Coach Frank Martin and the Wildcats get another chance to knock of a Top 5 opponent as they host No. 2 Kansas at home January 30, 2010 on ESPN at 6PM.

After the Wildcats beat the Baylor Bears 76-74 in a tough environment, the Wildcats are prepared to host the red-hot Jayhawks. There is a lot on the line for the Jayhawks. With the recent No. 1 team (Kentucky) falling to South Carolina, the Jayhawks need a win to become the No. 1 team again. The Jayhawks are currently undefeated in the Big 12 and hold a 19-1 record overall.

The Jayhawks have had their struggles on the road and now must come into the Octagon of Doom to try to steal a win. The Jayhawks haven’t fared particularly well in hostile environments this year. In their first true hostile environment against a Top 25 team, the Jayhawks were handed their first and only loss by a shorthanded Tennessee team. The Wildcats would like to see the same success that Tennessee found, but it will not be easy. Head coach Frank Martin is attempting to reach out to all Wildcat fans to attend the game to rattle KU head coach Bill Self and his Jayhawks, but rest assured: Bramlage will be packed and the fans will be rowdy. That much is certain.

The Wildcats are 10-1 at home this season and are averaging 82.5 points in home games. Additionally, the Wildcats are a perfect 4-0 against Top 25 opponents and average a total of 81.2 points per game.

The last time the Wildcats hosted a Top 5 opponent in Bramlage Coliseum, they beat Texas by a score of 71-62. In all games against Top 25 opponents, the Wildcats have out-rebounded their opponent, grabbing an average of 36.7 rebounds while only allowing 29.5.

Forward Curtis Kelly has been one of the key contributors in the Wildcats’ frontcourt success. After the game against Texas he said, “I think I just focused on if Damion James gets the ball, I am going to keep my hands off of him and make him shoot over my length. In my mind I thought, ‘I am not going to put my hands on him or try to bump him.’ Against Dexter Pittman, I just worked.”

Kelly gets another chance to shut down another outstanding frontcourt player in Kansas’ Cole Aldrich. Aldrich is tabbed as an All-American, and the Wildcats have yet to see a big man with his physicality this season. Aldrich is a double-double machine, cleaning it up on the glass and scoring down low. Aldrich really influences the game on the defensive end, as he averages 3.6 blocks per game. Keeping Aldrich off the glass is a key to the winning formula for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats need to take care of the ball against Kansas. They simply cannot turn over the ball like they have in previous games. The Wildcats are averaging 16 turnovers per game and that is just not going to cut it against a team of Kansas’ caliber. The Wildcats must play a rough and tough game with the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks are very aggressive and they play hard on every play. They will not give up anything easy. K-State will need to have great ball movement on offense and must focus on finding the open players for easier shots. In addition, the Wildcats simply cannot get overwhelmed by the size of the Jayhawks’ frontcourt. Most teams would just pass the ball around the perimeter and shoot throughout the whole game. However, the Wildcats cannot rely on that if they hope to beat KU. The Wildcats must attack the paint and take it to the frontcourt of the Jayhawks.

The Wildcats need to do many things right to compete against Kansas. If Jacob Pullen can shoot the ball well, things will open up in the paint, forcing the Jayhawks to spread out their defense. At that point, Pullen and Denis Clemente can really go to work carving up the Jayhawks.

When the Wildcats play well and hit their shots consistently, they’re a tough team to beat. Look for this game to be highly competitive for an entire forty minutes. It should be a great game.