You dont know them. Not many people do. Days… Weeks… Months… Almost a year has gone by and still… you dont know them. The legendary Robert Montgomery Knight, aka, The General, one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, strolls in to inspect the troops. He came to see them, to share his wisdom before they march into madness… to see who exactly this rag-tag bunch of players, not blue bloods… scrappers… fighters… winners, were. Coach Knight, the leader of the last college team to go undefeated and win an NCAA title, the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, shows up at practice in late February to tell them to take it "one game at a time". He is a fan of how they play. "Play Angry". The 2013-2014 Wichita State mens basketball team does just that. But more importantly, plays hard, plays tough and plays together, leading to an NCAA-record 30-0 regular season mark under head coach Gregg Marshall. Saturday, March 1, 2014: Charles Koch Arena, Wichita, Kansas: Senior Night. The final matchup before the conference tourney and the opponent Missouri State is no easy out for the Shockers. This is also the final home game for two Canadian senior forwards, Chadrack Lufile, as well as his best friend, a young man whose last name is famous, not only in the state of Kansas, but on a couple continents, Nick Wiggins. Nick has a younger brother, Andrew who you may know, playing in the same state only two and half hours away, for a program so steeped in tradition, the inventor of basketball was the first head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, fellow Canuck James Naismith. I got on the phone with Nick Wiggins and Chadrack Lufile post-practice this week to talk life in the shadows and possibly shocking the world. Did you guys know one another before signing at Wichita State? NW: Weve known one another since we were teenagers. CL: We actually went to the same junior college together at Vincennes in Indiana. NW: I signed first. I didnt force him to sign or anything… just told him it would be special for us to go together. Why Wichita State? CL: Nick had narrowed his choices down to Baylor and Wichita State. He talked about his visit, how they treated him, the ambitions of the coaches and players. There was just a feeling; a good feeling about it all. Once Nick decided, I was in, too. We had to take advantage of what looked like a great opportunity in front of us. NW: When we first got here, first couple years, we didnt play as much as wed have liked to but it was always about team. Still, it was tough at times, knowing you could help the team on the court more. CL: My Dads a minister. He has a huge influence on all that I do. Once, wed lost three straight, neither one of us was playing a lot and my Dad prayed for us. Not just us, but the team. I remember telling Nick about it. NW: Yeah, I mean we had 7-8 guys on this team last year who could score 20 in any game, but we share the ball. Thats how play. CL: And then we ended up in the Final Four. We believed... If you had to compare your game to any Wichita State great from the past, who would it be and why? NW: So many great players who have come through here. Id say Cleo Littleton. He was known for his defence and for being a great teammate. I think thats me. CL: X! Xavier McDaniel. He and Antoine Carr, another Shockers legend, came in to to see us last year and really instilled in us to "Play Angry". Thats our thing now: Play Angry. He (McDaniel) told me to box out hard, never let anyone get to the ball before I did, rebound strong, run the floor harder than my opponent, be versatile with my game. We emulate the guys who were here before us. They are Shockers for life! What do you say to the pundits who believe 30-0 is a function of you guys playing in the Missouri Valley Conference, the perceived lack in your strength of schedule and not because youre a great team? NW: Schedule us. Everyone talks KU (Kansas), but they wouldnt play us. We wanted to do it at a neutral site, but they didnt want it. Thats ok, people who dont believe mid-majors can compete with major D-1 schools havent really watched us play. They will find out soon enough. CL: Say what you want about our conference or the teams we beat. Just come play us. We feel like we can compete with anyone. We beat the #1 team in the country in Gonzaga in the tournament last year. Ohio State was #7, Pitt #20. Just play us. Do you think you should be ranked #1 in the country? CL: Honestly, I think we should be! NW: We dont really pay it much attention. It could be almost like a distraction. We dont look past anyone. You still gotta win. The team we play our last home game against, Missouri State, is tough. They had us down by like 17 with about 11 minutes to go in the game before we fought back and won. It was a war. Im sure they wont care that its Senior Night for us when we play them again. They wanna win, too! If Wichita State runs the table by winning your conference tourney, should you be a #1 seed for March Madness? NW: We proved all year we should be a #1 seed. I think the selection committee will do the right thing and give us that. We lost some great guys from last years team and still havent skipped a beat or lost a step. Coach Marshall has us prepared. This will be a special ride to go on with this group of guys. Dream Scenario: Clearly winning it all is the ultimate dream. But, if Wichita State had a chance to play Kansas in the final on April 7 in Dallas, why would it be that much sweeter? CL: Lets Go!!! Do you know how hype that would be?!? NW: If they seed us and Kansas in the same region 1-2, wow, the rivalry... My brother. I believe itll happen. State bragging rights. Man, I would have lifetime bragging rights in my house (laughs)!!! CL: Andrew (Wiggins) would come down to chill and hang with us. Id tell him "Youre not ready for us, Bro (laughs)!" Im no genius or anything, but I believe all of this. All the things that are happening with Wichita State are meant to be. I feel like well meet Kansas, God Willing. And God Is Good... Marqise Lee Jerseys . A CFL source told TSNs Matthew Scianitti that Smith will re-sign with the Toronto Argonauts. Bradie Ewing Jerseys . Ulissi made his move inside the final 300 metres, bursting out of the peloton to edge Robert Kiserlovski for a second stage win in the race. Wilco Kelderman was third on the 179-kilometre (111-mile) leg from Foligno to Montecopiolo, which had two category one climbs, including the final ascent to the finish. http://www.nfljaguarsus.com/authentic-alan-ball-pink-jersey/.5 forward somersault dive may have fallen a little short on Sunday, but the two-time Olympic silver medallist says he feels encouraged by his performance at the Montreal Canada Cup. Roy Miller Jerseys .C. -- The Charlotte Bobcats said head coach Steve Clifford underwent a successful procedure Friday to have two stents placed in his heart. Josh Evans . Red Wings coach Ken Holland says hes excited to keep one of the young coaches in hockey. If Mike Babcock does not keep coaching the Red Wings after his contract expires following next season, the Red Wings can potentially promote Blashill to lead their NHL franchise. TAMPA, Fla. -- Colin Kaepernick wasnt interested in rating his performance. The surging San Francisco 49ers are hitting their stride at the right time, and thats what really matters to the young quarterback. Kaepernick threw touchdown passes to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, then led a long, clock-exhausting, fourth-quarter drive that produced a field goal to help the defending NFC champions pull away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 33-14 on Sunday. The third-year pros inconsistency has been an issue this season, however he protected the football and hurt the Bucs (4-10) with his feet as well as his arm in helping the 49ers extend their winning streak to four games. But was it his best performance? "I dont know," Kaepernick said. "Its another win for us though." Davis caught a TD pass for the fifth straight game and Michael Crabtree scored his first TD since returning from injury for San Francisco (10-4). Frank Gore rushed for 86 yards to go over 1,000 in a season for the seventh time. "Franks an amazing running back. I feel like hes the most underrated running back in the NFL. He does everything for our offence," Kaepernick said. "He runs the ball. If we ask him to block, he does it. If we ask him to catch a pass, he does it. What he means to this team and what he contributes really cant be quantified." Gore carried 22 times, hiking his season rushing total to 1,017 yards. "Its a blessing. Ninth year in the league. Every year I hear the doubters, you know, Can you still do it?" Gore said. "I take it one year at a time. My coaches still believe in me. This organization still believes in me." The 10-minute drive Kaepernick led to one of Phil Dawsons four field goals and steadied the 49ers after Tampa Bay pulled within 20-14. Kendall Hunter put it well out of reach, scooping up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and diving 2 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the 49ers moved closer to a playoff berth. They began the day needing a win, plus an Arizona loss combined with a loss or tie by Dallas or Philadelphia to clinch a spot with two weeks left in the regular season. "This is when, as a team, you want to get good, this time of year. Were showing people that were taking steps," Gore said. "We still havent played our best game yet, and thats the scary part." Tampa Bay closed within six points on Mike Glennons TD pass to Tim Wright on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Bucs (4-10) didnt get the ball back until Kaepernnick used 17 plays to move the 49ers 77 yards into position for Dawson to kick a 21-yard field goal that made it 23-14.dddddddddddd Kaepernick completed 19 of 29 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. In addition to hurting Tampa Bay with his feet by running seven times for 39 yards, he threw TD passes of 4 yards to Crabtree and 52 yards to Davis, who finished with five receptions for 79 yards. Glennon was 18 of 34 for 179 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But the Bucs only managed 39 yards rushing and were limited to a season-low 183 total net yards. "Its a tough loss. A hard-fought game. Unfortunate the way it ended," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. Vincent Jackson scored on an 11-yard reception to trim a 17-0 deficit to 10 points just before halftime. Glennons 24-yard pass to Wright finished a 10-play, 92-yard drive that gave Tampa Bay hopes of pulling an upset. But the Niners would have none of it. Kaepernick kept San Franciscos long fourth-quarter march going with a 12-yard pass to Crabtree on third-and-12, then scrambled for 10 yards on third-and-6 for a first down at the Bucs 19. The drive eventually stalled at the 3, where the 49ers settled for Dawsons kick. Eric Page fielded the ensuing kickoff, started up one side before heading across the field where he attempted to hand the ball to Russell Shepard on a reverse. Shepard lost the ball as he slipped to the ground, and Hunter made a nice to play to scoop it up on the run and score for a 30-14 lead. Crabtrees return from a torn right Achilles tendon that sidelined him the first 11 games of the season has given San Franciscos offence, last in the league passing yardage, a lift. The speedy receiver averaged 18 yards per reception in his first two games back and had five catches for 45 yards, including his first quarter TD on Sunday. Kaepernick set up the first score of the game with a couple of nifty third-down conversions, scrambling for 17 yards on third-and-8 on one and throwing 5 yards to Bruce Miller on third-and-3 on the other. ""Kaepernick really put on his cape. A couple of those conversions ... theres not a lot of people that can make those kind of plays that he was making with his feet, his arm and with his head," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Whos able to do that thats playing in this league? Very few guys." NOTES: Dawson extended his franchise-record streak of consecutive successful field-goal attempts to 24. ... Bucs DT Gerald McCoy had his eighth sack. ... Glennon was sacked four times. ' ' '