chances and you have to have playmakers. We make the run, Graham [makes a move] on D.J. and pops up, swish. We had our chances and we did not come up with it.”
Guard Justin Edwards On mindset moving forward… “I am just focusing on Texas. That is our next game and our next task at hand. I am just focused on them, getting back in the gym tomorrowand preparing for them.”
On Big 12 schedule… “Obviously it is a tough schedule. Every single team in the Big 12 is good. There are no easy teams, so it has just been up and down. We just have to be consistent and play hard and good things will happen.”
On losing close games… “Obviously, it sucks. I feel like when we spot teams a lot of points like that it is hard to come back. Especially good teams, so we just have to stop spotting them so many points, and I think we will be fine.”
Forward Stephen Hurt
On second half comeback… “I feel like with this team, we are never going to give up. We are always going to keep fighting. Nobody is going to give up out there. We just listened to Coach [Weber] and we executed really well in that stretch. We cut it to three and had our chance, so we just have to execute a little bit better and cut down on the turnovers and defensive miscues and we will be fine.”
On Sandstorm playing late in the game… “Everybody was hype. But me personally, I just tried to stay grounded. Even though we were on a run, we still had work to do. In the end, we did not close it out, but it was great to have the crowd going. We appreciate what the fans do for us. They get us going and get us juiced. I just wish we could have got the win.”
On losing close games… “We are a fighting team. We are going to keep doing what we have to do. Listening to coach, working hard in practice. We just have to finish the game out. We need to cut out the other teams runs and just execute better.”
KANSAS POSTGAME QUOTES
Head coach Bill Self
On K-State players wanting a court storm…
“I think it is fine that they made mention of [Brannen Greene’s] dunk. The home team uses whatever motivation they can. Trust me, we will do the same thing. I think that registers more with fans than it does with players at least on the opposing side. I do think we can use a lot of things as motivation. Last year’s court storming was motivation for us. You can always take something and spin it. We really did not have to do that.”
On makeshift lineup of players…
“We actually played really well for about 28 minutes, and got up 17 [points]. Then, we made some of the most bonehead plays that led to fouls for Jamari [Traylor] and Landen [Lucas] and Perry [Ellis] was out. So, you are right, that was a makeshift lineup. I think Hunter [Mickelson] might have had the best defensive play of the game in the deflection that went off of D.J. [Johnson]. Jamari [Traylor] got a big dunk, Wayne [Selden Jr.] had an offensive rebound put back, and Devonte’ [Graham] who had a goose egg I think, makes the biggest shot of the game. So, it was makeshift, and we did not really have anything going for us at all in the last eight minutes or so. We did have guys step up and make enough plays.”
On Perry Ellis absence during long stretch…
“I think if we say it was really important, you take away from them playing well down the stretch. Whoever is in there has to step up, but we missed him. He got 12 stitches and the serious deal was when Wayne [Selden Jr.] scratched him in the eye. We will go back and have an eye doctor look at it – they are hoping it is just a scratch. If that is the case, he should be okay. If there is anything more than that, then who knows? We think he will be fine, but he does not feel very well right now.”
Guard Frank Mason III
On winning at K-State for the first time in two years….
“It was very important for me and the guys. There are a couple of us that have not had a win here and we took that personal. We just came out and executed the game plan, doing the things coach wanted us to do to give us the best chance to win.”
On having a two game lead in the Big 12…..
“We are in decent position, but we are not satisfied with where we are at. We are not satisfied with the team we are right now. We still need to get better. There are still a lot of things we could do better, definitely can get better on the defensive end. We are looking forward to a good team on Tuesday with Baylor. We will go practice tomorrow andMonday and then hopefully go over there and get the win.”
Guard Wayne Selden Jr.
On K-State’s comeback….
“Just getting stops was the biggest thing. We predicated on what we were doing by getting stops and playing good defense, and I feel like we did that for a large stretch of the game but then we got away from it. Then we did not take care of the ball.”
On playing without Perry Ellis in second half…..
“It gave them a little momentum and a lot more confidence. Then Landen (Lucas) was on the bench with foul trouble, Jamari (Traylor) was in foul trouble and it was kind of shaky at times, but we pulled it out and got stops. Then, Perry came back and that just made us feel more comfortable. Perry does not even have to do much but just have him out there.”
–www.kstatesports.com–
———— TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas has dismissed cornerback Eric Rivers and suspended linebacker Kendall Duckworth after both were arrested early Monday in connection with an alleged robbery over the weekend.
