Upcoming stretch could define Big 12 championship outlook for Kansas State basketball
There seems to be a difference of opinion on Kansas State’s conference championship outlook.
The Wildcats are currently tied with Baylor atop the Big 12 standings at 5-2. Some think they have what it takes to stay there and win a league title for the first time in six years. Others think they are pretenders, ready to fall and unworthy of trophy consideration.
Andy Katz illustrated that wide range of possibilities on Wednesday when he sent out a tweet expressing doubt that any of this year’s Big 12 contenders — which he listed as Baylor, Iowa State and Texas Tech — were ready to dethrone Kansas, despite its recent struggles. He mentioned four of the top five teams in the standings, but omitted K-State.
When pressed by fans to explain why he left the Wildcats off his list of conference championship hopefuls, Katz, a national college basketball analyst, wrote that their offense “isn’t consistent enough” and that they “looked poor” during a 65-53 loss at Texas A&M last weekend.
It seems ESPN bracket guru Joe Lunardi agrees with Katz. He recently sent out a tweet that suggested K-State could hope for nothing better than a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, even with some bracket projections currently listing it as a No. 5 seed.
Those thoughts came a few days after Kansas basketball coach Bill Self went out of his way to praise the Wildcats.
“K-State is playing better than everybody right now,” Self said on Jan. 24. “... A third of the way in, I think people who wanted to see a good race, I think they’re getting their wish”
For now, it’s impossible to say what K-State’s conference championship odds truly are. With Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech all lurking one game back, the Big 12 looks more wide open then ever.
But we could gain some clarity soon.
The Wildcats were the hottest team in the league before hitting the road for the Big 12/SEC Challenge last weekend. They lost a shocker to Texas A&M, but that defeat won’t mean much when they return to conference play on Saturday.
“We’re on to Oklahoma State,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “Every game now is huge.”
If they get back to their winning ways, they can set up a meaningful home rivalry clash with Kansas on Tuesday. A loss would leave them with no momentum heading into a tough stretch of games that features road trips to Baylor and Texas and a home date with Iowa State.
It’s not a stretch to say the next five games will define K-State’s conference championship hopes.
And it begins against a team that has considerable respect for the Wildcats. Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton voted K-State first on his preseason Big 12 ballot.
“I just took a step back from what the perception maybe is of who should win the league every year, and looked at it on what I believed was the most experienced team, the team with the guys who have played together the most and have had success doing it for a long time,” Boynton said Thursday. “That was K-State. Coach Weber does a great job. They’re always one of the best defensive teams, not only in our league, but in the country.
“That combination gave them the edge over the rest of the teams in the league.”
K-State has played up to his expectations in Big 12 games, but the Wildcats also have some head-scratching losses. That’s why they still have doubters. The next five games could easily push opinions to one side or the other.
This story was originally published January 31, 2019 at 3:03 PM.