2007–08 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team

2007–08 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
Conference Big 12 Conference
2007–08 record 21–12 (10–6 Big 12)
Head coach Frank Martin
Assistant coach Matt Figger
Assistant coach Dalonte Hill
Assistant coach Brad Underwood
Home arena Fred Bramlage Coliseum (12,500)
Seasons
« 2006–07 2008–09 »
2007-08 Big 12 Men's Basketball Standings
  Conf Overall
Team (Rank) W L PCT W L PCT
Kansas (#4) † 13 3 .813 37 3 .925
Texas (#7) 13 3 .813 31 7 .816
Kansas State 10 6 .625 21 12 .636
Oklahoma 9 7 .563 23 12 .657
Baylor 9 7 .563 21 11 .656
Texas A&M 8 8 .500 25 11 .694
Nebraska 7 9 .438 20 13 .606
Texas Tech 7 9 .438 16 15 .516
Oklahoma State 7 9 .438 17 16 .515
Missouri 6 10 .375 16 16 .500
Iowa State 4 12 .250 14 18 .438
Colorado 3 13 .188 12 20 .375
† Big 12 Tournament winner

The 2007–08 Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represented Kansas State University in the 2007–08 college basketball season. The team was led by first-year head coach Frank Martin. The team relied on a talented crop of young players, headlined by true-freshman star Michael Beasley, the #1-ranked player in the high school class of 2007 by Rivals.com[1] and one of the top prospects for the 2008 NBA Draft.

The young team concluded the season 21–12 (10–6) and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Contents

Players

Roster

# Name Height Weight (lbs.) Position Class Hometown Previous Team(s)
Denis Clemente1 6' 180 G Jr. Bayamón, Puerto Rico Calusa Prep HS (Miami, FL)
University of Miami
0 Jacob Pullen 6'1" 185 G Fr. Maywood, IL, U.S. Proviso East HS
1 Fred Brown 6'3" 185 G Fr. West Palm Beach, FL, U.S. Dwyer HS
2 Blake Young 6'2" 195 G Sr. Orlando, FL, U.S. Oak Ridge HS
Daytona Beach CC
4 Andre Gilbert 6'7" 205 F Jr. Brooklyn Park, MN, U.S. Park Center HS
South Dakota State University
Mt. San Jacinto CC
5 Clent Stewart 6'4" 195 G Sr. Tulsa, OK, U.S. Union HS
12 Bill Walker2 6'6" 220 F Fr. Huntington, WV, U.S. North College Hill HS (North College Hill, OH)
15 David Hoskins3 6'5" 230 F Sr. Canton, MI, U.S. Salem HS
Central Michigan University
Schoolcraft CC
21 Jamar Samuels4 6'8" 200 F Fr. Washington, DC, U.S. Patterson HS (Lenoir, NC)
23 Dominique Sutton4 6'5" 205 G Fr. Durham, NC, U.S. Patterson HS (Lenoir, NC)
30 Michael Beasley 6'10" 235 F Fr. Frederick, MD, U.S. Notre Dame Prep HS (Fitchburg, MA)
31 Chris Merriewether 6'4" 195 G So. Jacksonville, FL, U.S. Arlington Country Day HS
40 Ron Anderson 6'8" 245 F Fr. Upper Marlboro, MD, U.S. McCallie HS (Chattanooga, TN)
42 Darren Kent 6'10" 210 F Jr. Apple Valley, MN, U.S. Eastview HS
50 Luis Colon 6'10" 275 C So. Bayamón, Puerto Rico Krop HS (Miami, FL)
51 James Franklin 6' 190 G Sr. Kansas City, KS, U.S. Blue Valley West HS
Cowley County CC

1Transfer, ineligible for 2007–08 season.[2]
2Enrolled early to join team for Spring 2007 semester, but was injured and opted to begin freshman season in 2007–08.[3]
3Will miss all of 2007–08 season with knee injury; intends to appeal to NCAA for sixth year to complete eligibility.[4]
4Did not meet academic eligibility requirements to enroll for Fall 2007 semester; will complete academic coursework and join team for Spring 2008 semester.[5]

Incoming signees

2007 saw the Wildcats put together one of the nation's strongest signing classes, ranked 1st according to Scout.com, 2nd according to Rivals.com, and 5th according to ESPN.com. PF Beasley (Washington, D.C.) is the standout of the class, but is far from being its only talented member. The Wildcats signed two talented PGs in Fred Brown (West Palm Beach, Florida) and Jacob Pullen (Maywood, Illinois) and added SF Andre Gilbert (Brooklyn Park, Minnesota), a JUCO transfer with Division I experience. KSU signed a pair of talented players from the Patterson School in North Carolina in SF Dominique Sutton (Durham, North Carolina) and PF Jamar Samuels (Washington, D.C.). Both will attend prep school for the Fall 2007 semester to improve their grades and will join the team at the start of the Spring 2008 semester.

Though scheduled to graduate from high school in the Spring of 2007, SF Bill Walker (Huntington, West Virginia) finished high school early and enrolled at KSU for the 2007 Spring Semester and was allowed to join the team immediately in December of the 2006–07 season. However, he was injured in just his sixth game at KSU and opted to redshirt for the remainder of the season. He will resume his freshman season of eligibility in 2007–08. PF Ron Anderson (Upper Marlboro, Maryland), a long time AAU teammate of Beasley's, rounded out the class when he was offered a scholarship after a strong AAU showing in the Summer of 2007.

Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Ron Anderson
PF
Upper Marlboro, Maryland Chattanooga (TN)-McCallie School 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) 245 lb (111 kg) Aug 13,
2007 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 71
Michael Beasley
PF
Washington, D.C. Fitchburg (MA)-Notre Dame Prep 6 ft 9 in (206 cm) 235 lb (107 kg) Jun 23,
2006 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 92
Fred Brown
SG
West Palm Beach, Florida Dwyer HS 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) 180 lb (82 kg) Sep 26,
2006 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 76
Andre Gilbert
SF
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Park Center HS, South Dakota State, Mt. San Jacinto CC 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) 205 lb (93 kg) May 9,
2007 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: N/A
Jacob Pullen
PG
Maywood, Illinois Proviso East HS 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) 175 lb (79 kg) Sep 23,
2006 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 87
Jamar Samuels
PF
Washington, D.C. Lenoir (NC)-Patterson School 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) 200 lb (91 kg) May 9,
2007 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: NA
Dominique Sutton
SF
Durham, North Carolina Lenoir (NC)-Patterson School 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) 190 lb (86 kg) Oct 25,
2006 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 85
Bill Walker
SF
Huntington, West Virginia North College Hill (OH) HS 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 18,
2006 
Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: NA
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 1   Rivals: 2  ESPN: 5
Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance Record
Exhibition
11/3/07* 5:00 PM Fort Hays State Bramlage ColiseumManhattan, KS W 95–59  10,474
Regular Season
11/9/07* 7:00 PM Sacramento State #25 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 94–63  10,178 1–0
11/11/07* 3:00 PM Pittsburg State #25 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 76–66  8,373 2–0
11/17/07* 6:00 PM Western Illinois #22 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS W 77–64  12,528 3–0
2007 Old Spice Classic
11/22/07* 8:30 PM vs. George Mason #18 The Milk HouseLake Buena Vista, FL ESPN2 L 77–87  3,163 3–1
11/23/07* 6:30 PM vs. Central Florida #18 The Milk House • Lake Buena Vista, FL ESPNU W 73–71 OT 2,903 4–1
11/25/07* 12:00 PM vs. Rider #18 The Milk House • Lake Buena Vista, FL ESPNU W 82–69  783 5–1
Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
11/29/07* 8:00 PM #17 Oregon #25 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN2 L 77–80  12,528 5–2
13th Annual Jimmy V Classic
12/4/07* 6:00 PM vs. Notre Dame Madison Square GardenManhattan, NY ESPN L 59–68  8,300 5–3
12/9/07* 1:00 PM California Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 82–75  5,274 6–3
K-State Holiday Classic presented by Subway
12/17/07* 7:00 PM vs. Florida A&M Sprint CenterKansas City, MO FSN Midwest W 87–60  17,699 7–3
12/22/07* 7:00 PM Winston-Salem State Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 90–48  4,495 8–3
12/29/07* 1:00 PM Wagner Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 101–59  10,114 9–3
12/31/07* 6:00 PM vs. Xavier U.S. Bank ArenaCincinnati, OH ESPNU L 77–103  5,233 9–4
1/7/08* 7:00 PM Savannah State Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 85–25  5,476 10–4
Big 12 Regular Season
1/12/08 5:00 PM at Oklahoma Noble CenterNorman, OK ESPN Plus W 84–82  11,858 11–4 (1–0)
1/19/08 3:00 PM #10 Texas A&M Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN W 75–54  12,528 12–4 (2–0)
1/23/08 8:00 PM at Colorado Coors Events CenterBoulder, CO ESPNU W 72–56  6,992 13–4 (3–0)
1/26/08 5:00 PM Iowa State Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 82–57  12,528 14–4 (4–0)
1/30/08 7:00 PM #2 Kansas #22 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN Plus W 84–75  12,528 15–4 (5–0)
2/2/08 12:30 PM at Missouri #22 Mizzou ArenaColumbia, MO ESPN Plus L 74–77  12,229 15–5 (5–1)
2/6/08 7:00 PM Nebraska #20 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS FSN Midwest W 74–59  12,393 16–5 (6–1)
2/9/08 5:00 PM Oklahoma State #20 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN W 82–61  12,528 17–5 (7–1)
2/13/08 8:00 PM at Texas Tech #18 United Spirit ArenaLubbock, TX ESPN2 L 75–84  7,742 17–6 (7–2)
2/16/08 5:00 PM Missouri #18 Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN Plus W 100–63  12,528 18–6 (8–2)
2/20/08 8:00 PM at Nebraska #24 Devaney Sports CenterLincoln, NE ESPN2 L 64–71  9,725 18–7 (8–3)
2/23/08 7:00 PM at Baylor #24 Ferrell CenterWaco, TX FSN Midwest L 86–92  8,712 18–8 (8–4)
2/25/08 8:00 PM #5 Texas Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN L 65–74  12,528 18–9 (8–5)
3/1/08 8:00 PM at #6 Kansas Allen FieldhouseLawrence, KS ESPN L 74–88  16,300 18–10 (8–6)
3/4/08 8:00 PM Colorado Bramlage Coliseum • Manhattan, KS ESPN Plus W 78–72  12,528 19–10 (9–6)
3/8/08 3:00 PM at Iowa State Hilton ColiseumAmes, IA ESPN Plus W 73–69  14,134 20–10 (10–6)
Phillips 66 2008 Big 12 Championship Tournament
3/14/08 9:20 PM vs. Texas A&M Sprint Center • Kansas City, MO ESPN Plus L 60–63  18,897 20–11
2008 NCAA Tournament
3/20/08* 6:10 PM vs. Southern California Qwest CenterOmaha, NE
(First Round)
CBS W 80–67  17,162 21–11
3/22/08* 3:20 PM vs. Wisconsin Qwest Center • Omaha, NE
(Second Round)
CBS L 55–72  21–12
*Non-Conference Game. #Rankings from AP Poll. All times are in Central Time.

Post-season

Big 12 Tournament

The Wildcats went on to a 10–6 record in conference play, earning a number 3 seed in the 2008 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats faced the #6 seed Texas A&M Aggies and lost 60–63.

NCAA Tournament

First Round

The Wildcats earned a berth in the 2008 NCAA Tournament as the #11 seed in the Midwest Region. In the first round they beat the #6 seed USC Trojans, 80–67. The victory over the Trojans was the Wildcats' first win in a tournament game since beating No. 1 seed Purdue, 73–70, in the Midwest Regional Semifinals on March 25, 1988.

Second Round

The Wildcats faced the Wisconsin Badgers from the Big Ten Conference in the second round and were soundly defeated, 55–72.

Michael Beasley scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his 28th double-double of the season, but he had only six after halftime.

Statistics

Season Box Score

# Player GP GS Min Avg FGA FGM FG Pct 3FGA 3FGM 3FG Pct FTA FTM FT Pct Off Reb Def Reb Total Reb Avg PF FO Asst TO Blk Stl Pts Avg
30 Beasley 30 30 940 31.3 525 282 .537 86 34 .395 256 197 .770 126 249 375 12.5 76 1 36 88 50 40 795 26.5
12 Walker 28 25 752 26.9 353 162 .459 102 32 .314 128 92 .719 73 108 181 6.5 90 2 51 74 17 27 448 16.0
0 Pullen 30 14 706 23.5 245 100 .408 124 40 .323 87 62 .713 8 36 44 1.5 49 1 99 66 1 38 302 10.1
5 Stewart 27 19 783 29.0 176 60 .341 93 28 .301 57 41 .719 32 49 81 3.0 48 1 87 61 3 25 189 7.0
2 Young 30 30 859 28.6 174 62 .356 81 26 .321 56 35 .625 40 61 101 3.4 86 7 59 42 1 29 185 6.2
4 Gilbert 24 15 448 18.7 97 37 .381 38 11 .289 27 18 .667 24 41 65 2.7 49 1 41 36 3 13 103 4.3
1 Brown 24 0 224 9.3 94 36 .383 51 19 .373 16 8 .500 11 21 32 1.3 18 0 18 13 3 10 99 4.1
23 Sutton 16 5 222 13.9 41 22 .537 5 0 .000 18 10 .556 23 20 43 2.7 29 0 10 11 4 19 54 3.4
40 Anderson 27 6 323 12.0 64 34 .531 0 0 .000 36 18 .500 52 46 98 3.6 35 0 14 13 6 9 86 3.2
42 Kent 27 0 372 13.8 67 26 .388 25 7 .280 16 8 .500 24 42 66 2.4 62 1 33 30 8 11 67 2.5
50 Colon 25 2 150 6.0 33 12 .364 0 0 .000 16 6 .375 12 17 29 1.2 36 0 6 13 7 1 30 1.2
51 Franklin 11 1 46 4.2 10 3 .300 4 1 .250 2 0 .000 3 5 8 0.7 7 0 7 3 0 4 7 0.6
31 Merriewether 25 3 225 9.0 17 5 .294 6 0 .000 9 4 .444 11 12 23 0.9 23 0 19 15 5 6 14 0.6
Player GP GS Min Avg FGA FGM FG Pct 3FGA 3FGM 3FG Pct FTA FTM FT Pct Off Reb Def Reb Total Reb Avg PF FO Asst TO Blk Stl Pts Avg
Opponents 30 6050 1730 726 .420 541 198 .366 643 422 .656 338 664 1002 33.4 620 415 502 107 223 2072 69.1
TEAM 30 6050 1896 841 .444 615 198 .322 724 499 .689 495 756 1251 41.7 608 14 480 468 108 232 2379 79.3

References