courtesy of Jack Alden

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"It was good to be back home. At times in the first half, we really were good defensively and had a stretch there where we got really good shots, made them, and got (Nebraska) to turn it over, then cashed in on the offensive end after the turnovers. The second half was just sorta meander around a little, is what it was. I knew Nebraska would keep playing, and in fact for a large portion of the second half, I thought they outplayed us. "We didn't do a very good job (on perimeter defense in the second half). We knew Cochran can really shoot the basketball. He was 9-17 against us from the three-point line last year in two games. An emphasis of ours was we've got to get to him, and we gave him a couple of just wide open looks. He made one where we really did guard him in the second half, but he had some wide open looks, and you can't allow him to do that. Then all of a sudden Cookie (Belcher) makes one and somebody else makes one, and it looks like they're gonna make a bunch of 'em. "I felt badly for Eric because it was just one of those nights where everything that happened was bad. A couple of the whistles could have gone the other way, perhaps. Then he got whacked on the nose there at the end. They'll have to x-ray it tomorrow to see if his nose is broken or whatever. It was a tough night for him, yet Nick Collison is 6-7 and six blocked shots. You really like that. Kenny Gregory, nine rebounds. Kirk Hinrich, nine assists and one turnover. There were some really good things. I was concerned because, the first game back in the field house, I didn't want our guys to think it was going to be easy. I've been impressed with Nebraska. A two-point game at Missouri, beat Texas, and I think they're buying into a little more of what Barry's trying to say. I thought it would be a difficult game, and I was worried about how our guys were looking at it. "We had some pretty good looks at it tonight that we missed. Luke was pressing a little bit, Eric was pressing, and the two of them are 2-9. But Kirk only took four shots, didn't take any bad ones, didn't look for it when he wasn't supposed to... And Drew and Nick and Kenny are all over 50 percent, and you like that. "I was surprised (at K-State's win over Missouri). And at the same time, I wasn't surprised, because in this league you've got to be ready to play every single night regardless of where the game is. Yet Missouri had been playing so well, and Kansas State had struggled two games in a row, including one game at home. I know Jimmy's got to love what his club did last night. I think the league is very competitive, and I think it'll go down to the wire, and we're gonna have those nights all the time."

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