K State

The cliché goes 'It's not how you start, but how you finish.' The Kansas State basketball team started terribly in its second round game against LaSalle and players and fans alike clung to this old cliché, in the hopes that it truly wouldn't matter how its team started, but how it finished. There was no way Kansas State, one of the most consistent teams in the nation, would drop its opening game of the NCAA tournament to LaSalle. After the game Kansas State post player Shane Southwell said over and over again, “You can't spot a team 18 points.” But, that's exactly what the Wildcats did Friday when they trailed the Explorers 44-26 at halftime.

It's been called a fraternity but maybe better put that coaching profession is like a brotherhood. Head coaches all across the country are friends with other coaches and often wind up coaching against and alongside friends and friends of friends on the court. Sergio Rouco has crossed paths with his friends, either stateside or somewhere overseas. Born in Cuba, Rouco was raised in Miami in Little Havana and is very close friends with former K-State head coach Frank Martin. They coached on a JV basketball team together before moving up to the varsity and going on to work in the college ranks after that.

The addage says, 'It's not how you start it's how you finish. " Problem was, the way K-State started their NCAA game against La Salle, it was hard to come back. K-State trailed by 18 points at halftime, put together a furious second half rally but ultimately fell to La Salle, 63-61. Wildcat's end their season at 27-8. "We knew how dangerous they were - you have to give them credit," Angel Rodridguez said after the game. "They won the game. " Rodgriguez took the final shot for K-State that would have tied the game and sent it to overtime.

When you watch a basketball game in the media room, you can hear all the interactions between the referee's, players and coaches. It's pretty entertaining. And the cursing is large, trash talking too. Like I said, it's entertaining. Power and Light District is a buzz for the first day of basketball and K-State fans are showing up in droves. KU Fans outnumbered them in the hundreds for the Big 12 Title game and it prompted Bruce Weber said he hoped that his fans showed up better for their game with La Salle.

After a Big 12 championship game at the Sprint Center in Kansas City Saturday, both Kansas' and Kansas State's basketball teams headed home, settled in and resumed a relatively normal schedule. Then, three days later, the rug was pulled out from under them. Pack up, prepare and take the drive back into the heart of Kansas City. Just when both teams get used to the feeling of no cameras or recorders in their faces, the NCAA tournament is an even bigger stage than that of the Big 12. So, now with more pomp and gusto, the cameras and recorders are right back in the faces of almost every player on the teams.

Fans going to Kansas City to watch the games Friday may want to bundle up. At least an inch of snow fell there Thursday, and more is expected throughout the weekend. But this latest round of winter weather isn't cooling off the excitement for fans. K-State vs. La Salle - 2:00 p.m. on TruTV Kansas vs. Western Kentucky - 8:45 p.m. - on TNT A good crowd turned out for Kansas State's only open practice before Friday's game. The Thurlow's are huge wildcat fans, and this is their first time watching March Madness in person.

There is nothing like a 14 hour day to start a week on the road. We say that tongue in cheek but really, that's what we are looking at with the NCAA Tournament. Day one simply a grind and it's battle in the morning to set yourself up for a good spot for all the media trappings. One media entrance is available to get youir credentials and the room opens at 9 a.m., even though practices and media sessions don't begin until after lunch time. The reason for that is the seating for your gear.

Are we guilty of "blatant K-U favoritism"? At least one viewer thinks so...and complained about it. The issue comes from our Saturday morning newscast...a few hours after K-U and K-State both won semifinal games in the Big 12 conference tournament. The viewer said we had a full report on K-U's game, but nothing on K-State. And he's right. The problem is that the morning sports report was taped the night before, right after our 10pm newscast because we don't have a sports person working mornings.

Kansas State men's basketball will make a return to Wichita next season when the Big 12 Conference champions face current No. 1 Gonzaga in the Wichita Wildcat Classic on Saturday, Dec. 21 at INTRUST Bank Arena. The game will rematch the two ranked teams which met earlier this season in the State Farm Battle in Seattle. Gonzaga won that game. "We are excited to play a game of this significance in a great venue like the INTRUST Bank Arena in a great area like Wichita,” said head coach Bruce Weber in a press release.