Kansas State basketball faces steep odds against No. 13 Texas Tech on Saturday. In what's expected to be another high-stakes Big 12 showdown, three things must go right for the Wildcats in order to upset the Red Raiders.
Why Kansas State’s perimeter defense must contain Texas Tech’s shooters
Texas Tech isn’t a team that’s shy about letting the deep ball fly from the perimeter, and if K-State wants a chance in this one, the primary focus is containing the three-point shooting.
In their win over the Colorado Buffaloes, Texas Tech shot 40% from three-point range. That mark slipped to 33% against then-No. 1 Arizona, but the Red Raiders still kept the game within single digits by the final buzzer.
The Wildcats saw firsthand what happens when those shots fall in their 91-62 loss to Cincinnati, when the Bearcats knocked down 9 of 11 shots from 3-point range to start the game. Saturday leaves no room for error.Â
Team-first mentality crucial for the Wildcats
Earlier this season, Kansas State faced then-No. 3 Houston and removed player names from the back of its jerseys. Against all odds, the Wildcats lost by just 14 points, delivering a statement a performance just a day before former head coach Jerome Tang was fired for cause.
Against Baylor, Kansas State played with an aggressive style. The offense didn’t rely solely on PJ Haggerty, one of the few bright spots so far this season. Nate Johnson, Taj Manning, and David Castillo all logged significant minutes, and looked complete in the team’s efforts.
That wasn’t accidental, either, and it goes far beyond Matthew Driscoll stepping up as the interim head coach in Tang’s absence. That same mentality will need to show up Saturday against Texas Tech.
JT Toppin is out of the equation, what’s next?
Star forward JT Toppin tore his ACL on Tuesday night against Arizona State, a major loss for the Red Raiders. Without him, there’s speculation on who’s going to step up.Â
The answer right now – nobody knows, and the Big 12 is unpredictable. Each member of the Texas Tech active roster is equally as capable as the next.Â
LeJuan Watts, the other starting forward for the Red Raiders, averages just under 12 points per game, but scored a season-high 36 against Northern Colorado. He also scored 19 points against Kansas.Â
A heavier emphasis on guard play could be at stake as well, with two familiar faces in Christian Anderson and Donovan Attwell still healthy.
BookmarkJug of Snyder and follow us on X with the username@JugofSnyderand Facebook@ksujugofsnyder.