The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Easy as 200 -- So Not That Easy
vs.

The Wildcats may have jumped out to a big lead early, but they had to give their all to fight back the Baylor Bears and help Guy West earn his 200th career win.

Fresh off of their win over the suddenly free-falling Longhorns (losers of 3 of their last 4), the Wildcats came into this Big 12 match-up confident and ready to roll. They attacked the basket with reckless abandon and built up a 12 point lead by overwhelming the paint and working the fast break. But the good times were only to roll for so long.

Maybe the Wildcats were a little too overzealous on defense. Both Dandorriss Walls and DeMarcus Ross got into quick foul trouble, leaving a gaping hole in defense in the middle. It did not take long for Baylor to get back into the game. Dana Worthington was able to make some noise in the middle, but Baylor continued to attack the basket and began to make noise from beyond the three point line. And with Justin Guzman and Esteban Kummer cold behind the line, Baylor was able to make things competitive.

Kansas State had a huge edge in offensive rebounds, which led to plenty of extra opportunities.

So where the game turned was in the trenches. Kansas State came in with a significant size advantage in the 2-5 spots, and it paid off on both ends of the floor. If there was a loose ball in the air, it would go to the Wildcats. Once again, West's squad had a significant edge on the offensive glass, and the ability to convert missed shots into points helped keep them afloat.

But eventually keeping afloat was not going to cut it. Baylor got into rhythm quickly in the second half, and for awhile things were neck and neck. Ross and Walls managed to stay out of foul trouble, but by this point Steven Stiles and Fred Blair were all too happy to shoot over Kansas State's 2-3 zone. Add in Justin Guzman suddenly getting careless with the ball, and Baylor eventually seized their first lead of the game.

Esteban Kummer snapped out of his recent shooting slump in the second half.

Fortunately for the Wilcats, their long range shooting kicked into gear to put the game out of reach. First Justin Guzman scored two straight three pointers, then Esteban Kummer turned a broken play into an opportunistic score from the sideline. Add in Gatling continuing his hot shooting from beyond the arc, and the Wildcats were able to stretch out the lead far enough to force Baylor into fouling. All the young Wildcats needed to do to bring the win home was to convert at the charity stripe. Kansas State hit 8 straight free throws, and as a result helped Guy West celebrate his 200th win by a final score of 75-66.

Baylor Bears at Kansas State Wildcats
Feb 4, 2018	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Baylor 14-6 (5-1)	36	30	66
Kansas State 12-5 (2-4)	40	35	75

Baylor Bears
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Stiles	22	5-8	2-2	0-0	0	7	4	0	2	12
M. Lyons	19	1-7	0-4	2-2	1	1	0	0	0	4
F. Blair	22	7-17	3-8	4-6	6	3	2	0	1	21
H. Havens	9	0-3	0-1	0-0	2	1	0	0	1	0
S. Boggan	20	0-2	0-0	2-2	5	0	0	1	1	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Dickerson	10	3-6	1-3	1-1	1	2	0	0	0	8
L. Gill	18	2-5	0-0	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	4
I. Knox	14	3-5	0-0	1-2	4	0	3	0	0	7
S. Payton	9	2-8	1-3	0-0	1	0	0	1	0	5
S. Wilkins	3	1-1	1-1	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	3
J. Leach	-- DID NOT PLAY --
C. Phelps	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		24-62	8-22	10-13	22	15	11	2	5	66

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	22	2-6	2-5	0-0	2	7	1	0	4	6
E. Kummer	23	3-6	3-6	0-1	1	4	1	1	1	9
B. Gatling	22	6-16	4-11	0-0	8	1	0	0	2	16
D. Walls	16	3-9	0-0	7-7	9	3	1	1	1	13
D. Ross	14	4-7	0-0	4-5	9	3	1	1	1	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	15	4-6	0-0	8-10	2	1	0	1	0	16
M. Mathis	12	0-0	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	1	1	0
R. Guzman	13	0-3	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	0	0	0
M. Martin	8	1-1	1-1	0-0	2	0	0	0	1	3
C. Geiger	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0
J. Hayes	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Mendoza	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		23-54	10-23	19-23	39	19	4	6	11	75

[mpejkrm]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Congratulations on your 200th win! Nice to see this dynasty last this long. I'm hoping I can have mine last as long as yours, I've really enjoyed all of this. Good luck in your next game.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Congratulations on your 200th win! Nice to see this dynasty last this long. I'm hoping I can have mine last as long as yours, I've really enjoyed all of this. Good luck in your next game.

Thanks so much! There have definitely been a few stretches where I put down the game a bit, but as long as I keep enjoying playing the game, I'll keep posting here as well. Part of the fun is being able to share.

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Congrats on win #200 and here's to 200 more

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Congrats on win #200 and here's to 200 more

Got a ways to go, but it's the plan.

I wonder if I'll get the next 200 in Manhattan...or I guess even the next 20 given my job security.

But hopefully these last two games are a step forward in the Big 12 that I can follow through.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Fighting Momentum

vs.

The two entered conference play flying high. The Wildcats crashed but may have righted the ship. The Cyclones? There's no telling just how far they have left to fall.

Dandorris Walls authoritates in the paint

Kansas State built a lead by battling in the inside -- which was fortunate because they went 0-9 from beyond the arc. For awhile the Wildcats were able to survive by fighting on defense and working in transition. But West warned his team during an early second half time out that they needed to pick up the effort or they would let the Cyclones back in the game. Unfortunately that is what happened.

Although Iowa State struggled from beyond the arc early, they managed to hit shots when it counted and slowly wound Kansas State's lead to nothing. With the game neck and neck, Justin Guzman had a chance to put it away with 30 seconds to go. The Wildcats were clinging to a one point lead, and on a pick and roll the Iowa State defense collapsed into the paint. Guzman was all alone at the top of the key, his favorite spot. And despite going 0-4 from beyond the arc for the game, he knew there would never be a more open shot for the entire game.

And he missed it. Badly.

Iowa State charged down the court, but their fast break, which had served them so well in the second half, did not beat the Wildcats in transition. With no time outs, the Cyclones went into half court, but they could not beat man to man. The ball ended up in the hands of star Center Calvin Galdbreath, who was beyond the arc. He shot the three as time expired, but it rimmed out. As a result, Iowa State drops another close game which the Kansas State Wildcats get back to .500 in conference by a final margin of 66-65.

Kansas State Wildcats at Iowa State Cyclones
Feb 7, 2018	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Kansas State 13-5 (3-4)	38	28	66
Iowa State 13-7 (2-6)	31	34	65

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	23	0-5	0-5	0-0	4	9	0	0	3	0
E. Kummer	21	2-8	0-5	0-0	5	1	0	0	1	4
B. Gatling	23	3-11	1-7	0-0	4	4	1	0	1	7
D. Walls	21	8-13	0-0	0-0	5	2	0	3	0	16
D. Ross	19	10-20	0-0	1-2	8	2	1	3	2	21
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	11	5-8	0-0	1-2	2	0	0	1	0	11
M. Mathis	10	0-1	0-0	0-0	5	1	0	0	0	0
R. Guzman	9	2-2	0-0	3-3	0	0	1	0	0	7
M. Martin	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	2	0	0	0	0
C. Geiger	7	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	1	0	0	0	0
J. Hayes	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Mendoza	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		30-70	1-18	5-7	36	22	3	7	7	66

Iowa State Cyclones
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Edwards	24	6-14	1-4	2-2	2	4	0	2	2	15
D. Blankenship	22	6-12	2-6	1-2	1	8	2	0	0	15
S. Holt	21	7-15	0-0	1-1	4	3	0	0	0	15
C. Prince	17	0-0	0-0	0-0	5	0	1	1	0	0
C. Galbreath	24	4-10	0-1	0-0	6	1	1	3	1	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
U. Graham	18	2-6	0-2	0-0	7	0	1	0	1	4
O. Farmer	12	2-7	1-3	0-0	1	2	0	0	1	5
O. Fraser	4	1-2	0-1	1-2	2	0	0	0	0	3
M. Kornyn	8	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	2	1	0	1	0
C. Massie	-- DID NOT PLAY --
C. Terry	-- DID NOT PLAY --
A. Sanchez	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		28-67	4-18	5-7	29	20	66	6	6	65

[baccVols]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

looks like a good season coming together. I so Cant wait to get to a power conference. thats where the fun begins. i need to get so motivation going

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

looks like a good season coming together. I so Cant wait to get to a power conference. thats where the fun begins. i need to get so motivation going

It is refreshing to be tested in conference play every time, that's for sure. No more pushovers for half of the schedule (unless you feast on cupcakes early of course)

[southernmetalhead]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Nail biter vs. Iowa State, congrats on three Big XII wins in a row.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

2018 Mid-Season Update

The Big 12 is having one of its strongest years in recent memory, but if there is one thing fans may lament, it is the fact that no team is able to dominate over any other team. Come tournament time, will the committee recognize the level of competition in the Big 12 as an asset? Or will teams be penalized for a high number of conference losses.

One thing is for sure: whoever makes it out on top will be bloody, bruised, but better for it. Right now Baylor is in pole position, but there are a number of teams hot on their heels.

Big 12 Conference Standings 2018 Conference Standings - Updated: Feb 9, 2018
TEAM (CONF Rank #3)	REC	PCT	CONF	GB
Baylor	15-7	.682	6-2	-
#15 Missouri	14-4	.778	5-3	1
#20 Colorado	20-5	.800	5-3	1
Nebraska	15-7	.682	5-3	1
Texas A&M	15-7	.682	5-4	1.5
Texas Tech	15-9	.625	5-4	1.5
Oklahoma State	12-11	.522	5-4	1.5
Kansas State	14-5	.737	4-4	2
#18 Texas	15-7	.682	4-5	2.5
Oklahoma	12-10	.545	4-5	2.5
Iowa State	14-8	.636	2-7	4.5
Kansas	8-12	.400	1-7	5

The biggest story of the Big 12 season thus far is the disappointing run by the Texas Longhorns. After starting strong, they have slunk to the middle of the pack by dropping four of their past five games -- though they have managed to stay ranked based on their early season schedule. Other surprises include Texas A&M and Nebraska, neither of whom were expected to make noise in the conference this year. Meanwhile, Iowa State has dropped off considerably from where they started at the beginning of the year, but their season may still be salvageable. The same cannot be said of the Kansas. The Jayhawks will have to chalk this up as a lost rebuilding year and look forward to 2019.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Nail biter vs. Iowa State, congrats on three Big XII wins in a row.

Thanks. Was not expecting three in a row after dropping into such a hole, but this being a young team they're going to be inconsistent. Hopefully we can keep stringing them together and snap KSU's NCAA drought (in this game at least).

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Who Are These Guys?

vs.

There are many challenges for coaching an inexperienced team, and one that Guy West has harped on again and again is consistency. The issue for the Wildcats entering the second half if Big 12 play is whether they are more like the team that is currently on a three game winning streak or the team that dropped three straight by wide margins.

Much to West's chagrin, although we will get to that in a minute, the Bramlage Coliseum crowd got to see a lot of both en route to watching the Wildcats escape with a 81-76 victory.

Walls helped spark the Wildcats early by scoring and getting to the line.

The Wildcats blew open the game early by running the fast break and pushing the transition game. It started with a physical play where Dandorriss Walls used his hockey experience, or something like it, to blow through the Cowboys defense, catch a well placed Justin Guzman pass, score a basket and draw a foul. Although he missed the ensuing layup, the Oklahoma State Cowboys acted like they didn't know what hit them. Just minutes later, the Wildcats had blasted the Cowboys with a 22-1 run, and the game was over before it even began.

Roger Guzman works over the Cowboy defense for a basket.

At least, that was until the foul trouble started. First Walls, then Ross, and then Branduinn Gatling. West was forced to sit the three key cogs of his team's recent resurgence for the rest of the half. The Wildcats did the best they could with the parts they had, especially with Roger Guzman at one point putting the team on his back and trying to carry them. But Oklahoma State was able to take advantage of the foul trouble enough to make the game close at half time. By the second half, they had all of the momentum and brought the game to within 1 point.

Coach West was furious. He had already spent two time outs in the second half trying to adjust his squad, but his starters were ineffective or lackadaisical. After showing so much intensity in the first half, the Wildcats seemed to turn off their gear and hoped to coast to victory. Now they found themselves in a game that should have long been sealed.

So West did what he had to do. He pulled his starters and brought in his second unit to save the game. But they were not up to the task -- Oklahoma State stuck to their second half game plan and pushed their lead to seven.

That is not to say the move was not effective. After seeing the game start to slip away, West called time out and put his best players back on the court. The message had been received, and they knew what they had to do.

Walls had only scored 4 points in the first half. He began attacking the basket with reckless abandon and intimidating anyone who dared approach him on defense. DeMarcus Ross continued to be a match up disaster for the Cowboys, but this time he stayed out of foul trouble and keep his long frame on the floor.

With time winding down, Branduinn Gatling saves the day with a clutch three.

And as for Gatling? He kicked his game into another gear just in time to help shoot the Wildcats to a victory. He hit his final four three point attempts, including one from a corner on a busted play to push Kansas State's lead back to 5. It was enough to demoralize the Cowboys, who had spent everything they had just to get back into the game. Fortunately for the home crowd, all the Wildcats had to do was run out the clock to preserve the win.

Surely Coach West will take a win over a loss, but this game in particular played out like a microcosm for the Kansas State season. When the team is on, there is little that can stop them. They are bigger than most teams in the middle, and can shoot over most teams around the perimeter. The challenge for the Wildcats is to avoid mental lapses. To keep the game in front of them.

If they can stick together, this is going to be a scary team once they get more experience.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Kansas State Wildcats
Feb 11, 2018	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Oklahoma State 12-11 (5-4)	29	47	76
Kansas State 14-5 (5-4)	37	44	81

Oklahoma State Cowboys
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
E. Songondo	26	4-8	1-3	0-2	2	10	2	1	2	9
D. Stewart	22	7-11	4-8	0-0	1	2	0	0	0	18
D. Stoudamire	21	4-13	1-4	4-4	14	0	0	0	1	13
J. Bronson	25	5-9	1-1	1-4	5	2	4	1	1	12
C. Austin	18	1-5	0-0	4-5	5	0	0	0	1	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Toppert	9	1-7	1-4	3-4	0	0	0	0	0	6
A. Allison	8	3-10	0-4	1-2	1	0	0	0	1	7
W. Schiffner	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
D. Luber	5	1-1	0-0	0-0	2	1	0	0	0	2
D. Rudakas	14	1-4	0-0	1-2	4	1	1	1	1	3
TEAM TOTALS		27-68	8-24	14-23	16	7	3	7	7	76

Kansas State Wildcats
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Guzman	25	0-3	0-3	0-0	2	13	0	0	3	0
E. Kummer	20	1-5	0-2	0-0	8	3	0	0	2	2
B. Gatling	21	6-14	6-7	0-0	4	5	0	1	1	18
D. Walls	15	6-12	0-0	5-6	4	1	2	0	3	17
D. Ross	17	12-13	0-0	4-5	9	0	0	2	2	28
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Worthington	11	4-8	0-0	1-2	2	0	1	1	0	9
M. Mathis	15	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	1	0	0	0
R. Guzman	12	3-4	0-0	1-1	3	1	2	1	1	10
M. Martin	5	0-1	0-1	0-2	0	3	0	0	0	0
C. Geiger	7	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0	1	0
J. Hayes	2	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
K. Mendoza	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		32-62	6-13	11-16	33	27	7	5	13	81

[delija66]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Nice win!

[mpejkrm]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Solid win man, keep it up.

[waytofailself]

Re: The Accidental Career of Guy West (CH2k8)

Nice win!

Solid win man, keep it up.

Thanks. We're certainly not making it easier on ourselves but at least now we are on the right side of .500 in conference play. I'd like to think finishing 9-7 would be enough to make it to the Big Dance.