Three takeaways from Kansas State’s ugly home basketball loss against the LSU Tigers
The Kansas State men’s basketball team faced its first true test of the season when it played host to LSU on Thursday evening at Bramlage Coliseum.
Its grade: F.
K-State was not ready.
LSU dominated the Wildcats in every phase on its way to a 76-65 victory in a rare early-season clash between Big 12 and SEC teams.
The Tigers made things look easy as they led by as many as 17 in the first half and never let the Wildcats get back in the game. A former K-State basketball player led a balanced attack for LSU, with Cam Carter scoring 20 points in his return to the Octagon of Doom.
Carter appeared much more comfortable in this setting than his former teammates. David N’Guessan and Dug McDaniel were the only K-State players who finished in double figures, scoring 16 points apiece.
LSU beat K-State in nearly every statistical category, but a few stood out. The Tigers grabbed 43 rebounds and limited the Wildcats to 25. LSU also got 32 points from its bench while K-State only got 15.
The rebounding numbers bothered Tang, who blamed himself for the loss and called this game a “butt whooping.”
“This falls solely on my shoulders,” Tang said. “You have got to rebound. You can’t get pounded on the glass the way they pounded us on the glass. I know they’re athletic, but everybody in the Big 12 is athletic, too. It’s an area that needs to improve. The great thing about it is it can be corrected.”
K-State dropped to 2-1 with the loss and LSU improved to 3-0 with the win.
The Wildcats will next be in action on Tuesday against Mississippi Valley. Until then, here are some thoughts on Thursday’s action:
Warm welcome for K-State transfer Cam Carter
K-State students usually pretend they are reading newspapers and boo when the visiting team’s starting lineup is announced inside Bramlage Coliseum, but they broke from that tradition when Cam Carter was introduced before this game.
Fans rose to their feet and greeted the K-State transfer guard with a standing ovation.
It was a cool moment for everyone involved. K-State fans showed their gratitude to a player who spent the past two seasons making big plays for the Wildcats. They obviously still remember everything he did as a sophomore when he helped Jerome Tang reach the Elite Eight.
“One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my time in coaching was when he was announced in starting lineups and the whole place gave him a standing ovation,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “I think that’s a great credit to this fan base here in Manhattan. It really was one one of the best things I’ve seen.”
Carter flashed a smile when heard the cheers and shook hands with his former teammates.
“It was electric,” Carter said. “Just seeing the crowd and how they cheered for me in the beginning and then they how they cheered against me. It’s always tough playing here. I’m just grateful that God gave me a chance to play in my home state and come back here to my second home.”
Perhaps K-State fans made him feel a little too welcome, because Carter went on to have a great game at his old stomping grounds.
This could be a costly loss for the Wildcats
It’s nearly impossible to judge the quality or a win or a loss this early into a college basketball season.
For example: No one batted an eye when K-State lost to USC and Miami last season, but those defeats were viewed negatively at the end of the season. On the flip side, fans were irritated when Nebraska beat K-State in Bramlage last season, but the Huskers ended up in the NCAA Tournament.
That being said, K-State needs all the good nonconference results it can get before Big 12 play begins. Jerome Tang lined up a relatively easy schedule for the Wildcats this season. St. John’s and Wichita State are the only other notable teams they will play before the Big 12 gauntlet arrives.
Losing at home to a team like LSU will put extra pressure on K-State to get wins elsewhere, even if the Tigers turn out to be one of the best teams in the SEC.
Dug McDaniel deserves to stay in the starting lineup
Dug McDaniel made his first start in a K-State basketball uniform against LSU on Thursday, and he played like a point guard who seems motivated to remain in the starting lineup.
McDaniel played his best game with the Wildcats.
The Michigan transfer finished with 16 points and five assists. He looked particularly motivated in the early going, as he piled up 10 points and three assists without committing a turnover in the opening 10 minutes.
He is far from perfect and played a bit too aggressively at times in this game. But there is clear upside when McDaniel is on the court. He has impressive vision and he can get the ball to anyone who is open, even when they are on opposite sides of the floor.
Tang went with CJ Jones in the first two games of the season at point guard. And Jones clearly has an important role on this team, playing in relief of, or alongside, McDaniel. But the team’s ceiling appears higher with McDaniel.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 10:14 PM.