Why Kansas State Wildcats maintain high hopes for second half of Big 12 play
One look at Kansas State’s upcoming basketball schedule was all it took for Bruce Weber to feel optimistic about what might happen during the second half of Big 12 play.
The most difficult stretch of the Wildcats’ season is in the past. After playing seven straight games against probable NCAA Tournament teams, K-State is about to play three straight games against opponents that might not make the NIT.
Up first is a road trip to Iowa State (9-13, 2-7 Big 12) on Saturday. Then the Wildcats host Oklahoma State (11-11, 1-8) and travel to TCU (13-9, 4-5).
“I would rather play that,” Weber said, “than West Virginia twice and Kansas twice and Baylor twice.”
There is certainly an opportunity for the Wildcats to pick up some late-season victories. They swept Iowa State and Oklahoma State a year ago. If they do it again and pull off a few other upsets, they could contend for a top six seed and first-round bye at the Big 12 Tournament.
Weber is thinking even bigger than that. Moments after K-State lost to Baylor earlier this week, he went on the radio and shared a story about the 2016-17 Oklahoma State team that lost its first six conference games and then bounced back to finish 9-9 and reach the NCAA Tournament under then coach Brad Underwood.
“There is nothing impossible,” Weber said. “There is always the possible. Who knows what can happen? I brought up Oklahoma State a few years ago. They started (3-6) and went (6-3) in the second half and ended up 9-9. I think at that time no one ever thought (they would do that). We smacked them at their place and then they came back and beat us at our place. A lot of things can happen.”
“Is it going to be easy? No. Can it happen? Yeah, you just have to keep believing.”
The journey begins against a Cyclones team that will enter Saturday’s game with the exact same record and mindset as the Wildcats.
One team will walk away brimming with confidence, thinking that a late-season run is within reach. The other will go back to the drawing board having missed another opportunity.
This is arguably one of the biggest games on both team’s schedule.
“It’s definitely motivating when you think about how bad our start was, but it feels like it’s been a while,” K-State junior Mike McGuirl said. “We have only played half the Big 12. We have the whole other half to go. We could very easily turn it around.”
Motivation won’t be a problem moving forward. Even in a disappointing season, the Wildcats keep finding things to play for other than pride. Effort, it seems is not a problem.
But they will need to improve in the execution department. The Wildcats haven’t won away from home since early November when they beat UNLV in Las Vegas, and they have struggled to close out games all year.
Perhaps that will change during the final nine games of the Big 12 season. The opportunity is there.
“We have made a lot of strides but I don’t think we are where we want to be,” K-State senior Makol Mawien said. “Guys are playing better and we have got everybody contributing, if we limit runs and be solid when teams are making their runs, being more defensively sound and being able to stop, that is a big thing for us. Right now, I think it will be all about focusing on that and trying to improve that.”