DROPOFFWest Virginia lost Devin Williams, Iowa State lost G

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas State slowly, methodically broke down Washington State on Saturday night.It probably shouldnt have been a surprise.The Cougars were already playing without forward Jeff Pollard, who has mono, and Vionte Daniels, who is dealing with the effects of a concussion. But then the news hit earlier in the day that Derrien King intends to transfer at the semester, leaving coach Ernie Kents even more short-handed on the road.Any time a player leaves, it hurts your team, Kent said after the Wildcats rolled to a 70-56 victory at the Sprint Center, and yet youre in an era of transferring and he made the decision to do that.It left Washington State with eight guys to match up with a deep, balanced bunch of Wildcats, though, and the Cougars certainly looked tired by the time the final seconds ticked off the clock.Wesley Iwundu had 15 points and eight rebounds, Barry Brown had 14 points, Dean Wade contributed 11 and Xavier Sneed finished with 10, all those scoring options helping Kansas State (9-1) overcome a lousy first-half shooting performance to win its 16th consecutive non-conference home game.It was also the Wildcats third straight win over the Cougars.We were trying to do stuff all on our own, Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. Our defense was solid again, but we didnt do the things we needed to do offensively in the first half. Much better in the second.Indeed, Washington State (5-5) controlled almost the entire first half, never trailing until the final couple of minutes. But Kents team fell behind 28-26 headed into the locker room, and kept slipping farther behind during the second half, when the Wildcats heated up from the perimeter.They were 2 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half. They were 7 of 13 in the second.I think offensively we just came out slow, everybody was trying to probably put up the ball to see how it was going to go, Brown said. In the second half we just made the right play, made the simple passes and we were able to make some shots.Josh Hawkinson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars. Charles Callison also scored 10.In truth, there werent many bright moments in the first half for either team -- at one point, they combined for one field goal over a five-minute stretch. Turnovers were also a problem with the teams giving it up five times during that same abysmal period.But once the Wildcats assumed their first lead with 43 seconds left before halftime, they never trailed again. Their lead approached 20 points midway through the second half before coasting down the stretch.I thought the game was a tale of two halves, Kent said. We played I thought some really good basketball, probably our best basketball of the year in the first half and kept our composure. I thought Kansas State in the second half did a great job to keep their composure.STATS AND STREAKSThe Wildcats Kamau Stokes had just four points on 2-for-10 shooting. He was 0 for 5 from beyond the arc. ... Washington States starting guards, Malachi Flynn and Charles Callison, were a combined 4 for 15 from the field. ... Kansas State had a 30-16 scoring advantage in the paint.BIG PICTUREWashington State probably knew it would be a struggle when it had a tough time beating Carroll College in an exhibition game. But the Cougars only wins since mid-November have come against Utah Valley and Idaho, with losses to Loyola, San Jose State and New Orleans along the way.Kansas State has built a glossy record thanks to an atrocious nonconference schedule. The Wildcats only tough game came in Brooklyn, when they lost 69-68 to Maryland. And things dont get a whole lot tougher with games against Colorado State and Gardner-Webb before Big 12 play.UP NEXTWashington State heads home to play Santa Clara next Saturday.Kanas State plays the Rams next Saturday in Denver.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas lost one of the leading scorers and rebounders in school history, a slashing guard capable of scoring in bunches, a one-and-done prospect with freakish talent and a dazzling 3-point shooter.And theres a good chance theyll be even better this season.Hard to believe after the Jayhawks went 33-5, won their 12th straight Big 12 regular-season title and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. But with the return of three starters and the addition of Josh Jackson, the nations top overall recruit, the Jayhawks believe they have the chops to win their first national title since 2008.Were going to miss two key starters and of course some depth behind that, but I do think the pieces have potential to fit, Kansas coach Bill Self said. If the pieces fit as well, then I think you may have a little bit more talented group that may give you a chance maybe to play better when it counts the most. But certainly it remains to be seen if the pieces can get there yet.Self acknowledged losing Perry Ellis to graduation creates a significant void, not only in scoring and rebounding but also leadership, and that Wayne Selden Jr. was often the best player on the floor. When you throw in Cheick Diallo, who left after one underwhelming season for the NBA, and Brannen Greenes decision to leave a year early, you have roster turnover that could cripple most programs.The Jayhawks merely had to plug the holes and press on.Jackson should move right into the starting lineup, a 6-foot-8 swingman who some believe could have more impact on the Jayhawks than Andrew Wiggins. Udoka Azubuike also arrived on campus with the kind of expectations that match the freshman centers 7-foot, 270-pound frame.The Jayhawks will also add Ole Miss transfer Dwight Coleby to the mix. He tore his ACL last year but was already sitting out under NCAA transfer rules, and could provide some depth in the front court.But the key to the Jayhawks success will be the returnees: Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham will combine with Jackson in arguably the nations best backcourt, Carlton Bragg is poised to become a scoring machine after an uneven freshman season and Landen Lucas provides experience in the post.ddddddddddddEveryone just has to give themselves up and do exactly what coach wants, Mason said. Hes been there and he knows what it takes. Doing that, we have a chance to be the best we can be.Here are the story lines that could define the Jayhawks season:JACKSONS HYPESeveral analysts have already listed him No. 1 in next years draft, but so far he has said all the right things. And he wants to win, even floating the idea of going 40-0. We know its going to be really hard and kind of unlikely, he said, but thats what were shooting for.PLAYING SMALLSelf loves his big men, but the majority of his talent is in the backcourt, so expect the Jayhawks to play four guards quite often. Mason, Graham and Jackson could be joined by Svi Mykhailiuk and Lagerald Vick, who played sparingly a year ago but has taken big strides in the offseason.BIG 12 DROPOFFWest Virginia lost Devin Williams, Iowa State lost Georges Niang and Oklahoma lost Buddy Hield and, well, just about everybody. So the Jayhawks are the heavy favorites to win the league for the 13th straight time, which would match the record streak of UCLA for a major conference.SITTING OUTMississippi State transfer Malik Newman will have to sit out under NCAA transfer rules, but he should still prove valuable. Newman was one of the nations top recruits out of high school and should help to make practices a bit more spirited.TOUGH ROADThe Jayhawks open with Indiana in Hawaii and play Duke four days later in New York, an unusual and brutal combination of travel and talented opponents. Stanford, UNLV and Nebraska ae also on the non-conference schedule. Thats why you come to a school like this -- to start off with Indiana and Duke, Lucas said. Were going to learn a lot in those first couple of weeks. ' ' '