K-State Wildcats look to keep pace in wide open Big 12 as Texas Tech looms
Bruce Weber can joke about it now that Kansas State has won four straight basketball games, but he was skeptical the Wildcats could contend for a Big 12 championship when they lost their first two conference games.
Senior guard Kamau Stokes fired up his teammates before a game against West Virginia by telling them he was still aiming for a league title, but a different thought crept into Weber’s mind.
“I just want to win a game,” Weber mumbled to himself at the time.
Fortunes can change quickly in the Big 12. The Wildcats (14-4, 4-2 Big 12) are proof of that. They entered the week in a four-way tie for first place and can stay atop the conference standings with a win over Texas Tech on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
All after starting the month in the cellar.
“We got ourselves in the mix now,” Weber said. “Two weeks ago, we were way deep in a hole. To their credit, you feel good about where they have put themselves.”
K-State’s rapid charge up the standings, combined with some unexpected results elsewhere, should make for an entertaining conclusion to the Big 12 basketball season.
The conference race is a third of the way complete, and there is no obvious favorite.
Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech and K-State all entered the week tied for first place at 4-2, and Baylor sat a half-game back at 3-2. It’s wide open.
The Red Raiders won their first four conference games and then lost their next two. The Jayhawks started 4-1 and then lost at West Virginia. All the while, Iowa State and K-State went on winning streaks.
“This thing is going to be wild,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said.
It’s hard to predict how things will shake out. Will Kansas once again emerge as the league champion? Or will one of many new challengers dethrone the Jayhawks?
K-State can position itself well for a possible championship push if it defeats Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have won three straight against the Wildcats, including 63-57 earlier this month in Lubbock, Texas. K-State has some nice wins this season, including at Iowa State, but this would be the best of the bunch and further signal that this team is for real.
“Last year, they just came in here and out-toughed us,” Weber said. “They made the plays. We can’t let them out-tough us. They are tough and they win because they are tough. We have got to be ready toughness wise. If they want a pretty game, it’s not happening. If we are going to make improvement as a team here is a chance. This is an opportunity.”