Takeaways as K-State defeats Baylor in first basketball game without Jerome Tang
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Interim coach Matthew Driscoll galvanized K-State, ending 6-game skid & restoring energy.
- Guards Nate Johnson, PJ Haggerty combined for 67 points, sparking offensive surge.
- Win lifted K-State out of last place in Big 12 and revived fan interest.
New coach. New results.
Good vibes returned to Bramlage Coliseum on Tuesday when the Wildcats won their first game after Jerome Tang was unceremoniously fired as head coach, 90-74 against Baylor.
Matthew Driscoll moved into the lead chair as interim head coach, and K-State ended a six-game losing streak with him in command.
PJ Haggerty scored a game-high 34 points and Nate Johnson had 33. It was the first time K-State featured a pair of 30-point scorers in a game since the days of Michael Beasley and Bill Walker.
This was a much-needed win for the Wildcats, who were getting obliterated at home during Tang’s final weeks on the bench. K-State had lost each of its past three home games by at least 24 points. That string of blowout losses chased fans away. But the ones who were in attendance for this game showed their school pride.
Some of the students who called for Tang to fired last week by wearing brown paper bags over their heads ripped them up during pregame festivities and tossed the remains into the air as K-State players were introduced to the crowd.
Names also returned to the back of K-State basketball jerseys after a one-game hiatus.
With the win, K-State (11-15, 2-11 Big 12) moved out of last place in the conference standings. Baylor (13-13, 3-10 Big 12) is looking like it will miss the NCAA Tournament after this loss.
K-State will next be in action on Saturday at Texas Tech.
Until then, here are takeaways from Tuesday’s game:
Matthew Driscoll appeared to love his moment in the spotlight
This was not the first time Driscoll has served as head coach for a college basketball team.
Far from it.
He has two decades of head coaching experience, including a 16-year run with North Florida. He won 248 games while he was there as he guided his team to a pair of conference titles and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
But he had never been the head coach for a power-conference team, until now.
Driscoll embraced the opportunity. He enthusiastically helped K-State players warm up with pregame drills and then hyped up his team on the bench. He was known as the team’s offensive coordinator before this game, and he still showed a great deal of pride in helping the Wildcats get buckets against the Bears.
But he was also an active coach when K-State was on defense.
His presence on the sideline seemed to help the Wildcats play with more freedom than they had in previous games. Everything just seemed like more fun.
That much was evident while watching the K-State bench. Players were on their feet to celebrate after every bucket. They were more animated than usual.
Nate Johnson put on a show
It was clear from the opening seconds that K-State guard Nate Johnson was going to have a big game.
The first time he touched the ball, he launched a 3-pointer from NBA range and it splashed through the net. He didn’t celebrate the make, but it clearly gave him confidence. He drained the next two outside shots he attempted for a quick nine points.
Johnson seemed to benefit from Driscoll being in charge more than anyone else in a K-State uniform. He operated as the point guard for much of the night, which led him to play more aggressively than usual. Good things happened.
He scored a season-high 33 points to go along with nine assists and five rebounds.
This was easily his best game with the Wildcats.
Haggerty also played great, but Johnson was the main catalyst for K-State in this game.
The remainder of the season is suddenly interesting for K-State
It’s far too late for the Wildcats to make a push for the NCAA Tournament, but with five games remaining in the regular season (plus the Big 12 Tournament) fans have a reason to tune in again.
The team was playing so poorly under Tang that his postgame news conferences were more entertaining than the games.
Now the opposite is true.
K-State still has winnable games remaining against Colorado, TCU and West Virginia. A victory or two in Kansas City is never out of the question.
Driscoll breathed new life into the Wildcats on Tuesday. If they continue fighting, this team could finish the season strong as it plays for nothing more than pride.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 10:37 PM.