Former Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang knew what he was doing in recruiting starting Wildcats guards P.J. Haggerty and Nate Johnson. The record might not suggest improvement, but the numbers back it up.
If success is imminent against the Kansas Jayhawks, it starts with stopping two of the Big 12’s biggest names.
Kansas State’s guard duo faces biggest test against Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council Jr.
It’s no secret that Haggerty is among the nation’s top scorers. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup against Kansas, he’s fourth in the nation behind Jackson State’s Daeshun Ruffin, East Carolina’s Jordan Riley and BYU’s projected lottery pick, AJ Dybantsa.
Haggerty leads the Wildcats by a long shot with 23.3 points per game, even after missing Tuesday’s contest against the West Virginia Mountaineers. He led Kansas State in 18 consecutive games prior to Tuesday, scoring 20 or more in 14 of those contests.
.@NateJohnson34 sent him the other way 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/k2pJlwVWJp
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) March 4, 2026
He isn’t the only K-State guard making noise, either. Senior Nate Johnson dropped a career-high 34 points against Baylor, marking the first time since 2008 that a Wildcats duo scored 30 points apiece in the same game.
Stats like that don’t happen by accident, and in Tang’s absence, they’ve become more than just a common occurrence. Against the Jayhawks, those numbers are mandatory, especially when Melvin Council Jr. and Darryn Peterson are on the floor.
Haggerty and Johnson are capable of the numbers, but can they deliver?
Rivalry games against the Jayhawks don’t just force the offensive game to ramp up. It puts pressure on the backcourt. Any team can knock down three-point shots against the Jayhawks; Cincinnati proved that, but winning in Lawrence usually comes down to timing the cold spells.
Against Baylor, that was the key – knock down shots, close out on the perimeter, rinse and repeat. The same formula applies to contested looks and not allowing careless mistakes on the offensive side of the ball.
Peterson is the only Jayhawks starter closing in on 20 points per game, while Council remains a dangerous facilitator in assists. If Peterson gets another full game to operate, things could go downhill fast.
Defend the three, stay attached to Peterson and Council at all times, and hope center Dorin Buca is healthy enough to match the size of Flory Bidunga. Keep them boxed in, and this one stays close through at least the first half.
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