Rapid Recap: Stakes are raised for Kansas State
Kansas State must win in spite of turnovers
Turnovers have been a problem all season for Kansas State. 29 games in and they don’t have a solution to what ails them in that department. Even head coach Jerome Tang admitted that. They have tried everything under the sun, but they aren’t disappearing.
My conclusion would be because a lot of it is decision-making. You can’t correct that, at least not over the course of a short period. That’s an offseason task. Some of it has existed for more than a year by some, such as Cam Carter. He and Arthur Kaluma between each other at Cincinnati.
It’s not necessarily about erasing turnovers anymore. Tang understands that it would be silly to think that it is going to magically become fixed in game 30. At this point, they have to find ways to win in spite of them and they have at times this year.
They have to be really good in the other spots, and it does decrease the margin for error. But that’s the gig this season.
Embracing rivalry
The Sunflower Showdown on Tuesday sparks up the rivalry once more between K-State and Kansas. Tang once again mentioned the Wildcats needing to win a bit more to make it so, but he understands the importance of it to the fans.
He is embracing it more and more. He’s understanding it more and more. Tang even admitted to starting to want it more and more just like the fans. He’s with them on that front. And heck, he has a winning record as the Kansas State head coach versus the Jayhawks.
Stakes are raised
Tang raised the stakes even more. It was not tied to it just being the rivalry game in Allen Fieldhouse. He also connected it to the NCAA Tournament chances. He said the contest versus Cincinnati was an NCAA Tournament game and that Tuesday’s matchup is essentially a Sweet 16 game.
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For clarity, he was referencing the path for K-State. The only chance of an at-large berth would be to knock off both Kansas and Iowa State. Even it wouldn’t be enough. They’d likely need a quality win in Kansas City to tack on top.
But he was also alluding to what we often hear from announcers and analysts that discuss the Big 12. Often times it was said this year that every game within the league feels like a Sweet 16 game. Tang was piggy-backing off of that.
Challenge of Allen Fieldhouse
How hard is it to win at Allen Fieldhouse? Well Kansas hasn’t lost back-to-back games in the building since 1989. While that seems unfathomable, it is true. Someone said they probably haven’t lost three games in a row recently, either, but they actually fell three consecutive times last season.
The first of those three straight Jayhawk losses was to Kansas State in Bramlage Coliseum.
Can K-State be part of another three-game losing streak for Kansas? It won’t be easy. Tang shared that their tremendous crowd plays a large role in why they are nearly invincible in Lawrence but he shared complimentary words for Bill Self and his aptitude as a coach and recruiter as well.
