Why Bruce Weber hopes K-State players ‘are embarrassed’ after ugly loss at Baylor
None of Bruce Weber’s usual motivational tactics have helped the Kansas State basketball team snap its longest losing streak in 20 years, so the Wildcats coach went off script following a humbling 85-66 loss against Baylor on Tuesday at Ferrell Center.
Shortly after K-State wrapped up its eighth consecutive defeat, he made players off limits to media and then called them out during his news conference as he turned his focus to the next challenge on the schedule — a home game against Kansas on Saturday, which he described as a “character test.”
“I hope they are embarrassed,” Weber said of K-State players. “I hope they have sick stomachs and I hope they are mad. I hope we come back with great focus.”
The Wildcats (9-19, 2-13 Big 12) need something to change quickly if they hope to celebrate another victory before the regular season comes to a close. With games against No. 2 Baylor and No. 1 Kansas this week, they have no margin for error. And they were reminded of exactly that by the Bears.
Baylor (25-2, 14-1) treated K-State like a directional school on its way to a drama-free victory in which 10 different Bears players saw the court and nine different players scored.
Scott Drew’s team swarmed the Wildcats on defense and forced them to commit 18 turnovers while sending out just 11 assists. But Baylor was even better on offense, as it drained 13 three-pointers and raced to a 34-point lead. The Wildcats are usually solid on defense. They hadn’t allowed more than 81 points in a game all season. But the Bears dropped 85 on them like it was child’s play.
Matthew Mayer, a sophomore role player, came off the bench to lead all scorers with 19 points.
“We had no answers for them,” Weber said. “They have a great team.”
They were on pace to win by 50 until Drew sent Baylor’s walk-ons into the game on a 16-1 run.
Cartier Diarra had 19 points and six assists for K-State. And former walk-on Pierson McAtee had his first career dunk. But there were no other positives.
“I just hope they are mad,” Weber said. “They just got their butts kicked. They are good, but you got your butts kicked. Now, do you have character? Can you come back and get ready for the next game?”
It won’t be easy.
The Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 81-60 earlier this season at Allen Fieldhouse in a game that was better remembered for a last-second brawl than the actual score. But Kansas was far and away the better team, and it seems to have gotten stronger since. It has won 13 straight games.
Weber knows his team won’t be favored in the rematch, but he thinks K-State has a shot at victory, regardless. On Tuesday, he pointed out that Texas lost by 29 at Iowa State and bounced back with three straight victories. Oklahoma has been struggling but found a way to beat Texas Tech.
Stranger things have happened.
But the Wildcats will need to play better than they have recently to have any chance against the Jayhawks, or any remaining team on their schedule.
Weber has tried many coaching methods over the past month. He has altered K-State’s starting lineup numerous times and did so again on Tuesday. He even kept starters in the game with foul trouble, which he rarely does. Nothing has worked.
Something has got to change. He thinks that process begins with K-State players.
“We have to come with the right emotion,” Weber said. “It has to be controlled emotion. It can’t be: I’m going to shoot and go score 30. It has to be: I’m going to guard the heck out of them and play my butt off and see if I can help K-State beat Kansas.”