Congrats K-State

I have a confession to make.  I'm not one of those bitter sports fans that hold grudges against rival teams.  You will never hear me use some of the foul and offensive language that I heard in the dorms last night to describe a Wildcat basketball team and fan section composed of decent human beings.  Admittedly, we all have a bias towards our own sports teams.  You don't need to look further than the local sports page to see that the number one basketball team in the land was defeated last night.  I think K-State fans had every right to storm the court after they defeated my beloved Jayhawks last night.  After a difficult year where two players left the team and two players were suspended, the Wildcats and their fans finally have something to cheer about.  Although this season has not panned out the way the Wildcats expected, a victory against Kansas has reignited their hopes to earn a bid to the Big Dance in March.  

The Cats preseason dreams have faded as they have fallen out of the AP and USA Today polls after being ranked third in the nation in the beginning of the campaign.  Last night, guard Jacob Pullen finally exhibited the leadership skills that Cats fans expected.  He scored 38 points, made an astonishing 15 free throws, and recorded 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and a block.  To put this into perspective, without Jacob Pullen, the Wildcats would have scored just 46 points.    

Meanwhile, KU endured its second loss of the season shortly after holding the spot of number one.  Is KU still arguably the best team in the country?  Absolutely.  Last night, the Jayhawks were short-handed without Thomas Robinson and a healthy Josh Selby.  Quite honestly, I'm not sure KU would have won with contributions from those two players, but their absences certainly changed the chemistry of the game.  Now, the Jayhawks must find a way to recover and look to the future.  Tyshaun Taylor had nearly as many turnovers (6) as he did points (8), and for that, the credit must go to the K-State defense.With only two losses, the Jayhawks still have a likely shot at becoming a #1 seed come March Madness.     

So Cats fans should celebrate this victory, as it might be the deciding factor of whether K-State earns a bid to the Big Dance in March.  If you must, milk this victory for all it's worth.  In fact, your ridicule is protected by the United States Constitution, but know that Jayhawks fans everywhere will be expecting a rematch in the Big 12 tournament.  After all, if the Cats have the talent to defeat the number one team in the country, then surely they can advance to the final rounds of their own conference tournament.