Wooldridge leads K-State against Tech

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Mar 9, 2006 by Tim Bisel Capital-Journal

KANSAS STATE

VS. TEXAS TECH

Tipoff: 11:30 a.m., American Airlines Center, Dallas

Records: No. 9 seed Kansas State 15-12, 6-10; No. 8 seed Texas Tech 14-16, 6-10

Series: Kansas leads, 10-9

Radio: KQTP-FM (102.9)

TV: WIBW (13)

Line: Kansas State by 2

Next game: Friday: Winner vs. No. 1 seed Texas, 11:30 a.m.

PROBABLE STARTERS

Kansas State

P Player Ht Cl Pts RebG Akeem Wright 6-6 Jr. 6.2 5.5G Mario Taybron 6-2 Jr. 5.0 1.7F David Hoskins 6-5 So. 12.7 4.5F Dramane Diarra 6- 8 Sr. 5.0 5.0F Cartier Martin 6-7 Jr. 18.3 6.7Texas Tech

P Player Ht Cl Pts RebG Martin Zeno 6-5 So. 13.9 5.3G Jarrius Jackson 6-1 Jr. 20.3 4.2F Dior Lowhorn 6-7 Fr. 7.3 4.0F Michael Prince 6-7 Fr. 2.7 2.5F Darryl Dora 6-9 Jr. 7.3 4.5

By Tim Bisel

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

DALLAS --- Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge defied doctor's orders Wednesday afternoon.

Just minutes into his Big 12 tournament news conference, the sixth-year coach revealed the name of Dr. Paul Boykin, the neurosurgeon who repaired the bulging disc in Wooldridge's neck on Feb. 8.

"My doctor, Dr. Boykin, he's a wonderful surgeon," Wooldridge said. "He said, 'Don't mention my name to the public.' I'm mentioning his name because I really like him. I think he did a great job."

The comments were unsolicited, as were several others Wooldridge made about a golf game that is certain to gather dust until Boykin grants him permission to return to the links.

"As you know, I'm a very good golfer. I've told you that," Wooldridge said with equal hints of sarcasm and humor. "I can't play golf for a while. I'm upset about it because that's my hobby, the only hobby I have."

Moments later, Wooldridge concluded his impromptu address with this: "You see, we didn't have anything to talk about today, did we? But we're going to talk about golf."

Wooldridge knew, of course, that golf wasn't the topic of the day. He also knew that, despite his best diversion tactics, the conversation eventually would turn to his unstable future as the leader of K-State's program.

When it did, he was prepared.

"The decisions and so forth, they're not in my hands. They're in the athletic director's hands," he said, referring to K-State AD Tim Weiser. "Quite frankly, that's the person you have to talk to about that.

"Our job is to play as good of basketball as we can. I think we've got a competitive team. We're in a conference tournament that if we play well, who knows, (maybe) we can make some noise."

K-State (15-12) will begin that attempt today at 11:30 a.m. when it meets Texas Tech (14-16) at American Airlines Center.

By all accounts, anything short of an unprecedented four-game run to the Big 12 tournament championship likely will cost Wooldridge his job. Following last season's 17-12 campaign, which ended with a disheartening snub by the NIT, Wooldridge was retained with the understanding that he must reach the NCAA Tournament this year.

Early on, it appeared the Wildcats might do exactly that. They opened the season with a solid 9-2 run through the nonconference, then rebounded from a two-game slide by winning three straight, including their first over in-state rival Kansas since 1994.

But as has been the case so often under Wooldridge --- who is 83- 89 overall, 32-64 in the Big 12 and 3-5 in the league tournament --- the season unraveled amidst a multitude of narrow setbacks. K-State lost a school-record nine games by five points or fewer, including one-point gut-wrenchers to nationally ranked Texas and Oklahoma and two-point heartbreakers to Baylor, Oklahoma State and Iowa State.

As a result, the situation seemingly has come down to this: Win four straight or lose a coach.

Even Wooldridge acknowledged K-State's chances of doing so are slim.

"It'd be very difficult," he said, citing the quality of competition and fatigue as key impediments. "I can understand how that could be very difficult to do."

Still, Wooldridge said his team hasn't surrendered or been affected by the cloud of uncertainty surrounding his personal situation.

Junior Cartier Martin affirmed that belief. When asked if felt like he would be playing this week to save his coach's job, Martin said: "I don't know anything about that, but I know we're playing because we want to make the postseason. We look forward to winning a couple of games and hopefully making postseason."

Which is exactly the approach that Wooldridge expects. Citing the close losses as proof, he insists the Wildcats are playing well and can run with anybody in the league.

Now, he hopes they can prove it on the biggest stage of the season.

"It's not about me," he said, repeating a line he has used frequently during recent weeks. "It's really not."

He's wrong, you know. This time, this week, it's all about Wooldridge.

Tim Bisel can be reached

at (785) 295-1289 or tim.bisel@cjonline.com.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jim Wooldridge may be coaching his last game for Kansas State today against Texas Tech.