K-State vs. Baylor Recap
A solid win. It wasn’t even close to pretty and I think if had been a better team it might have been a loss, but beggars can’t be choosers. Continue reading for the good, the bad, and the ugly where we welcome one player to the good and another back to the bad.
The Good
Intensity… Kansas State came out looking like the team we thought we would see all year long. The crowd helped that for sure but it was great to see hustle from all the guys on the floor instead of just one or two. That intensity helped K-State jump out to a big lead quickly and carried through the first 10 minutes of the game.
Spradling… A career night for the freshman who busted some big threes and knocked down every free throw down the stretch in a close game. Spradling finished with 17 points, going 9-9 from the free throw line. He also played solid defense and was scrappy enough to cause some turnovers and jump balls. I’m looking forward to three more seasons with this guy.
Free Throws… Not only did K-State have a good night finishing at 80.6% and making 25 of 31 free throw shots, but they were in a game where that made the difference. If you had said a game for Kansas State would be decided on free throws, I would have bet money on the Cats losing. Things are getting better in this department which is great news.
The Bad
Not putting it away… K-State could have been up by a whole lot more than 7 at half time. They also could have won by a whole lot more than 8 points. The killer instinct wasn’t present tonight and it has been missing in quite a few games.
Dillards Curtis Kelly… Welcome back old friend. After a game of solid work, the player we know returned. While he put up 13 points which ended up being big, I was disappointed in the way he did it. He returned to his constant whining at everything including baskets that he missed all on his own. The best example was his half lay-up half shot put thrown at the basket that missed horribly when he had the opportunity to slam it home in a big way. Throw in a few horrible shot selections and unforced turnovers and you get put in the “Bad” column.
The Ugly
The Play… it was like watching an over 30 men’s league game at the Y. Ugly shots, ugly ball handling, ugly passes, ugly fouls, ugly turnovers, ugly everything. It was like a game that would have taken place in the first weeks after ol’ Naismith invented the dang game. But hey, a win is a win is a win… even if it sets the game of basketball back a decade.
Bob and Brent… I like Bob Knight. I’m okay with Brent Musberger. But these two together as an announcing team can end up with seriously strange results. Knight does a great job most of the time explaining some of the x’s and o’s of basketball. If you like that stuff it’s great to have him announcing the game. However, I think he might be losing his mind a little. During the first half he kept talking about Baylor’s zone defense and the opening on the right wing under the top man. I know what he was talking about but the opening was there because there wasn’t a K-State player close. In a zone, that’s how it works. When a K-State guy went to that space, magically the space was gone. Knight even gave us a drawing after half time to show what he was talking about but the only way it happens that way is if the defense decides they can’t use their legs anymore.