Kansas State Wildcat Basketball Can Learn From Wildcat Football

Nov 26, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward D.J. Johnson (4) with then all against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half of the championship game of the Barclays Center Classic at Barclays Center. Maryland won 69-68. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward D.J. Johnson (4) with then all against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half of the championship game of the Barclays Center Classic at Barclays Center. Maryland won 69-68. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas State Wildcat basketball team is off to their best start since 2009-10 season. They face another difficult test with a pair of big games ahead.

The ‘Cats will first battle the Sooners at Bramlage on Saturday afternoon.

Wildcat coach Bruce Weber said he hopes his players can take a page out of the Kansas State football team’s book.

Specifically, he referenced the football team’s consistent improvement and ability to rebound from close losses, according to a media release from K-State Athletics.

The Wildcat football team lost a couple of close games during the recently completed season.  Remember how you felt after the one-point loss at West Virginia?

Despite that, Bill Snyder’s guys rallied to finish the season strong.

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This Wildcat basketball squad needs to do the same.

Kansas State has shown this team can shoot the ball with the best.

Despite the outcome, they scored the second-most points in program history in Lawrence on Tuedsay and the most since 1962.

The ‘Cats shot 50 percent or better for the 6th time this season.

The Wildcats also have connected on 80.8 percent (80-of-99) from the freethrow line in the last 4 games.

Weber also wanted his players to remember what he told them before the Tuesday game, which was about more than winning one game.

“I wrote on the board, because I thought we were going to win, I said ‘Success is not final and failure is not fatal,’” Weber said in the postgame press conference on Tuesday, referencing a Winston Churchill quote.

The ‘Cats need to keep DJ Johnson on the floor and out of foul trouble. Dean Wade needs to continue to be aggressive and keep shooting the ball.

The ‘Cats defense picked up 10 more steals on Tuesday- double digit takeaways for the second straight game.

They should be able to make it three straight against former Wildcat Lon Kruger’s guys on Saturday and at Texas Tech

Schedule

Schedule