Kansas Favored On The Road Against Rival Kansas State

Sports News - January 30th, 2010 - Written By John

In a sense of vanity, the Kansas Jayhawks probably owe their rivals from Kansas State a bit of gratitude for last week's pounding of the Texas Longhorns, because it made their ascent back to the top of the rankings all that quicker.

In a sense of reality, thought, they probably could have lived without the Wildcats gaining that little bit of momentum. For the second-straight week, Kansas State will attempt to knock off a top-two team as they host their in-state rivals this Saturday.

Kansas, after falling to fourth on a loss to Tennessee, has risen back up to second, and looks poised to reclaim the top spot next week after a loss to current-no. 1 Kentucky.

The Jayhawks are four-point favorites in the College Basketball Betting Lines, according to BetUS, with a 175-point total..

Although rankings don't do a lick of good until seeding in the NCAA Tournament comes around, being back at the top means Kansas responded well to the ugly loss to the Volunteers back on Jan. 10. They shot well below 40-percent, and got bleak performances from Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry.

Since then Collins has turned it around, and the Jayhawks have won five-straight conference games by an average of 17 points per.

Center Cole Aldrich, who is projected to be an early first round pick in this summer's NBA Draft, has scored in double-digits four games in-a-row, and has a double-double in two-straight.

Four Jayhawks are scoring in double-digits this season, led by Collins' 15.5.

The Wildcats have won four of their last five since losing to Missouri on Jan. 9th, including a gritty 76-74 win over Baylor on Tuesday.

Jacob Pullen scored 25 points in that game on six three-pointers and hit two game-winning free throws at the tail end.

"It was no big deal to me," Pullen told ESPN after the game. "It was mental and mechanical. I felt great, like I got back into my rhythm."

Pullen, who leads the team with 19.2 points per game, is the most polarizing figure in Manhattan with his signature beard tracing is jaw line that has become a fashion trend around campus. Students packed the arena during Kansas State's win over Texas, many of them wearing faux beards in his honor.

The Wildcats won despite shooting 38-percent from the floor, but have since rebounded with back-to-back plus-45-percent nights, including a 50-percent game against Baylor.