Anybody follow/read @CatCallsKSU? http://www.catcalls.cc/sports/2014/01/time-cats-figure-win-road/?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_campaign=hootsuite
I'll let you be the judge.
blocked @ work
by Ricky A. Roma on January 27, 2014 In Sports | 26 Views
It’s been a rough few days for the K-State hoops squad. First, they lost a heartbreaker in Texas on Tuesday when Jonathan Holmes splashed in a three ball to win it at the buzzer. Then, they had to travel to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, which is never a fun place to play. Despite trailing by a dozen at halftime, the Cats scrapped their way back into it, and the teams went back and forth for most of the second half. However, the Cyclones were able to pull out a gritty win behind a lot of threes and free throws.
K-State comes home to play Texas Tech on Tuesday, so I expect to see Bramlage rockin’. It’s only the second week of class, so you can’t pull the homework excuse yet, and we really, really need a win. Honestly though, it’s Tech; as wary as I am of writing an opponent off in this conference, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. We’ll beat Tech; what we need to worry about is the rest of our road trips.
We’ve played four conference road games thus far, and have come out on top just once. That one hardly even counts, either; it was at TCU. Granted, two of the other three were in Lawrence and Ames, both notoriously hostile environments, but we’re far from out of the woods when it comes to travel. We have yet to play at West Virginia, Baylor, Oklahoma, Tech, or Oklahoma State, and we’re gonna have to do pretty well in those games.
Road performance is strongly considered by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, so if K-State’s on the bubble, a losing away record could be a dealbreaker. After that 11-game win streak, it seemed we were a lock for the tournament, but at the moment, nothing’s certain. If we drop more than two of the remaining road games, we could be in danger of missing the tournament.
We’re into the final third of the regular season, so every game is crucial from here on out. The grinding Big 12 conference rotation is sure to take a toll on pretty much every team, and the young, inexperienced Wildcats could be a recipe for disaster.
Don’t get me wrong, I think this team has the potential not only to play in the tourney, but to make some noise, but getting there will be tricky. It’s going to come down to the poise of oscar and his men, especially on the road. Will Thomas Gipson step up when it matters? Will Marcus Foster continue to silence enemy crowds with well-timed threes? Will Jevon Thomas avoid turnovers and make a few free throws?
Like I said, be there in Bramlage to back the squad and send ‘em off to Morgantown with a confidence-building win (knock on wood). On February 1st, they’ll face the first in a series of road tests that will determine whether they spend March dancing or home on the couch.
By Ricky A. Roma
Ricky Roma came to K-State after spending his high school years punching the clock at a greasy pizza joint in South Side Chicago. He’s good enough with words that he passes classes with relative ease, and instead spends his time writing sarcastic columns to post on the internet.
