PANNNNNNNNN-DA-MONIUM!!!!!!!!!!!!

A collection of pictures and quotes from last night's game in Manhattan. History was made as the Cats snapped a home losing streak to the Jayhawks dating back to 1983.

Michael Beasley takes on the World's ugliest man

Bill Walker throws it down

From a closer angle
Russel Robinson an alien? I must admit, the similarities are eery.

Coach Martin has time to crack a wry smile

Mario Chalmers does his best Britney Spears impersonation

Willie doing a little crowd surfing on the court

The flood of fans immediately afterward

The maestro

"The Streak" has finally been laid to rest

They Said It...

“From the tip, we showed we weren’t going to back down and let them do what they wanted to do.” - Bill Walker

''People act like there's just one team in Kansas and we had a chance to show there isn't. It was a big win. I'm tired. I can't think right now.'' - Bill Walker

"For us to be able to provide relief from that Streak to our people at Kansas State, I'm proud of our guys for doing that. For me, I'm just happy we were able to beat these guys." - Frank Martin

“I knew my team was capable of beating anybody. We showed that tonight.” - Michael Beasley

"After 25 years, I would have rushed the court too." - Jacob Pullen

“K-State was just a better team than we were tonight. You could say offensively or defensively. Pullen was terrific, their defense was good but we still shot an excellent percentage. We got fed up though. It was one of those atmospheres where that could easily occur. I don’t know if you can pinpoint one thing other than, of the 50-50 balls they got 70 to 80 percent of them. They scored an awful lot off of loose balls and that is something we are usually pretty good at but we weren’t tonight.” - Bill Self

"You’ve got to give K-State credit. Saying that we were bad tonight would take away from how well they performed. I don’t think we were good but I think they were a big reason why.” - Bill Self

"Ironically, this was the type of win Kansas State hired Bob Huggins to get, but it was Frank Martin, his former assistant, who delivered the goods. In a fitting tribute to their former coach, the Wildcats looked like a vintage Huggins team Wednesday: relentless, physical, determined and ultimately quite successful. " - Andy Glockner (ESPN.com)

"This game will send a message throughout the land." - Dave Armstrong

Buhl's Picks To Click (Version 1.30)

First off, my apologies to anyone who used my picks as a reference for any type of action on Saturday. If you did, then you, like myself, lost a bit of money. Overall in the Big XII Conference, I went 2-4 against the spread and 4-2 straight up. Not very good, but I'm looking for a major improvement tonight.

So, let's rundown the night's Big XII Conference action, saving the best for last, of course:

Nebraska @ Missouri (7:00 Central)
Line: Missouri -4.5

If you're looking at this from the outside, it appears as a classic trap game. Common sense would tell you that there is no way in hell that Missouri can win this game without 5 players, including 3 starters (Stefhon Hannah, Marshall Brown, Leo Lyons) and their top two bench players (Jason Horton, Darryl Butterfield). Yet still, someone in Vegas thinks Missouri will still win this game handily. Perhaps it has something to do with Nebraska's winless record on the road this year.

I disagree, however. I feel that without any semblance of depth in the frontcourt or the backcourt, Missouri will try and make this a half court basketball game. That falls straight into the hands of Nebraska and star big man Aleks Maric. If Demare Carroll can't stay out of foul trouble, it will be a very long night for the Tigers.

Prediction: Nebraska by 8
Who To Take: Nebraska +4.5

Texas @ Texas A&M (8:00 Central)
Line: Texas A&M -3.5

This is another that I have a very hard time going along with. Texas A&M is in a tailspin, aided only by a narrow victory at equally hapless Oklahoma State. Texas has had some struggles of late, but already has some big wins away from Austin including over a top 10 Tennessee team. They seem to have righted the ship a bit over a struggling Red Raider team coached by Bob Knight.

The crowd should be fired up for this one, and rivalry games are typically close. I expect this one to be no exception. But, just as I thought heading into A&M's matchup with Kansas State, they simply lack the playmaking ability and scoring power to win close games. Texas, on the other hand, has arguably the top guards in the Conference in D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams.

Prediction: Texas by 4
Who To Take: Texas +3.5

THE MAIN EVENT
Kansas @ Kansas State (7:00 Central)
Line: Kansas -7

Without question this will be the biggest game played between the two teams in some time. Arguably, since the 1988 Elite Eight game featuring Danny Manning for the Jayhawks and Mitch Richmond for the Wildcats. For the first time in recent memory, both teams are ranked. The Jayhawks #2, and the Wildcats #22.

Everybody knows the history. The Wildcats haven't beaten the Jayhawks in Manhattan since the early 80s, and never has K-State won a Sunflower Showdown in Fred Bramlage Coliseum. Then again, never before has K-State boasted the likely Conference Player of the Year, potential National Player of the Year, and almost certain first pick in a future NBA Draft. They do this year with Michael Beasley, the man who fans have come to love for his play on the court, as well as the way he has fully embraced being a Wildcat off it. Add to him another likely NBA Lottery pick in Bill Walker and a set of dynamic young players, and there has perhaps not been a more talented Wildcat team in the history of "The Streak."

Kansas State's guard play will be crucial. Kansas possesses extreme athleticism in the backcourt, and thrives off of turnovers and poor passes by their opponents. It will be vital for Clent Stewart, Jacob Pullen, and Blake Young to play well. They won't necessarily need to score in bunches, but they will need to handle the ball with care, make smart decisions, and make open jump shots when the defense collpases on Beasley and Walker. And when they do miss shots, it will be of the utmost importance that they get in solid defensive position to prevent the fast break opportunities on which the Jayhawks live.

Matchups are the theme of the game. No one player has the ability to guard Michael Beasley, and the same could even be said for Bill Walker. Likewise, the Wildcats will have serious matchup problems with Brandon Rush, who has come into his own as an outside shooter of late. The Jayhawks have a host of big men to throw at Beasley and Walker. While none possess the talent, the sheer numbers are such that it will be imperitive that Beasley and Walker avoid foul trouble. Perhaps so single key is as crucial as that.

As I stated above, rivalry games tend to be very close. I expect this one to be no different. If the Wildcats can avoid turnovers and foul trouble, they have more than enough firepower to pull off the upset. The key will be remaining focused and composed, and to avoid the emotion of the big game that would be natural in front of a raucous sold out crowd. There are still many unknowns with this young Wildcat team, but one thing we do know is that they will put up one hell of a fight.

Kansas wins games by "forcing" their opponent to beat themselves. If K-State can keep from beating themselves, they can win this game. But, the Jayhawks are arguably the nation's top team for a reason. And believe me, this Wildcat fan will be more than happy to step up here and eat some crow tomorrow!

Prediction: Kansas by 3
Who To Take: Kansas State +7

It's Finally KU Week

Both teams made it through weekend contests unscathed. Many "experts" predicted that one, or both, of these teams would be looking ahead to what promises to be the biggest Sunflower Showdown matchup in ages. The only two teams in the Big XII Conference that remain undefeated, the #2 ranked Jayhawks will travel to Manhattan in two short days to take on the #22 Wildcats.

Nothing like a little good, old fashioned hatred. It's getting close to game time, but it's never too late to start the banter. A little glimpse of the Jayhawks, in pictures...

Brandon Rush gets bailed out of jail by friend and former teammate

Michael Lee. Perhaps someone should instruct Mr. Rush on the

proper mechanics of driving.

A quality illustration from a quality K-Stater.

No real explanation needed here.

A typical KU fan sulking after Cartier Martin and the
Wildcats handed KU a loss in Allen Fieldhouse. Will
we see many more Jayhawk fans following suit this
after an evening trip to Manhattan? At least one man thinks so....

Short and sweet. If you've got some other good pictures, I'd love to get ahold of them. Will try to get some stuff up tomorrow as well.

Buhk's Picks To Click (Version 1.26)

With no disrespect to the Kansas City Royals and their pregame segment of the same name, I would like to introduce this new feature to the blog.

I'll try to make this a twice weekly feature (Wednesday and Saturday) profiling the days Big XII Conference basketball games and how I think they'll shake out. Keep in mind, that I in no way condone gambling or using any of the information in this segment to do so. OK, now that I've got that out of the way, let's take a quick tour of the Big XII:

Nebraska at Kansas (12:45 Central Time)
Line: Kansas -22

It should come as no surprise that the Jayhawks are heavily favored in this one. Afterall, a few short weeks ago the Jayhawks took thier show on the road and beat the Huskers 79-58 at the Devaney Center. I expect this game to be no different with one exception. Look for Bill Self to pull his starters earlier than usual if the Jayhawks have a large lead at the end of the game, looking forward to the big showdown on Wednesday night at rival Kansas State.

Prediction: Kansas by 18

Texas A&M at Oklahoma State (1:00 Central Time)
Line: Texas A&M -1

I've been a big proponent of Oklahoma State being highly overlooked in the Conference. Their 1-3 Conference record notwithstanding, this is still a Cowboy squad with lots of firepower, and one that historically plays well at Gallagher Iba Arena. Texas A&M has been beaten down, losing their last three contests, with two of them coming on the road. Included in that stretch was a 5OT home loss on Wednesday to the Baylor Bears, that took a mental and physical toll on Mark Turgeon's Aggies. With the team's record going downhill, and turmoil behind closed doors, expect this to be the last game this season that the Aggies play as a ranked team.

Predction: Oklahoma State by 6

Missouri at Colorado (2:00 Central Time)
Line: Missouri -7

A tale of two teams with a very Jekyll & Hide tendency to them. The Buffaloes are coming off a week in which they took #12 Texas to the wire in Austin and then got drilled at home by Kansas State. Missouri is coming off consecutive losses as well, at home to Kansas and then on the road in Lubbock. This is a tough game to call, trying to figure out which version of both teams will show up. I expect a close game, as Missouri's defense is pathetic and Colorado has some firepower at the guard spot.

Prediction: Missouri by 2

Oklahoma at Baylor (3:00 Central Time)
Line: Baylor -5.5

Baylor is a team on fire, jumping to a perfect 4-0 Conference record after a thrilling 5OT game in College Station on Wednesday night. In that game, Curtis Jerrells and Aaron Bruce willed the Bears to victory making shots and free throws to extend the game and eventually pull away in the final period. The Sooners finally picked up their first Conference win a week ago when they beat Texas Tech, but they're still battling the loss of Blake Griffin and inconsistent guard play. This could be an upset in the making, but I look for Baylor to pull this one out.

Prediction: Baylor by 10

Iowa State at Kansas State (5:00 Central Time)
Line: Kansas State -12.5

In what some have called the all too common trap game, the Cyclones come to Bramlage Coliseum to take on the upstart Wildcats. Experts claim the Wildcats will be looking ahead to their big home game in 5 days against archrival Kansas. Not so, say the Wildcat players. Still, the Cyclones offer a combination of size and athleticism that has led to a 2-2 Conference record. The Wildcats will look to play the type of defense that carried them to a huge second half against Texas A&M a week ago, and also limited Colorado to 30% shooting in Boulder on Wednesday. You have to believe that Kansas State may have one eye ahead to Kansas, despite what they may say. But still, look for the Wildcats to play well enough to win a big home game and stay atop the Conference standings.

Prediction: Kansas State by 8

Texas Tech at Texas (7:00 Central Time)
Line: Texas -11

Bob Knight's Red Raiders have put together some impressive victories in Lubbock, but have been abyssmal on the road. The Longhorns have struggled, even at home, but still find themselves 3-1 in Conference play. I am of the opinion that Texas Tech is a fraud. Not to say that Texas isn't, but a combination of a big time backcourt for Texas and a road game for Texas Tech make this a walk away for the Longhorns.

Prediction: Texas by 16

Wildcat Schedule Breakdown (Version 1.25)

As some of you know, this has become a fairly frequent feature of mine over on GoPowercat.com. Well, I decided it's time to add it to the blog.

As I've gone on record many times stating, with our wins thus far, and the way the Conference is shaping out, a 10-6 record should get the 2008 edition of the Wildcats into the Big Dance. That means finishing the remaining games with a record of no worse than 7-6, which at this point is highly likely. The Conference this year, I have been told, is at least a 5 and perhaps even a 6 team league as it relates to the NCAA Tournament.

Without further comment, I give you the remaining schedule breakdown as we stand right now:

Wildcats as Underdogs (+3 or more)
Kansas (1/30, RPI of 3); Predicted Line: Kansas -7.5
@ Kansas (3/1, RPI of 3); Predicted Line: Kansas -10.5

Pick 'Em (+/-3 or less)
@ Missouri (2/2, RPI of 93); Predicted Line: Kansas State -1.5
@ Texas Tech (2/13, RPI of 62); Predicted Line: Kansas State -2.5
@ Baylor (2/23, RPI of 22); Predicted Line: Baylor -2
Texas (2/25, RPI of 15); Predicted Line: Kansas State -.5

Wildcats as Favorites (-3 or more)
Iowa State (1/26, RPI of 100); Predicted Line: Kansas State -10.5
Nebraska (2/6, RPI of 167); Predicted Line: Kansas State -12
Oklahoma State (2/9, RPI of 125); Predicted Line: Kansas State -6.5
Missouri (2/16, RPI of 93); Predicted Line: Kansas State -9
@ Nebraska (2/20, RPI of 167); Predicted Line: Kansas State -5.5
Colorado (3/4, RPI of 142); Predicted Line: Kansas State -16.5
@ Iowa State (3/8, RPI of 100); Predicted Line: Kansas State -3.5