SE: K-State MBB Looks to Start Big 12 Play Off with Win Against Texas

When the K-State men’s basketball team set goals before this season, one of them was an undefeated run through its non-conference schedule, which was spoiled with a tight loss to Maryland. Another goal was to go unbeaten at home in the Big 12, an achievement the Wildcats look to begin when they host Texas on Friday at 7 p.m.

“We want to be able to go undefeated on our home court in conference because we know how important that is,” senior Wesley Iwundu said. “That’s one of the main goals is to protect home court. We can’t have any slipups, any losses in Bramlage. That’s the main goal.”

“If you want to compete for the upper part of the Big 12 or for a championship, you have to win at home. We get to start at home and hopefully we come with great energy,” K-State head coach Bruce Weber added. “The home-court advantage, to me, is how you play. The crowd helps once they get there, but your defense, your aggressiveness and confidence, and if you want to call it swagger, that’s really important at home.”

K-State (11-1) is off to its best start under Weber and the program’s best start since the 2011-12 team began the season with the same record. The Wildcats have won six games in a row and nine straight at home dating back to the 2015-16 campaign. Their last loss in Bramlage Coliseum was by one point against Texas last season, a memory not yet forgotten by Iwundu.

“That is still on my mind,” Iwundu said of being swept by Texas last season by a combined four points. “We want to come out on the right foot. We’re very focused for this game, and starting off with a win against a team like Texas would be going in the right direction for us.”

K-State took plenty of steps in the right direction during its non-conference slate.

The Wildcats currently rank eighth nationally in scoring defense (58.5 points) and ninth in field goal percentage defense (37.04 percent). Their offensive numbers are impressive as well. Entering conference play, K-State has converted 95 3-pointers — the most at this point since the 2010-11 season — that includes making 38.8 percent from beyond the arc and 49.0 percent from the field, both the highest marks for the Wildcats entering their Big 12 schedule in at least 10 years.

“The big thing now is that we learn to play without the ball. Defenses will be better and you’ll go on the road more,” Weber said, referencing Barry Brown and Iwundu as players he would like to see create more opportunities off the ball. “Now, can you make it hard for them to guard and get things off of movement? We need continue what we’re doing. The assist-turnover ratio is great, the assist-per-field-goal number is pretty good and we’re shooting good shots, but now can you do it against better defense and find ways to score when you get in the shooting struggles?”

Texas (6-6), which returned zero starters from last season, struggled to find wins in its non-conference schedule. With two sophomores and two freshmen in the Longhorns’ starting lineup, Weber likened their ups and downs to last year’s K-State team.

“One, their schedule is pretty tough and they’ve lost a few close games. They’re very, very talented, but they’re very young,” Weber said. “These guys are a little bit like us last year, trying to figure some things out and they seem to compete with everybody.”

The Longhorns’ size, which includes seven players at 6-foot-6 or taller, caught Iwundu’s attention more than their youth. It’s what he said should pose the biggest challenge for the Wildcats in Friday night’s game, which will be nationally televised on ESPNNews.

“We have to stay out of foul trouble with our big guys. To match up with them, we need to keep D.J. (Johnson) and Dean (Wade) out of foul trouble,” he said. “They’re a pretty young team, but, at the same time, they’re still pretty good. We can’t come out and take them lightly just because they’re young. This is a good team and we have to go in prepared like any other team.”

This is the attitude Weber has tried to instill in his team upon returning from a four-plus day break from basketball.

“It’s Coach (Bill) Snyder’s thing, focus on one game at a time. If you worry about the next 20, it’s overwhelming, but just worry about Texas and whoever is next,” Weber said. “That’s got to be the big thing, and coming with great focus, great energy, passion, and getting after it every time once you step on the court. That’s all you can worry about.”

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: K-State MBB Looks to Start Big 12 Play Off with Win Against Texas

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