A Dangerous Team with the Right Mindset
Jan 17, 2024 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Jeff Mittie knew with several top-25 teams losing in the past week that Kansas State could make a jump in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Now the Wildcats, who had been ranked No. 12, are one of the 10 best squads in women's basketball.
K-State moved to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 this week, which is the highest ranking for the program since ranking fifth in the 2003-04 preseason AP Poll.
"I saw the scores, and you could see the upsets were happening across the country, so I thought we'd move up," Mittie said. "I think it's a good thing. I think it's great for our fan base. We'll take pride in it. You can go one of two ways with success. You can get complacent and stop doing the things that helped you be successful, or it can drive you to do more.
"Hopefully, it'll drive us to do more."
K-State, 17-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big 12 Conference, comes off a thrilling 61-58 victory over then-No. 10 Texas, lifting the Wildcats to their 11th straight win, the longest winning streak in the league.
"We're on an 11-game winning streak, which is super exciting, so we know what it takes for us to be successful," K-State junior point guard Serena Sundell said. "We're just trying to make sure we're doing what Coach Mittie is saying and continuing to get better. He can pick out a million things watching film how we can get better. There are so many little things we can do better to make us a next-level team. We need to keep doing that."
K-State players did take a moment to relish in beating the Longhorns, who they held 30 points under their season scoring average. It was K-State's first win over Texas in five years.
"You have to celebrate those successes and we did in the locker room," Sundell said. "We enjoyed it. I'd never beaten Texas, so it was a good feeling. Now we've come back in and are humble enough to know there are a lot of things we can do to do better. There's a balance, and when you find that balance, you're going to grow the most and have the most success."
K-State's 17-1 mark is the best of the 10-year Mittie era and the best since the 2008-09 season. K-State has begun a season 17-1 four times in its history.
The Wildcats, whose game on Wednesday night at TCU was canceled and forfeited by the Horned Frogs, now prepare travel to face Kansas at home on Saturday at 1 p.m.
"We have a lot of momentum for sure," redshirt freshman guard Zyanna Walker said. "We have a lot of confidence but we're not letting it get to our heads. We're still focused and humble, but we're still confident. We know we have a whole lot of expectations for us.
"Every game, everybody is trying to knock us off. I think we get every team's best game. We know we have to bring it as well. That's what we've been doing."
Mittie appreciates his team's mental maturity. And that starts with 2022 All-American senior center Ayoka Lee, who on Tuesday was named Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week. Lee averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists in 31.5 minutes in wins over Oklahoma and Texas.
"It starts with Yokie, and to have a leader that is receiving all those accolades and just have her shrug them off and even compliment her teammates for those things is huge," Mittie said. "It'd be really easy for her to get a big head or stop doing the work. She's the opposite. The culture of the program and standard, she very much believes that's our drive. That's what drives her. To have a player do that it trickles down."
And that makes K-State a dangerous team.
"Coach mentioned a few weeks ago that we know everybody is going to give us their best shot with that number by our name," Sundell said. "We have to make sure we go out every night and give them our best shot. It goes both ways. In the Big 12, any night is anybody's game, so we just have to remember that going in that it's going to be a dog fight. So, we must stick to our preparation and stick together, and you're going to have good things happen at the end."
Mittie still addresses his team despite its experience. Every step this season has seemingly prompted a new and exciting experience.
Such as being ranked in the Top 10.
"The thing you have to do is remind them of the core things that makes us good, and you do have to remind them to block out the noise," Mittie said. "If you sit here and think they're not noticing the poll or think they're not getting pats on the back, and all those things, you're avoiding something that needs to be talked about. I'm not going to avoid it. I'm going to have honest conversation with them that it's great to have the pats on the back, but you'd better be smart enough to know that if you stop working, those things (will stop). If we're not talking to them, somebody else is.
"I need my message to be loud and clear every day."
Jeff Mittie knew with several top-25 teams losing in the past week that Kansas State could make a jump in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Now the Wildcats, who had been ranked No. 12, are one of the 10 best squads in women's basketball.
K-State moved to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 this week, which is the highest ranking for the program since ranking fifth in the 2003-04 preseason AP Poll.
"I saw the scores, and you could see the upsets were happening across the country, so I thought we'd move up," Mittie said. "I think it's a good thing. I think it's great for our fan base. We'll take pride in it. You can go one of two ways with success. You can get complacent and stop doing the things that helped you be successful, or it can drive you to do more.
"Hopefully, it'll drive us to do more."
K-State, 17-1 overall and 6-0 in the Big 12 Conference, comes off a thrilling 61-58 victory over then-No. 10 Texas, lifting the Wildcats to their 11th straight win, the longest winning streak in the league.
"We're on an 11-game winning streak, which is super exciting, so we know what it takes for us to be successful," K-State junior point guard Serena Sundell said. "We're just trying to make sure we're doing what Coach Mittie is saying and continuing to get better. He can pick out a million things watching film how we can get better. There are so many little things we can do better to make us a next-level team. We need to keep doing that."
K-State players did take a moment to relish in beating the Longhorns, who they held 30 points under their season scoring average. It was K-State's first win over Texas in five years.
"You have to celebrate those successes and we did in the locker room," Sundell said. "We enjoyed it. I'd never beaten Texas, so it was a good feeling. Now we've come back in and are humble enough to know there are a lot of things we can do to do better. There's a balance, and when you find that balance, you're going to grow the most and have the most success."
K-State's 17-1 mark is the best of the 10-year Mittie era and the best since the 2008-09 season. K-State has begun a season 17-1 four times in its history.
The Wildcats, whose game on Wednesday night at TCU was canceled and forfeited by the Horned Frogs, now prepare travel to face Kansas at home on Saturday at 1 p.m.
"We have a lot of momentum for sure," redshirt freshman guard Zyanna Walker said. "We have a lot of confidence but we're not letting it get to our heads. We're still focused and humble, but we're still confident. We know we have a whole lot of expectations for us.
"Every game, everybody is trying to knock us off. I think we get every team's best game. We know we have to bring it as well. That's what we've been doing."
Mittie appreciates his team's mental maturity. And that starts with 2022 All-American senior center Ayoka Lee, who on Tuesday was named Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week. Lee averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists in 31.5 minutes in wins over Oklahoma and Texas.
"It starts with Yokie, and to have a leader that is receiving all those accolades and just have her shrug them off and even compliment her teammates for those things is huge," Mittie said. "It'd be really easy for her to get a big head or stop doing the work. She's the opposite. The culture of the program and standard, she very much believes that's our drive. That's what drives her. To have a player do that it trickles down."
And that makes K-State a dangerous team.
"Coach mentioned a few weeks ago that we know everybody is going to give us their best shot with that number by our name," Sundell said. "We have to make sure we go out every night and give them our best shot. It goes both ways. In the Big 12, any night is anybody's game, so we just have to remember that going in that it's going to be a dog fight. So, we must stick to our preparation and stick together, and you're going to have good things happen at the end."
Mittie still addresses his team despite its experience. Every step this season has seemingly prompted a new and exciting experience.
Such as being ranked in the Top 10.
"The thing you have to do is remind them of the core things that makes us good, and you do have to remind them to block out the noise," Mittie said. "If you sit here and think they're not noticing the poll or think they're not getting pats on the back, and all those things, you're avoiding something that needs to be talked about. I'm not going to avoid it. I'm going to have honest conversation with them that it's great to have the pats on the back, but you'd better be smart enough to know that if you stop working, those things (will stop). If we're not talking to them, somebody else is.
"I need my message to be loud and clear every day."
Players Mentioned
Thursday, June 11
Wednesday, June 10
Wednesday, June 10
Tuesday, June 09
