Texas is a fine club. No shame in that loss. But within the context of what is currently happening - three straight losses with Kansas on deck - it might have been catastrophic.
I still believe the Wildcats are in the NCAA Tournament, but they’re about to scale the bubble. It’s the reality, folks. Will victories against Colorado and Iowa State to close the regular season be enough? Who knows?
No point in dwelling on Bill Walker. This is who he is - a highly emotional, charged athlete who is fantastic when he’s on and downright dreadful when he’s not. But that’s OK.
This team just needs something positive to happen. The whole month of February has been a drag for the Wildcats. Maybe March will be different.
As for the giving up the lead with Mike on the bench arguments, he tires late in every game. Look it up - they all do. I’m not suggesting they’re out of shape or anything like that. But the physical strain is taking a toll - and so is losing.
I haven’t had many issues with how Frank has handled this team this season, but last night’s comments about K-State’s youth and how proud he’s been of his guys sounded almost like a concession speech. I know it’s not in his nature to quit, but man…
Something positive needs to happen or it will be a NIT appearance for this team. I never thought I’d have to type those three letters this year, but I just did.
16 Comments
Yes wins over Iowa State and Colorado will get them in because that will get them 3rd in the conf. no matter what happens with other teams. Do a lil’ research man!
About Frank’s comments. When things are going tough and a team is playing hard but coming up short time and time again, you want to say positive uplifting things about your team so players and coaches keep a positive outlook on what’s ahead. The time to tear them down is when they are flying high, like this team was in January after a 5-0 start. You always want to make them feel like they aren’t as good as they think, but when times are tough, not as bad as they might think. In either situation, that’s the only way you get better.
There is a real difference in the styles of Frank Martin (surprisingly positive in public) and Bob Huggins (almost always down on his players, at least in public). I did not expect that. I think Frank will do a good job for us, but it makes me a little sad to think where this team would be with Huggs in charge.
Quick question, why do some standings, such as bracketology, have us at 17-9 while others have us at 18-9?
Because some are not counting the win over Pitt State because they are DII. They are only counting DI wins.
Sam - It won’t matter what place a team finishes in the conference. Look at last year, KSU finished 4th in the conference, ahead of TT, but KSUs RPI was 56 and TT was 53 even after beating TT head to head in the conf tourney.
Any team (even in a power conference) with an RPI below 40 is on the bubble. Our RPI is now 42. That is 5th in conference. OU and BU are 27 and 33 resp. Fla St, Clemson, Ala, and Syracuse were left out of the NCAA tourney last year with RPIs in the 40’s.
Was anyone else as annoyed as I was with all the booing? Don’t get me wrong, I thought there were some questionable calls, but aren’t there some in every game? I thought it sounded bad in person, but it probably sounded even worse on TV.
Franks comments are to protect his players from any negativity (like from the press) that could be directed towards specific players (Walker, Stewert, Young). It’s obvious the problem is lack of the 3-ball.
The book on defending K-State is now proven: A zone around Beasley takes him out of the game and forces the guards to shoot 3’s. If we can get more than 2 guards that can shoot 40% 3’s, we can beat the zone.
I’m usually the ultimate opptomist (I was a KSU Football fan in the 80’s) But I don’t know that we can even beat ISU in Ames. So we are looking at 1 more win for the season? But who knows we could have a break out in the Big 12 Tourney and get the Auto bid. This team is capable of anything! I think we should look a little different next Saturday when Kent should be back and Sutton should be full strengh.
we’re cursed. best player in the country and we will be one and done in the NIT.
Frank keeps talking about his boys turning into
men. Well, They had better hurry up and turn or will be left our for a NCAA tournament pick!
I don’t know what people are complaining about; with the NIT we get more home games which means more chances to watch Beasley. J-Mart, how is your dad taking the losses? He picked a terrible time to watch the cats. It’s going to be Xavier-ish in Lawrence.
Boos are a perfectly acceptable way of showing the refs that they aren’t perfect.
Remember, it’s always the refs fault when you lose.
i don’t buy the end-of-game beasley fatigue excuse… sure, he may be tiring, but it doesn’t seem to bother to other top level players such as augustin, rose, jamar butler, and a certain someone who’s name shall not be uttered (but wears very light almost girlish blue)… either a division one athlete is in shape and can give 100% the full game or he can’t… but two questions come to mind… 1. maybe we should have left him in in the other games where we built a lead, so he could have built up 40min stamina AND padded his stats… i know a big man needs occasional rest, but heck, with the television dictating the game, the players get a blow almost continuously throughout the game without even using a timeout for bench time! and, 2. how is mike going to survive at the next level with eight more minutes a game, twice the games and constant travel?
everybody should suck it up and play with desperation at this point… mizzou did at home, and beat us… texas tech did, and beat us and baylor did, and beat us… in those games, and to a lesser extent nub and texas, the team that wanted it more won
We’ll finish either 10-6 or 9-7 and most lilely 4th in the conference. We’re dancing. Quit sweating it.