Rapid Recap: Kansas State to maintain positive approach

POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR KANSAS STATE

Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang has maintained an upbeat and positive approach during his press conference, even after losses. He acknowledged that in his press conference after falling to Kansas in Lawrence and cited the need to do so for his players.

Being negative or overly critical or upset in a room full of reporters and media members doesn’t help them improve. He already knows they love K-State, want to win very badly and that another game is just days away.

It is up to them as a coaching staff to correct the errors, but he does not put that on the players immediately after being on the losing end of a contest. The time to be upset, in Tang’s opinion, is when he goes and re-watches the tape and realizes his own mistakes and what he could have done differently in order to win.

After all, he pointed out that Kansas State is 6-3 in the Big 12 when nearly everyone projected them to be 0-9 in the conference at this juncture.

TANG’S TECHNICAL

Tang also recorded his second technical foul of the year in Lawrence. Referee John Higgins delivered one to him in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Though it seemed like he may have wanted it so that he could pump up his team or send a message to the officials, Tang revealed it was not his intention.

With that being said, he still didn’t mind that he was tagged with it. But it wasn’t so that he would fire up his K-State roster. It was because he knows that officials can sometimes be caught up in the atmosphere in Lawrence and not call it evenly just by human nature.

The Kansas State head coach wanted his concern about that to be heard and addressed.

KU MADE THE PLAYS

At the end of the day, Jerome Tang wasn’t that displeased with his defense. He enjoyed that they poured into the scouting report very well, and that is why K-State was able to contain and limit both Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson.

They were a combined 7 of 23 from the field, even if they did find their way to 29 points together. The issue was that Wilson fired well from beyond the arc, even when contested. However, Kanas State wanted to force the supporting cast to beat them and knock down shots.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, that is what Kansas did on Tuesday evening. While K-State should have been able to produce more on the offensive end and had more than their share of chances, the Jayhawks made the plays thanks to Kevin McCullar, Dajuan Harris and Zach Clemence hitting a few timely threes.