'Flush it': Kansas State basketball is moving on from gut-wrenching loss at TCU

‘Flush it’: Kansas State basketball is moving on from gut-wrenching loss at TCU

Posted by Admin January 6, 2025 Basketball

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Kansas State basketball coach Jerome Tang was not about to dwell too long on his Wildcats’ gut-wrenching loss Saturday at TCU.

“If we had won the game, it’s still like this one,” Tang said after watching TCU score the game’s last seven points to edge the Wildcats, 63-62. “We flush it, kind of like golfers and tennis players. It’s one point, you move on to the next.

“It’s one game.”

On one hand, it was a missed opportunity for K-State to claim its first road victory in nearly a year. On the other hand, it was a marked improvement over blowout losses at St. John’s and Wichita State in December.

Plus, the Wildcats (7-6, 1-1 Big 12) have another chance to end the 12-game road skid at 7 p.m. Tuesday when they face Oklahoma State (8-5, 0-2) at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The loss notwithstanding, K-State has put together back-to-back solid performances to start Big 12 play with the TCU game following an impressive 70-67 victory at home Dec. 30 against Cincinnati.

Tang credits the players for buying into his vision, but also for earning his trust.

“A ton of buy-in,” he said. “And they’re getting more buy-in from me, too. It’s a two-way street, right? Staff and players.

“And we’re starting to see the game similar and understanding each other’s strengths and building toward something.”

Inserting point guard Dug McDaniel into the starting lineup has provided a spark, even though Tang is the first to admit that he and the junior Michigan transfer have not always seen eye-to-eye.

McDaniel, who led the team with 12 points at TCU after scoring 17 in the Cincinnati game, downplayed the fact that he’s now a starter.

“We practice together every day, so it was pretty much nothing new,” he said. “I was just in the starting lineup.

“But other than that, I feel like leading up to this point, I prepared for it in practice going against those guys. So. it’s nothing it’s not a surprise for me. I’m just trying to keep building this chemistry.”

Forward Coleman Hawkins also has become more assertive on the offensive end, leading the Wildcats in scoring over the two conference games with 20 points against Cincinnati and 11 at TCU.

Against TCU, the Wildcats also got a spark from forward Macaleab Rich, who scored eight points in the second half.

For Tang, the formula for success in the Big 12 is simple, and snagging a road victory against Oklahoma State to return home with a 2-1 league record certainly would fit the bill.

“If you want a chance to win in this league, you’ve got to control your home court and then go try to steal someone the road,” he said. “This (TCU) was an opportunity for us to get a steal, but they did a great job at the end. They did what they were supposed to do at home.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.