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On the Defensive
K-State proved to be a balanced team across the board with eight players averaging four or more points, including just two in double figures, and five averaging three or more rebounds per game. Rodney McGruder (15.6 ppg., 4th in Big 12) and Angel Rodriguez (11.4 ppg., 18th in Big 12) were the only Wildcats averaging in double figures, while three others - Shane Southwell (8.4 ppg.), Thomas Gipson (7.9 ppg.) and Will Spradling (7.4 ppg.) - averaged better than seven points per contest. The team saw 10 players collect 104 double-digit scoring games with McGruder (29) leading the way, while the squad had eight players with 50+ field goals made with McGruder’s 204 the second-most of any Big 12 player.
K-State has continued to be one of the nation’s best defensive teams, ranking 36th in scoring defense (60.4). In all, the Wildcats ranked either first, second or third in five Big 12 defensive categories, including first in scoring defense, turnover margin and rebounding defense and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin. The squad also ranked fourth in steals, fifth in 3-point field goal percentage defense and sixth in field goal percentage defense and blocks.
K-State was the only Big 12 school to have eight players with 50+ made field goals and five players with 30+ 3-pointers, while Baylor was the only other league school with 10 players with double-digit scoring efforts. In all, the Wildcats had six players lead or share the lead in scoring led by McGruder (18). He also led the team in rebounding at 5.4 per game, while Gipson (5.0 rpg.) and Jordan Henriquez (5.0 rpg.) also averaged better than four rebounds per game. The team saw eight players either lead or share the lead in rebounding with Henriquez pacing the squad in 10 games, just ahead of Gipson (nine) and McGruder (eight). The Wildcats were also diverse in other categories, including five players posting 60 or more assists and seven with 15 or more steals. Four players averaged more than 20 minutes per game, while five others averaged better than 10 minutes per game.
Lineup Change The switch to a four-guard lineup on Dec. 18 proved to be a pivotal decision by head coach Bruce Weber, as the Wildcats averaged 68.3 points on 45 percent shooting, including 37 percent from 3-point range. The squad posted an 20-6 mark in that span, including victories over No. 8/9 Florida, No. 22/21 Oklahoma State (twice), Oklahoma (twice), Iowa State and Baylor (twice). Although the team scored 70.8 points in their first nine games, they connected on nearly five percent higher from the field (44.6 from 40.8), four percent higher from 3-point range (37.1 from 33.3) and posted more 3-pointers (7.1 from 6.0), while dishing out more assists (16.0 from 15.6) and producing fewer turnovers (11.1 from 12.8) in the last 26 games. K-State connected on better than 45 percent from the field in 13 of those games, including 50 percent or better on eight occasions, while shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range in 12 games. Rodney McGruder averaged five more points per game (16.9 from 11.9) on nearly 10 percent higher field goal percentage (46.2 from 37.8) in the last 26 games, while Shane Southwell improved his average from 6.3 points in first nine to 9.0 points in the same span.
Heating Up in Big 12 Play K-State found more of an offensive rhythm during Big 12 play, where the Wildcats led the league in field goal percentage (45.7), assists (16.9), turnover margin (+2.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) and were second in 3-point field goal percentage (38.9) and makes (7.8). The squad connected on 45 percent or better in 11 league games, including better than 50 percent against West Virginia (twice), Iowa State (twice), Texas Tech and TCU. The team shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range in 10 league games with 9 or more 3-point makes in seven contests, including a season-high 12 vs. TCU on March 5. Rodney McGruder ranked first in Big 12 games in minutes (34.9), sixth in scoring (16.1 ppg.), seventh in free throw percentage (76.1), ninth in field goal percentage (46.2), 10th in 3-point field goal percentage (36.0) and 11th in 3-point field goals (1.8). Angel Rodriguez was second in league-only contests in assists (6.2), third in free throw percentage (83.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5), 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.5) and 15th in scoring (12.3 ppg.) and 3-point field goals (1.6). Shane Southwell ranked in the Top 10 in both 3-point field goal percentage (44.0, 4th) and makes (1.8, 10th), while he was 14th in assists (2.6).
Protecting the Ball K-State was solid protecting the ball in 2012-13, as the Wildcats ranked first in the Big 12 in both assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and turnover margin (+2.6). The assistto-turnover ratio ranked 11th nationally, while the turnover margin and turnovers per game rank 42nd and 46th, respectively. The team produced a Big 12-low 11.5 turnovers per game, while forcing its foes into an average of 14.1 turnovers (fourthmost in the Big 12). The Wildcats committed 14 or fewer miscues in 28 games, including a season-low six on three occasions, while they forced their foes into 18+ turnovers seven times, including a season-high 26 by Lamar. The 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio set the school record, ahead of the previous mark of 1.28 posted by the 2004-05 team, while the 403 turnovers were the ninth-fewest for a season in school history and the fewest since the 2004-05 season. The team’s 557 assists also broke the school record previously held by the 2006-07 squad, while the 15.9 assists per game average tied for the fifth. Angel Rodriguez’s 173 assists were the second-most in school history behind Steve Henson (186, 198788), while his 5.24 per game average placed fifth and was the highest average since Larry Reid (5.32) in 2001-02. Will Spradling (2.41) and Shane Southwell (2.08) also finished among the Top 10 in season assist-to-turnover ratio.
The 2,115 points surrendered were the fewest in the shot clock era (1985-86) and the fewest since the 1982-83 squad allowed just 1,635 points (58.4 ppg.) through its 28-game schedule. The 60.4 points per game scoring average was the fifthlowest since 1953 behind the 1981-82 (58.0),1982-83 (58.4), 1980-81 (59.4) and 1961-62 (59.8) squads. The Wildcats held 24 opponents to 65 points or less, including 11 to 55 points or less, while 11 were held under 40 percent shooting from the field and 10 to 25 percent or less shooting from 3-point range. The team’s defense was nearly historic in the 87-26 win over Alabama-Huntsville on Nov. 13, as the 26 points allowed were one shy of the Bramlage Coliseum record of 25 set against Savannah State on Jan. 7, 2008. The Chargers’ 16.4 field goal percentage was only surpassed by Savannah State’s 15.5 percentage.
Points Off Turnovers A trademark of Frank Martin-coached teams were their ability to score points off of opponent’s mistakes and Bruce Weber continued that legacy in 2012-13. The Wildcats outscored their opponents, 574-409 (an average of 16.4 points per game), in 35 games in points off of turnovers. The squad has posted 10 or more points off of miscues in 30 of 35 games, including 20 or more points on 10 occasions, with a season-best 34 vs. Lamar on Nov. 12. The team out-scored its 18 Big 12 opponents, 314-215 (average of 17.4 points per game), in points off of turnovers, including 20+ points in wins over TCU (twice), Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas Tech and a near season-best 33-point effort in a win over Texas on Jan. 30. They were 20-2 when scoring more points off of turnovers, while they were 7-5 when being outscored in points off of turnovers. In contrast, the Wildcats outscored their opponents, 486306 (average of 18.0 points per game), in points off of turnovers in their 27 wins, while were outscored 103-88 (an average of 11.1 points per game) in points off of turnovers in their eight losses. K-State is forcing its opponents into 14.1 turnovers per game (fourth-highest in the Big 12), including a season-high 26 by Lamar, while turning the ball a Big 12-low 11.5 times per game. The 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 11th and first in the Big 12 with Angel Rodriguez boasting the league’s second-best assist-to-turnover ratio. In Martin’s five seasons, the Wildcats averaged 18.2 points per game off of turnovers. Nearly 25 percent of the points scored from 2007-12 came off of offense generated from miscues. With 574 in 2012-13, the school has now scored 500 or more points off of opponent turnovers in seven straight seasons.
Close Games Although the season ended with a heartbreaking 63-61 loss to La Salle in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats were successful in close games in 2012-13, posting a 134 record in games decided by 10 points or less and a 7-4 mark in games decided by six points or less, including seven Big 12 wins. Angel Rodriguez, who knocked down the game-winning free throws in the last five seconds in the win at Oklahoma on Feb. 2 and was 6-of-6 in the last 2:24 in the win over Iowa State on Feb. 9, paced the team in free throws (35), attempted (38) and percentage (92.1) in the last five minutes of games. Will Spradling, who was also impressive from the line in clutch situations (21-of-27 in the last five minutes this season and 79-of-97 for his career), went a combined 10-of-10 from the line in the last 35 seconds in wins over Delaware, George Washington and Texas Southern. Rodney McGruder (24-of-28) and Shane Southwell (8-of-11) were also solid from the line in the last five minutes of games. In the 65-64 win over West Virginia on Jan. 12, Southwell knocked down two free throws in the last 21 seconds and also blocked the game-winning shot with one second left. With the score tied at 50-all at Oklahoma on Feb. 2, Rodriguez knocked down a pair of game-winning free throws with 5.6 seconds left. McGruder hit the game-winning 3-pointer with one second left in a 64-61 win at Baylor on March 2, as the team was 5-2 in games decided by three points or less. It was the first buzzer-beating 3-pointer since Jarrett Hart’s trey against Gardner-Weber on Nov. 29, 2003 and the third gamewinning 3-pointer since 1986.
Bench Production Adding to the K-State’s balanced attack was its the production from the bench, where the Wildcats averaged 20.2 points, including a 708-567 edge over foes. The team collected at least 20 points from its bench in 17 games, including a seasonhigh 45 points vs. North Dakota on Nov. 9 and Texas on Jan. 30. Reserves scored nearly half of the team’s points five times with Thomas Gipson posting the scoring lead vs. North Dakota (13), Delaware (12) and Texas (17). Gipson came off the bench in 15 of last 16 games, where he averaged 9.2 points on 57 percent shooting with 4.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game off the bench. Ten of his 14 doubledigit efforts came from the bench, which included seven in Big 12 play.
Recapping 2012-13 n Overall Record: 27-8 n
Big 12 Record: 14-4 (t-1st)
n Final Ranking: No. 12 (AP), No. 20 (Coaches) n Big 12 Championship (No. 2 seed): Defeated No. 7 seed Texas (66-49, quarterfinals) and No. 3 seed Oklahoma State (68-57, semifinals) before losing to top-seed Kansas (54-70) in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship (tournament played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.). n NCAA Tournament (No. 4 seed, West Regional): Lost to No. 13 seed La Salle (61-63) in the second round (played at the the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.). n Athletic Honors: Rodney McGruder (Honorable mention All-American by The Associated Press, one of 30 candidates for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, First Team AllBig 12 by the league coaches and The Associated Press, Big 12 All-Championship Team, NABC AllDistrict 8 First Team, USBWA All-District VI, Academic All-Big 12 First Team, Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week four times (Dec. 10 and 24, 2012 and Jan. 7 and 21, 2013)... Angel Rodriguez (Second Team All-Big 12 by the league coaches and The Associated Press, Big 12 All-Defensive Team, Big 12 All-Championship Team, NABC AllDistrict 8 Second Team, Phillips 66 co-Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 18, 2013), Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off All-Tournament Team)... Shane Southwell (Honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league coaches)... Will Spradling (Academic All-Big 12 Second Team)... Bruce Weber (Big 12 Coach of the Year by the league coaches and The Associated Press, USBWA All-District VI Coach of the Year, NABC District 8 Coach of the Year). n Team Accomplishments: The team won its first-ever Big 12 Conference championship in 201213 and its first league title since 1977... It marked the 20th overall conference title in program history, including the 18th regular season crown... The 27 wins were the second-most in a single-season in school history behind the 29 won in 2009-10... The team has now posted 20 or more wins for seven consecutive years, which is the longest stretch in school history... The team has advanced to the postseason for seven straight seasons (5 NCAAs, 2 NITs) for the first time in school history... The 27 NCAA Tournament appearances tie for the thirdmost among Big 12 schools... The team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year... It marks the second time in school history that the school has advanced to four straight NCAAs and the first time since 1986-90... The team tied the 1958-59 squad for the most conference wins (14) in school history... The team tied the 2010-11 squad for the most wins in Bramlage Coliseum (16)... Set school single-season records for assists (557) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4)... Led the Big 12 in scoring defensive (60.4 ppg.), turnover margin (+2.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and offensive rebounds (13.4)... Led the Big 12 in field goal percentage (45.7), assists (16.9), turnover ratio (+2.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) in conference-only games.
Rn ecords/Milestones: The class of Martavious Irving, Jordan Henriquez and Rodney McGruder became the winningest in school history with 101 victories and just the second to advance to the NCAA Tournament four times... McGruder finished seventh on the all-time scoring list with 1,576 points, while he is just the second player in school history to rank in the Top 10 in both career scoring (7th) and rebounding (8th).
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PREVIEW STAFF PLAYERS OPPONENTS REVIEW RECORDS HISTORY UNIVERSITY
Balanced Attack