Ready for Another Rock Fight

By: D. Scott Fritchen

They've been watching conference tournament games. They see players crying because their seasons are over. There's a biting finality to losing. When there is no tomorrow. When fate smacks you across the face, and it all comes to an end. Jerome Tang has been around the Division I game for more than two decades. He's experienced angst. He's held players. He's seen the devastation in players' eyes because they care.

"What really helps at this time is — do these guys want to spend another day together? Do they love being with each other and don't want this thing to end, so they're going to do everything they can," he says. "It's not that the teams that lost (in the conference tournaments) didn't (care) but that's what makes the Big 12 so great — every game is like a tournament game.

"Right now, it doesn't matter who you are, you're playing like it's your last game because it means so much to you."

Tonight at 6 p.m., we'll see if No. 10-seed Kansas State, 18-13, can keep its season alive — for sure — at least one more game. The NCAA Tournament? Nobody knows. Nothing is for certain. But K-State has four top-25 wins, and three top-10 wins, and hasn't lost to a Quad 3 or Quad 4 opponent all season. The Wildcats also finished 8-10 in arguably the toughest conference in the nation. There was a time that Tang indicated that nine Big 12 wins should assure a team a spot in March Madness, but a team with seven or eight Big 12 wins might earn a NCAA Tournament berth as well.

"If you put our resume up against anybody else's blind, the teams that are on the bubble, our Quad 1 wins and no losses against Quad 3 and Quad 4, and (consider) our strength of schedule, because of the league we play in, I like our schedule," he says. "Now, I think it was Bob Huggins who said one time, 'Why settle for second when first place is available?' We're going to try and win a Big 12 Championship. But you can't win it unless you win the first game, so we're only focused on the first game."

Texas is the Wildcats' opponent tonight. The third-seeded Longhorns, 20-11, finished 9-9 in the Big 12, and beat K-State, 62-56, in Austin, Texas, on February 19. Dylan Disu scored a game-high 20 points, including six in the final 36 seconds to hold off the Wildcats' late push. Texas enters tonight's game coming off a Big 12-record best 63.5% shooting performance in a 94-80 win over Oklahoma in the regular-season finale. The Longhorns have won three of their last five games since their win over the Wildcats.

Four players average double figures in scoring. All-Big 12 Second Team selection Max Abmas is averaging 16.8 points on 43.1% shooting, and has made 86 3-pointers. Disu, an All-Big 12 Firtt Team selection, averages 16.1 points on 50.2% shooting, including 51.3% on 3-pointers, to along with 4.9 rebounds. Junior Tyrese Hunter averages 11.4 points and sophomore Dillon Mitchell averages 10.0 points.

Asked whether K-State/Texas figures to be a rock fight, Tang replied, "We like rock fights. We're all about it. We want to make it a rock fight. That's where we operate best. They're so athletic. They have weapons. We can't let them get up and down in transition. We have to make them play in the halfcourt. It's going to be tough. We have to make it a real gritty, grimy, low-scoring type of game."

K-State comes off a high with its 65-58 win over No. 6 Iowa State in the regular-season finale at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats snapped Iowa State's four-game winning streak. The Wildcats won the battle of points off turnovers (20-11), second-chance points (10-7) and fast-break points (15-2) while posting a 36-27 edge in rebounds against the Cyclones.

On a day dedicated to the K-State seniors, it was two juniors — Arthur Kaluma and Cam Carter — who stole the show in combining for 45 points. Senior David N'Guessan had 11 points and a career-high 16 boards.

Exactly how have the Wildcats grown since the last time they faced the Longhorns?

"We're playing a lot better," Tang said. "We're taking better shots. We played with great energy down there (in Austin), but we didn't execute some things and missed layups, and they made big plays when they needed to. Whenever you play somebody on their home court, it's tough to win and they took care of business, but we were right there, like a one- or two-possession game. I've seen a lot of growth in our team."

Now it's survive and advance. And with no guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats have their proverbial backs against the wall. In a way, it's fitting, in the eyes of Tang.

"These guys operate way better when their backs are against the wall," Tang said. "I want them to feel the wall. I want them to feel the way that they're on their back and that it's all on the line.

"That's when they bring their best."

Tonight, they'll try to keep their season alive — for sure — for at least one more game.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Cam Carter

Arthur Kaluma

David N'Guessan

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