Kansas State Wildcats NCAA Wagering

The NCAA is trimming the gray area from eligibility rules for underclassmen entering the NBA draft.
However, player-agent Bill Neff said that’s a futile exercise, with many in his profession cutting under-the-table deals with players.
The NCAA recently distributed a four-page memo, reminding schools what underclassmen can and cannot do to test their NBA marketability. The memo warns underclassmen not to accept travel expenses from NBA basketball teams, though that’s been common practice in the past.
One of the authors of that memo said its purpose is heading off trouble and, potentially, holding rule-breakers accountable.
“It’s fair to say we’ve had multiple student-athletes facing possible violations of NCAA rules,” said Rachel Newman Baker, the NCAA’s director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities. “We’re trying to avoid (those problems), so we’re not dealing with it next semester.”
The NCAA now requires underclassmen in the draft to sign forms, stating they know the rules and understand the risk to their eligibility.
“We want it very clear up front,” Newman Baker said, “if we do get into investigating a case, the `I-didn’t-know’ answer will not work.”
The NCAA dealt with messy situations the past few years, involving former Connecticut forward Charlie Villanueva and current Kentucky center Randolph Morris. Each turned pro and had contact with an agent, only to pull out of the draft and seek to play college basketball.

In both cases, the NCAA ultimately granted eligibility.
The situation is complex. For instance, the NCAA allows the NBA to cover expenses for an underclassman to attend the pre-draft camp. But an individual NBA team cannot pay to fly in an underclassman for a workout without jeopardizing that player’s eligibility.
Charlotte Bobcats coach-general manager Bernie Bickerstaff didn’t know the NCAA draws that distinction. Jon Fagg, assistant athletics director for compliance services at N.C. State, said that rule is frequently disregarded, similar to how people absent-mindedly exceed the speed limit.
“If you drive to work, I guarantee there’s a place where you speed a little every day,” Fagg said of athletes accepting expenses they shouldn’t. “Do you drive to the police station and turn yourself in? No.”
That’s why Fagg is glad the NCAA distributed this memo, eliminating any gray areas for underclassmen looking to preserve eligibility. N.C. State has already used it to guide sophomore center Cedric Simmons through the process.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders crushed the Kansas State Wildcats for their fifth conference win tonight at United Spirit Arena.The Red Raiders and the Wildcats both entered the contest with 4-6 records in Big 12 conference play. Knowing the importance of winning on your home court, the Red Raiders came out fighting in the first half by jumping out to a 16-9 lead.

Texas Tech continued to score on the Wildcat defense and extended the lead to 14. The Wildcats ended the first half trailing 34-20.The Red Raiders shot 44 percent from the field (12 of 27) and 42 percent from beyond the arc (5 of 12) in the first half. In addition, Texas Tech shot 72 percent from the charity stripe by hitting five of seven attempts. Kansas State shot 30 percent from the field (9 of 30) and made only two of seven attempts from the three-point line. The Wildcats did not attempt any free throws in the first half and turned the ball over 11 times.

The Red Raiders began the second half determined and extended the lead to 20 points. The Wildcats failed to overcome the deficit or even outplay the Red Raiders. Texas Tech forward John Plefka picked up a technical foul for pushing Kansas State center Tyler Hughes. The incident failed to help the Wildcats gain momentum.

With less than two minutes to play, Kansas State scored 11 straight points to trim the lead to 14. Texas Tech withstood the Wildcats’ comeback and held on to win the game, 70-56.

The Red Raiders shot 42 percent from the floor (22 of 55) and 39 percent from beyond the arc (10 of 26). Texas Tech also shot 88 percent from the free throw line, after not missing a shot from the line in the second half. The Red Raiders ended the contest with four players in double-figures led by Plefka’s 16 points. Jarrius Jackson and guard Alan Voskuil scored 15 points and forward Dior Lowhorn chipped in 11.

The Wildcats shot 35 percent from the field (21 of 60) and 35 percent from the three-point line (6 of 10). Kansas State ended the game on a perfect note from the charity stripe by hitting all eight of its attempts. Guards Cartier Martin and Lance Harris each tossed in 15 points.

With the victory, the Red Raiders stand at 5-6 in conference play, and will travel to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday at 3 p.m.

As far as Kansas State interim coach Jimmy Elgas was concerned, the Wildcats didn’t lose when Cartier Martin’s open-look, potential game-tying, three-point attempt from the top of the circle clanked off the back iron Sunday.

Instead, Elgas said it was a failure to play defense that cost K-State in its 74-71 loss to Missouri at Mizzou Arena.

“That (defense) has been our backbone,” Elgas said. “We did not collectively, as a unit, in man or zone, get stops when we needed to.”

K-State, 13-8 overall and 4-6 in the Big 12, had held 19 of its first 20 opponents this season below their scoring average. That wasn’t the case against the Tigers, who notched nearly 10 points more than their average.

The Wildcats weren’t too shabby offensively themselves, hitting 51 percent of their field goals. But that could not offset MU, which made 51.9 percent of its shots and became the first Big 12 team this season to better the 44.4 percent Oklahoma State shot against the Wildcats. K-State entered as the third-best Big 12 school in field-goal percentage defense at 38.7 percent.

That placed K-State No. 9 in the nation in that category. Don’t expect the Wildcats to stay there, however.

“We didn’t play our game plan. We didn’t stop them defensively,” said Martin, who scored 19 points and converted three of his first six three-point attempts, including one from the right corner that whittled the Tigers’ edge to one-point with 10.2 seconds remaining.

Martin thought his last-gasp try would be a success.

“I popped out and got a good look at it,” he said. “It felt good coming off, but it didn’t fall. It ends like that sometimes.”

The defensive meltdown led to K-State’s seventh loss this season by five points or fewer. The Wildcats also failed to beat MU on its home floor in back-to-back games for the first time since 1985.

Another disappointing, down-to-the-wire setback wore on Martin.

“Pretty much every game’s been close like that,” he said. “It’s tough when you’re right there and lose by a couple of points.”

David Hoskins paced K-State with 20 points, and reserve Lance Harris had 18. Harris said the objective now is pretty simple.

“Win out, or even win out at the Big 12 tournament,” Harris said.

Martin also senses the Wildcats are in back-to-the-wall mode.

“If we want to make the postseason, we’re going to have to win out,” Martin said.

Elgas, however, wants to take it one at a time.

“The fact of the matter is we’re 1-1 in the second half of the Big 12 after two games, and we’ve got a huge week coming up,” Elgas said. “There’s still a lot of things to play for, a lot of areas to get better at.”

Chris Copeland must have been mistaken. He’s not supposed to be a superstar.

“Sometimes he wants to be magic,” head coach Ricardo Patton said. “We call him tragic.”

With team leader Richard Roby in foul trouble, the senior moved out of his usual support role to guide the Buffs to a 79-75 win over the Kansas State Wildcats Saturday. Copeland scored 17 points, including nine from behind the 3-point line, as Colorado (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) notched its fifth-straight win and cemented its hold on second place in the Big 12.

“It shows the kind of team we have,” Roby said. “We don’t need to rely on one guy to do the work. We’ve got a lot of guys who can play.”

Colorado jumped out to an early 22-13 lead against the Wildcats (12-5, 3-3 Big 12), thanks to strong play in the paint by guard Marcus Hall and forward Martane Freeman. Roby contributed just seven first-half points before getting into foul trouble.

“The first half we had to sit Roby,” Patton said, “and it hurt our offense a little.”

Roby saw action for just 12 minutes after committing two early fouls. With the sophomore on the bench, Copeland, Freeman and Hall had to lead by committee.

Freeman and Hall scored 12 points each, combining for 12 rebounds. Copeland, the tall post, dominated the inside, making 4 blocks and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Playing strong defense on the inside, Colorado never gave up the lead in the first half.

“They haven’t in the past been a team known for taking a lot of 3-point shots so we thought we could zone them,” Patton said.

As Colorado fell back into a 2-3 zone, designed for defending the interior, the Wildcats changed up their strategy and started heating up behind the 3-point line. K-State blasted back into the game, riding a 16-10 run.

“They hadn’t shot a lot of threes prior to this game,” Patton said. “Every piece of film we saw on this team was more dribble penetration and shooting in the lane.”

Relying more on perimeter shooting than penetrating the lane, K-State tied the game at halftime as guard Akeem Wright turned a lay up and a foul into a three-point play.

Wright’s free throw knotted the game at 35-35.

“We had the lead, so there was no reason to risk me getting three fouls; if it got out of hand, coach would probably put me in,” Roby said. “We have a lot of guys on this team who can play. There was no rush to get me back in.”

With Roby back in the second half, the Buffs rushed out to a 48-42 lead. He scored 11 second-half points, leading the team with 18.

Junior forward Cartier Martin scored a team-high 24 points to lead the Wildcats. Junior Lance Harris came off the bench to score 23 for the ‘Cats.

Martin and Harris combined for 31 second-half points, as K-State rallied, but was never able to tie the game again, thanks, in part, to the raucous crowd in attendance.

“Personally, I love playing in front of large crowds,” Copeland said. “The support that the people had tonight was great.”

The announced crowd of 8,074 forced K-State to call three timeouts in the last five minutes.

As the game wound down, the Wildcats resorted to fouling, not allowing the Buffs to run time off the clock.

The worst team in the Big 12 in free throw shooting, the Buffs had to overcome their nagging problems at the foul line to clinch the game.
Colorado bettered its season average of 62%, making 19 of 27 from the foul line.

“Anytime you can win close games, (free throw shooting) helps you,” Patton said. “Overall we shot 70 percent, so that’s better than the last outing.”

The 19 points from the line proved to be the clincher for Colorado. Freeman, Coleman and Roby sunk four free throws in the last minute to seal Colorado’s 79-75 win.

The Buffs will get a week off before their next game, a Feb. 5 matchup at Iowa State.

Just one-half game behind Big 12 leader Texas (17-3, 5-1 Big 12), Colorado now has the chance to take control of the Big 12 with a win and a Texas loss.

Over the break, Patton said, the Buffs will look to retool their schemes and see how they can best accomplish that.

“(The break) gives us a chance to look back at what we’ve done and where we want to go from here,” Patton said.