Takeaways from Kansas State’s basketball victory over Mississippi State in KC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State’s 5-0 start gains credibility with semifinal victory over Mississippi State.
- PJ Haggerty scored 35 with eight assists and seven rebounds, emerging as primary scorer.
- Wildcats closed on a 27-13 run to display late-game finishing and advance to the final.
Kansas State’s undefeated start will carry more weight following a 98-77 victory against Mississippi State on Thursday night in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic at T-Mobile Center.
The Wildcats (5-0) beat the Bulldogs (2-2) with one of their most impressive efforts of the season. Their reward was a notable win that advanced them to the championship game of this early season tournament. They will face Nebraska with a trophy on the line at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
K-State began the year with victories over UNC Greensboro, Bellarmine, California and Tulsa. It was an encouraging start, but it was hard to judge the quality of those wins, seeing as how none of those opponents is expected to contend for the NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State is different. Many expect the SEC team to make the Big Dance this season. The Bulldogs are definitely the best team that K-State has played thus far, so winning this game was meaningful.
PJ Haggerty led K-State with another strong effort that featured 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. It was his second straight game with at least 30 points. Nate Johnson (12 points) and Abdi Bashir (12 points) also reached double figures for the Wildcats.
Nate Johnson can be a two-way star
Johnson was best known as a defensive stopper when he decided to transfer from Akron to K-State, but he also possesses offensive skills.
The senior guard has shown them off in numerous games this season, including Thursday’s matchup against Mississippi State.
Johnson had 14 points, four assists and four rebounds. He did a little bit of everything.
He seems to be at his best in transition. Whenever he leads a fastbreak, it feels like automatic points for the Wildcats.
But he also drained a step-back shot from 3-point range in the second half. He has as much upside as anyone on the K-State basketball roster.
PJ Haggerty continues to cook
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but PJ Haggerty led the Wildcats in scoring against the Bulldogs.
The Memphis transfer, who entered the day averaging 26 points per game, once again lit up the scoreboard with a game-high 37 points. He also piled up eight assists and seven rebounds.
Most of his damage has been done off the dribble this season. And he did some of that against Mississippi State sure, but he also made shots. Haggerty drained four from beyond the arc and also looked to distribute.
This was his season-high in points. But he did more than just score.
It will be interesting to see what his season high is this season. No K-State player has averaged more than 20 points in a season since Jacob Pullen. At the very least, it seems like a lock that Haggerty will match that accomplishment.
The Wildcats protected a big lead
K-State has held a double-digit lead in all of their games this season. But it has struggled to hold onto them.
California rallied from 25 down and lost by three. Tulsa rallied to take a lead in the second half, forcing the Wildcats to make clutch plays to win that game.
This time, K-State poured it on. The Wildcats finished the game on a 27-13 run to bury the Bulldogs. For the first time all season, K-State showed a killer instinct.
Things got chippy between Achor Achor and Mobi Ikegwuruka
Achor Achor didn’t spend much time on the K-State basketball roster, but he was in Manhattan long enough to build some kind of relationship with Mobi Ikegwuruka.
The duo got chippy at times, especially in the second half.
At one point, Achor clapped his hands and screamed Ikegwuruka’s name after he poked a ball away from him out of bounds. Ikegwuruka then intentionally bumped into Achor on his way up the court.
Officials also reviewed a foul between the two for a potential flagrant foul but found nothing.
Achor left the K-State basketball roster after only a few games last season and then transferred to Mississippi State. He scored five points against his former team on Thursday.
Ikegwuruka was playing after missing the Tulsa game