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K-State’s good, but not greatest school’s seen

Some forget Wildcats among schools steeped in college hoops tradition

Image: Frank MartinAP
Kansas State coach Frank Martin has a fine team, but it's hardly the best the school's ever seen, writes Ken Davis.

Q: Will Todd Bozeman be at Morgan State after this season? And if not, what are the odds he ends up coaching at a bigger school, like say, DePaul?
Darrell, Baltimore, Md.

A: Morgan State is having another terrific season, leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at 10-1 and 19-8 overall. That first conference loss came Monday against South Carolina State 71-68 in Baltimore. It snapped two 11-game streaks — overall wins and home wins for the Bears. Morgan State gets some big exposure Saturday playing Murray State in the BracketBusters.

I’m a big believer in second chances and Bozeman got his at Morgan State. Bozeman proved he could win at California. He led those Bears to three NCAA Tournaments. But he got into big trouble with the NCAA with some major recruiting violations. The NCAA hit him hard with the eight-year “show-cause” order and he disappeared from college coaching.

When Morgan State took a chance on him, Bozeman took over a team that had gone 4-26 the year before. The victories have increased to 13, 22 and 23 with a trip to the NCAA last year. Consecutive NCAA bids will catch someone’s eye and Bozeman will leave Morgan State eventually. There has been some mention of Bozeman heading to the Windy City. It would be a gutsy and interesting move by DePaul.

Q: Syracuse’s Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche are both products of Jamesville-DeWitt High School in Jamesville, N.Y. When was the last time a Top 5 Division I team had two starting guards from the same high school? Thanks.
Jeff Harvey, Baldwinsville, N.Y.

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A: Congratulations, Jeff. I think this is the hardest question ever posed on this site. I put it out to many of my friends who cover college basketball and it created a great deal of interest but not many valid answers.

It’s true Rautins and Triche are from the same school. But they never played together in high school. Triche is a freshman and Rautins is a fifth-year senior. It’s still a great question, especially since you limited it to starting guards for a Top Five team. Rautins and Triche have started every game for the Orange this season.

I’m not sure there is a source for that type of information other the memories of people who have been around the game. I credit long-time friend Jeff Bollig of Lawrence, Kan., for this answer: Aaron Miles and Michael Lee of Kansas in 2004-05. They had been basketball and football teammates at Jefferson High in Portland, Ore.

Miles started all 30 games for the Jayhawks that season. Lee came off the bench most of his career but started six games that season. The Jayhawks began 20040-05 ranked No. 1 and won their first 14 games before losing to Villanova.

Not 100 percent sure if that is the right answer Jeff, but it is the best I could come up with with a lot of good basketball minds thinking it over. If someone has a better answer, send it in by e-mail.

© 2012 NBC Sports.com  Reprints


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