Rapid recap: Kansas State learning lessons in close games

Kansas State three-point defense

It was no secret that Oral Roberts was known for their three-point shooting. It has been a bit inconsistent at times this year, but they are still shooting from beyond the arc a lot and have plenty of guys that can fill it up from that spot on the floor. Kansas State knew that.

That proved to be the case in the first half when they connected on 8 of 10 from that range. They make 9.5 per game and almost reached that number in the game’s first 20 minutes. Obviously, K-State head coach Jerome Tang was not thrilled with that.

10 made threes in a game is a recipe for an upset. The Wildcats wanted to force the Golden Eagles into tough two-point shots. That didn’t happen in the first half. Some players and some teams can’t go 8 of 10 in an empty gym, said Tang afterwards.

Kansas State guard Cam Carter even called it a bit embarrassing for himself afterwards because he has never had someone like Issac McBride score on him like that. He took it personally and it offended him, and that’s why he really buckled down in overtime and met the challenge of taking him away.

Overall, the defensive end of the floor is still a definite work in progress for the Wildcats.

Lesson from close games

K-State has now played in two overtime games. Tang is actually an incredible 7-0 in overtime as the head coach at Kansas State. The close games can be a lesson of how to win for his team. They have already had these late game experiences against both Providence and Oral Roberts.

Tuesday night the Wildcats did not win the end of regulation. K-State was out-scored 10-4 in the final minutes, and if they would have just tied the Golden Eagles, the game never would have needed an extra session.

Tang said Kansas State must do a better job in the final five minutes going forward. An example was the final possession for Oral Roberts. The Wildcats were supposed to give a foul and instead allowed an easy dunk to tie the game.

So, we can conclude that David N’Guessan didn’t execute the plan of fouling when he allowed the easy penetration to the hoop even before Tylor Perry lost his man when the guy he was guarding made a simple cut to the basket.

The execution was better in overtime, and some of that was getting a boost in energy from the crowd according to Tang, and that was not there at any other point in the game.

Cam’s first double-double

Junior guard Cam Carter recorded his first double-double in the win over Oral Roberts. He scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The 10 rebounds were a career high for the Donaldsonville, Louisiana native.

With K-State playing small for much of the contest, Carter was playing the ‘3’ more. Playing the ‘3’ instead of the ‘2’ allowed him to attack the offensive glass more. Carter pulled down five offensive rebounds, including a key one that led to a big three-pointer from Perry.