Tuesday
Jan192010
K-Statement: Wildcats Make Big 12 A 3-Team Race
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 9:59AM 
By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season
Texas is not overrated. The Longhorns are a great basketball team that will surely earn a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and be a heavy favorite to advance to the Final Four.
The Horns are talented, deep, dangerous both on the perimeter and on the interior and they're very well-coached.
But of course Kansas State fans couldn't resist the urge to chant "Overrated" as the final minute ticked down on the Wildcats' 71-62 upset win over No. 1 Texas at Bramlage Coliseum last night.
This is the dumbest chant I think in all of sports. When the home fans sing it about a highly ranked visiting team, for example, they're just cheapening the efforts and accomplishments of their beloved home team.
By Texas being overrated, Kansas State achieved merely another league win in the rugged Big 12.
But Monday's triumph was hardly just another win. It was impressive in that Kansas State actually did it despite playing sloppily at times. The Wildcats pounded the ball inside and beat the Longhorns at their own game. Kansas State's first 29 points consisted of three free throws and 13 baskets inside the paint. Nothing from outside.
If there's one statement those in the Kansas State camp might consider, it might have something to do with the two-team race everyone in the preseason said would define the Big 12 this year. With the fiery Frank Martin at the helm and a balanced offense leading the way in Manhattan, the Wildcats are obviously a serious player in the conference.
If you can beat a great team at its own game, build a 14-point lead and not rattle when your No. 1 opponent overcomes the deficit and run away with the win in spite of sloppy play, maybe you're just underrated.
Now at 16-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12, the No. 10 Wildcats have could win at least six of their next seven games. No. 3 Kansas comes calling on Jan. 30 in a game that will surely have league title implications.
Tuesday's top games:
On the docket are a couple of good games tonight:
+ No. 16 Clemson at No. 18 Georgia Tech (7 p.m., ESPN): Two teams that have beaten defending champion North Carolina in the past week gather in Atlanta in a key ACC battle. Clemson has won nine of 10 games, and GaTech boasts talent and toughness. This should be a very good game.
+ No. 13 Purdue at Illinois (9 p.m., ESPN): After starting 14-0, the Boilermakers have lost three straight and are now being asked to beat an Illinois team that hasn't lost a home game all season.
Reader Comments (1)
"This is the dumbest chant I think in all of sports. When the home fans sing it about a highly ranked visiting team, for example, they're just cheapening the efforts and accomplishments of their beloved home team.
By Texas being overrated, Kansas State achieved merely another league win in the rugged Big 12."
This is so true. Very good point.