Buffs defenseless; Aggies ring up scoreboard

Loss no. 18 and counting.

Kansas State 87, Colorado 71.

David Hoskins and Cartier Martin combined for 40 points and guards Clent Stewart and Blake Young totaled 29 more as the Wildcats won their 20th game under first-year coach Bob Huggins.

K-State's talent was no better this season than what the new Buffs' coach will inherit soon. Coaching was the difference.

Huggins came to Manhattan not accepting excuses, rolled up his sleeves, implemented a winning mentality and now has the skinny Cats flexing muscle. The NCAA's are a lock and KSU might actually win a game there once invited. The future looks even brighter next season when Bill Walker returns from injury and super-recruit Michael Beasley hits the court.

All this in one season.

Boulder is not Manhattan and vice-versa. The local situation presents its' own challenges but read: none of them are insurmountable.

CU athletic director Mike Bohn has noticed, I promise.

Richard Roby (pictured) is looking like an NBA scorer again, with 26 points and six rebounds while Xavier Silas returned from injury to score 17 but do little anywhere else (one rebound, one assist, no steals and four fouls).

KSU shot 51 percent from the floor, attempted 32 foul shots and rode out of town a winner.

The Buffs were left with another pile of mistakes and another loss, at home no less.

BGT: Yes, most knew CU was young and would struggle, but similar to the football team, not many could have predicted a struggle to this extent, nor would they have expected to witness such a lack of effort and execution on defense. This season gets a failing grade but that starts at the top. There is little that has gone right. Getting young players court time is not a positive. Coach Ricardo Patton had no choice. Bad habits have been developing all season, the players have minimal confidence, if that, and fundamental skills were not developed well.

The BGT will make some calls this week to some contacts to learn if any new names are floating out there to replace Patton.

Them other schools

Sixth-ranked KU dismantled Iowa State, 89-52, in Lawrence in a game that wasn't close much after the opening tip. Six Jayhawks scored in double figures, led by guard Mario Chalmers 18 points. No Cyclone scored more than eight.

BGT: Earlier this season KU was an enigma and overrated. Coach Bill Self continued to challenge his team and they have responded. As of now, the Jayhawks look like who everyone predicted they would be at the beginning of the season -- a power. They aren't a team with a star but everyone on the roster has talent. The emergence of freshmen Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins have only made KU more dangerous. Brandon Rush and Julian Wright have to become more consistent, however, for the Jayhawks to make a run at the Final Four.

Eighth-ranked Texas A & M played little defense, which will earn a group spanking from coach Billy Gillispie pronto, but still outlasted Baylor, 97-87, in College Station. The Bears are loaded with productive guards and they showed off on Saturday as Curtis Jerrells, Henry Dugat, and Aaron Bruce combined for 64 points. Thankfully for the Aggies, Acie Law was playing Playstation and ripped it up for 31 points. Joseph Jones had his back with 22 more.

BGT: A & M allowed Baylor to shoot the lights out but I guess that's o.k. if you're going to shoot 56 percent from the floor as the Aggies did. Law could finish second in the balloting for Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Year. Said it before and will say it again -- the Bears are not that far away from being a powerful team. They need as in need a power broker inside to balance that fantastic talent on the perimeter.

Texas showed it can play physical by going down to Norman and beating Oklahoma, 68-58. Some freshman named Kevin Durant scored 32 to lead the Longhorns and fellow frosh D.J. Augustin added 18 more.

BGT: UT seems like a mature team for being so youthful. If they can keep their focus and hit the boards, they could win some games in March. Earlier in the season, I thought, as exciting as UT was, they would bow out early come postseason. Now, I'm not so sure. The Horns weren't their best against the Sooners but still won by 10.

No surprise as Texas Tech pulled another upset, although this one was mild, as the Red Raiders beat up in-the-dumps Oklahoma State, 59-57, in Lubbock. Martin Zeno had 13 points and nine rebounds to lead the way.

BGT: The Cowboys are home sick and have been for a while. Who's wearing the uniforms on this team is unknown. Texas Tech has some quality wins but needs more victories to get into the NCAA tournament. Bobby Knight is showing he hasn't lost his coaching touch. If he only had a little more talent -- tough with his outdated personality -- he could do wonders.

Nebraska knocked off Missouri, 82-77, in overtime out in Lincoln as talented Huskers' big man Alexs Maric had his way with the Tigers, scoring 31 points and collecting 19 rebounds.

BGT: Maric only needs a little more consistency to his game to establish himself as an All-American caliber player. If he returns next season and Nebraska can find another big man to play alongside him, look out for coach Doc Sadler's bunch. Missouri is weak inside and that cost them a game they needed to keep their postseason NCAA hopes alive.